‘Footloose’– 4 out of 5 stars
Remakes of films are usually made for one of two reasons. Reason one: The movie company has completely run out of ideas, so they decide to pull the cheap trick of taking a classic film and adding new actors. Nothing is done to enhance the story or characters; new actors are just put in the places of classic film heroes. Reason two: The story and theme of the classic film is something so timeless it can be repeated because the material still speaks to audiences across generations. The latest installment of “Footloose” is an example of the latter.
The 1984 version that skyrocketed Kevin Bacon to top stardom is a clear example of a cheesy '80s musical. Filled with big hair, eye-burning bright colors and tons of glitter, “Footloose” tells the story of a small town that has outlawed the gifts of adolescent years: rock n’ roll, alcohol and dancing.
In comes Chicago native Ren, who decides to give this town a new spin on life by fighting the anti-dancing law. The minister’s daughter, Ariel, is a rebellious gal who is taken aback by the new fire that Ren brings to her community and her heart. The minister struggles with the loss of his eldest son in the devastating car crash that caused the introduction of the crazy law. He longs to reach his troubled daughter and to get rid of this teenage nuisance in his seemingly otherwise perfect town. This film focuses heavily on the minister and his struggles. He is the main character, who by the end has developed and grown the most in his relationships with his daughter, his wife and himself.
The new “Footloose” with the same name and the same basic plot brings new light to the timeless tale. The same laws bind this town to the tragedy and the same characters roam around the screen. But this version’s main character is Ren, a troubled teen struggling to come to terms with his mother’s death that caused him to become the new kid in this closed-minded town. I think the revival has a much heavier emphasis on the love story between Ariel and Ren, as a kind of "Romeo and Juliet" forbidden romance. Many of the lines are the same, but I thought that the revision was much funnier, with jests at the redneck and city-kid stereotypes. The soundtrack is laced with rap, hip-hop and some country to appease its new audiences.
The revival was true to the original story and its message but also kept in mind its new audiences, their issues and their views of comedy. Kenny Wormald, the new Ren, has obviously studied Kevin Bacon’s title role, but understands the character enough to be able to add his own spin. For anyone looking for a toe-tapping film with true emotional pull and dynamic character development, I recommend you go see “Footloose.”
