Positive Rebellion

Rating: 7/10 (29 March 2012)

After the abandonment of his father, Ren McCormack (Kevin Bacon) and his mother move from Chicago to live with his Aunt Lulu (Lynne Marta) and Uncle Wes (Arthur Rosenberg) in the small town of Bomont. While there, Ren experiences culture shock in learning that dancing and secular music were against the law due to the death of teenagers involved in an automobile accident after a dance five years prior to his arrival. Desperate to fit in with the town's society, yet unwilling to assimilate to its customs, Ren is compelled to generate a revolution by standing up to the town administrators and proposing a senior prom. With the help of his friends Willard (Chris Penn), Rusty (Sarah Jessica Parker), and Ariel (Lori Singer), the dance is passed and the town is resolved to a positive change.
Within the film "Footloose", the themes of courage, bravery, and hope can be found. Ren had to find bravery and courage within himself in order to take a stand against the town council in proposing the hosting of a senior prom. Willard, Rusty, and Ariel had to generate courage and hope in knowing that their support to Ren's cause would show approved and that the oppressive laws would be abolished.
Many found this film to be entertaining with its lovable characters, musical score, and happy ending. Kevin Bacon plays Ren McCormick and portrays him with a spunky, big city attitude. Willard is played by Chris Penn and is the goofy, redneck friend of Ren. Rusty, played by Sarah Jessica Parker, is the longtime sweetheart of Willard and is always worrisome. Ariel, played by Lori Singer, is the rebellious daughter of the minister and teenage love of Ren. I enjoyed this character combination because their personalities cause me to reminisce about my best friends during my high school years. The film also featured the hit singles of Bonnie Tyler's "Holding Out For A Hero" and Kenny Loggins'"Footloose," which electrified the dance numbers within the movie. Lastly, happy endings are classical ways of ending good stories, especially this one. With the abolishment of the strict dancing laws and the hosting of a dance, Ren fought for what he believed and achieved his ending goal.