GCS 026: "Footloose" by Herbert Ross

One Kid. One Town. One Chance.

Great Cinematic Scenes number 26, and for this one we go back in town to the movie that launched Kevin Bacon's carreer:

Footloose (1984) http://imdb.com/title/tt0087277/

Classic tale of teen rebellion and repression features a delightful combination of dance choreography and realistic and touching performances. When teenager Ren (Kevin Bacon) and his family move from big-city Chicago to a small town in the West, he's in for a real case of culture shock. Though he tries hard to fit in, the streetwise Ren can't quite believe he's living in a place where rock music and dancing are illegal. There is one small pleasure, however: Ariel (Lori Singer), a troubled but lovely blonde with a jealous boyfriend. and a Bible-thumping minister, who is responsible for keeping the town dance-free. Ren and his classmates want to do away with this ordinance, especially since the senior prom is around the corner, but only Ren has the courage to initiate a battle to abolish the outmoded ban and revitalize the spirit of the repressed townspeople. Fast-paced drama is filled with such now-famous hit songs as the title track and "Let's Hear It for the Boy".

Academy Awards, USA

1985

• 

Nominated, Oscar

Kenny Loggins (music), Dean Pitchford (lyric)

• For the song "Footloose".

• 

Nominated, Oscar

Tom Snow, Dean Pitchford • For the song "Let's Hear It for the Boy".

Fun Facts:

• The movie was loosely based on events that took place in the tiny, rural Oklahoma farming community of Elmore City.

• Kevin Bacon broke out in hives around his midsection when he had to film the City Council scene where he makes the case for holding a prom dance. The actor says he is uncomfortable when speaking in public, but has never had a reoccurrence of hives.

• Chris Penn couldn't dance, so they had to teach him in terms of what he already knew: wrestling.

• Based on the 1978 events in a small Oklahoma town where dancing had been banned for nearly 90 years until a group of high school teens challenged it.

And the scene I choose is of course the dance sequence of "Footloose" enjoy!

Video:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=yX38dNneIiU