So I realized that I never watched “Footloose” and for some odd reason, I decided to announce it on Facebook. The comments cracked me up with most of the people my age in shock that I had not seen it but I also had a few that told me that I wasn’t missing much. After receiving 4 or 5 messages last weekend that “Footloose” was on AMC, I decided to record it and dive in.
Full disclosure, I was warned by my buddy @Jay Lawerence to suspend belief and watch it like a kid in the 1980’s. I was a kid that was raised in the 80’s so it was not hard to do but it only helped so much. I really did try.
As the movie started, I am told that this small Indiana town banned dancing 5 years prior because some kids died while drinking and dancing. I guess in Indiana dancing and drinking was a big issue. In North Cape Coral it probably would have been drinking and driving. I guess they partied differently in Indiana.
I have several questions that go unanswered the entire movie that I want to get out of the way.
What is the punishment for dancing? Never talked about it.
Who enforces this dancing law? Never talked about it.
Can you dance inside your own home? Never talked about it.
How did the guy driving the truck with deer antlers on the roof not go to jail for beating the hell out of the preachers daughter? He just kept on trying to stop the dancing and never got in trouble.
Massive plot holes but I am putting on my sweet 1980’s glasses and moving on.
Kevin Bacon played a high school kid that just moved from a big town and is appalled when he finds out dancing is illegal. Come to find out a little later, he is aspiring gymnasts who ends up getting cut from his high school gym team because…I really don’t know why. Did high schools in Indiana have gym teams? I feel like North Cape Coral and Indiana are on two different planets. Him being cut from the prestigious gym team allowed him to blow off some steam by driving to the local abandoned warehouse to have a solo dance off because …..Indiana. I am to assume that this old warehouse used to double as a gym practice facility because out of nowhere he starts hitting the uneven bars and then swings around the factory like Tarzan on some random cable. He did land the dismount though! Perfect 10 Kevin!
Kevin, who is playing a high school senior but is actually 26 years old, ends up dating the Preachers daughter who has basically slept with the entire town and everyone knows it except the preacher, Jon Lithgow. I really felt bad for him. His daughter is out trying to jump in front of trains, doing splits between two moving trucks while a semi drives towards them, got beat up by Deer Antler On Truck guy after she broke up with him and now she is dating a guy who is ripping the fabric from this small town. Prayers up for Jon! It was way easier playing the Dad in “Harry and The Henderson’s”. Classic Bigfoot movie if you have not seen it! Way more believable than this movie.
We have to talk about this game of chicken using combines. Kevin jumps in some random combine and has to against Deer Antler On Truck guy. They are along a trail and are supposed to race towards each other and whoever moves first loses. First off, Kevin does not know how to drive a combine and they try to teach him in 15 seconds. They basically throw it in drive and wish him luck. Deer Antler on Truck guy takes off like he was born on a combine. Anyways, they floor their combines to top speed for an intense game of chicken. Oh wait….they are combines and they top out at like 3 mph’s. This scene takes what seems like 5 minutes for the combines to get close to hitting each other. Intense music playing and everyone is going nuts but these combines are moving at the pace of you walking your dog. Deer Antler On Truck guy chickens out and instead of driving his combine away from the other combine or just stopping, he bails into the ditch. His Dad’s favorite combine veers off on its own and flips over. Deer Antler On Truck guy chickened out and wrecked his Dad’s combine. Not a good day for the Deer Antler Squad.
The Deer Antler Squad took L’s the entire movie. Some random guy roughed them up in the phone booth outside of some diner. They ended up getting beat up at the end by Kevin Bacon and Chris Penn. I think it was 5 vs 2 but they somehow lost and didn’t ruin the dance like they thought they were going to do. Maybe the Deer Antler Squad were actually the unspoken enforcers. Either way they blew it and the illegal dance went on while the high school kids danced their little butts off all night.
On a positive note, the sound track was awesome. Tons of great 80’s music.
This movie was fun to watch since I was raised in the 80’s and many of you loved it. It would have been way better if I watched it as a kid in the 80’s but I am now 42 and watched it in 2019. Tough spot for “Footloose” and Jon Lithgow to be in .
For nostalgia purposes I would give this movie a 680 credit score.
P.S. Shout out to my friends from Indiana! This movie explains a lot about you. Lol!
Born and raised in Southwest Florida, I have been in the Mortgage business since 2001 I'm a grizzly, battle tested mortgage veteran. I am also the Host of Rates & Reels, which is the most popular fishing show in Southwest Florida, hosted by a guy named Tim. In my spare time I love spending time with my family, coaching baseball, and anything else my kids or wife want me to do. I would be happy to help you or someone you know with any of your Mortgage needs.
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