What happens when you’re not allowed to dance in a small town? Ask Kevin Bacon.
I might not have been born when the film “Footloose” came out in 1984, but no matter the generation, the new kid in town and eventual hero Ren McCormack, played by Bacon, shows us a thing or two about breaking the rules to bring people together to dance. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the dynamic, toe-tapping “Footloose,” which has become a cult-classic. Let’s take a look back at the memorable scenes that show why dancing is never out of style and neither is Bacon.
Learning how to dance
Bacon teaches new friend Willard Hewitt, played by Chris Penn, how to dance, as the catchy “Let’s Hear it for the Boy” by Deniece Williams plays in the background. The scene begins in Bacon’s yellow Beetle, as they snap their fingers to the beat. They walk down the school hallway practicing dance moves, and Penn practices in his bedroom, though he seems to have two left feet. Bacon shows him partner dancing in the school gymnasium, has his little cousins teach him a thing or two, and, eventually, Penn gets the steps down to be almost as good as Bacon.
Tractor racing
What better way to duke it out than tractor racing? Bacon and the bad boy in town, Chuck Cranston, played by Jim Youngs, decide to do just that. Bacon is a city boy who doesn’t even know how to work a tractor, let alone race one. As “Holding out for a Hero” by Bonnie Tyler plays, the engines roar to life, with Youngs overly confident that he’ll win. The boys are heading in the same direction, and the one who backs down loses. Bacon almost throws in the towel, but his shoelace gets stuck to the pedal and he ends up winning.
Warehouse dancing
Wearing a white tank and faded jeans, Bacon releases his frustration at being misunderstood by the community, by busting out dance moves in an abandoned warehouse to “Never” by Moving Pictures. Between the light and the shadows and the impressive gymnastics moves he does on the horizontal bar, the repeated shots of him flying in mid-air are worth watching. OK, so Bacon wasn’t actually doing those moves, but let’s pretend he did for the sake of the drama. Bacon even re-created the epic scene recently on “The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon” to celebrate the anniversary of the film.
Town Hall meeting
Bacon challenges the city council at a town hall meeting to convince them dancing should be legal. He emphasizes his convincing argument in front of Shaw Moore, the town reverend played by John Lithgow, who also happens to be the father of the rebellious Ariel Moore, Bacon’s love interest, played by Lori Singer. He proves his point by saying “It’s our way of celebrating life.” Through his bravery, and the support of the rest of the community, including Lithgow’s wife, Vi Moore, played by Dianne Wiest, the city council agrees.
Prom
The infamous prom scene after the triumphant town hall meeting is hands-down the best part of the film. The dance takes place in a revamped barn, and after Bacon, Penn, and their dates Singer and Sarah Jessica Parker, who plays Rusty, go inside after the boys get in a fistfight with Singer’s ex-boyfriend, the party gets started. When Bacon yells, “Let’s dance!” the infamous Kenny Loggin’s “Footloose” starts playing and everyone busts out the dance moves they’ve been waiting for.
