Time to cut loose

Footloose (2011)
Certified: 12
Duration: 113 minutes
Directed by: Craig Bewer
Starring: Kenny Wormald, Julianne Hough, Dennis Quaid, Andie MacDowell, Miles Teller, Mary Charles Jones
KRS release

For whoever was a teen in the 1980s, Footloose was one of the de rigueur films. While the idea of a town banning dancing and music is a bit iffy in these modern times, director Craig Brewer still manages to make the premise work. Those who like me were enamored by the original will appreciate this film which re-enacts the original in an almost step-by-step fashion through its youthful energy.

Ren McCormack (Kenny Wormald) has just moved from Boston into the small southern town of Bomont after his mother died. The high school gymnast is now to live with aunt and uncle Lulu and Wes (Kim Dickens, Ray McKinnon).

Unlike Boston, Bomont comes with a lot of rules. Aside from being a sleepy town, it follows very strict rules concerning the behaviour of teenagers should behave; one of main restrictions being that they are not allowed to dance.

This ban was implemented by the town council when some teenagers died after a dance party. One of the main proponents of the ban was Reverend Shaw Moore (Dennis Quaid) whose own son died in that incident. As a consequence, his daughter Ariel (Julianne Hough) has become a real wild child, going dancing in secret and dating race car driver Chuck (Patrick John Flueger). This does not meet with the approval of her best friend Rusty Rodriguez (Ziah Colon). The latter is attracted to Willard (Miles Teller) who is something of a small town boy.

Ren makes friends with Willard and a group of others. Rivalry between him and Chuck increases when Ariel starts to take an interest in Ren. Not happy with the town’s laws, Ren starts challenging them and the die is cast. Reverend Shaw is not happy about this and Ren soon finds that being the new kid in town is much more difficult than he ever thought.

Ray McKinnon takes on the Kevin Bacon role from the original. He has enough screen presence and dancing moves to carry it off. He fills the boots of the cool new kid in town adequately enough. Miles Teller is simply spot on as the musically and rhythm impeded sidekick. Julianne Hough plays it all aloof and cold at times and exuberant at others. The fluctuations in her character are a stumbling block, but this was a problem in the first film too with Lori Singer. It is the teen stars who are in the limelight and it is they who hog all the attention and get the best lines…and moves.

The main problem of making a premise and plot that is now 27 years old seem relevant to a much more aware and knowledgeable teenage population, is well tackled and the hurdles are successfully vaulted over. The film succeeds in making this teenage fantasy light up the screen and while this film is in less angry mode than the original, it does make for a feel-good movie.

Director Craig Brewer of Black Snake Moan and Hustle and Flow fame never discards the original film and brings an honest and faithful update that will end up appeasing both fans and newcomers. He gets what he aims for and that is entertaining the socks off his audience, leaving the recent spate of rap dancing movies in the shade.

The film takes the old and now classic ditties and gives them a modern polish. The result is a film that works whereas last year’s version of Fame struggled. Every teen deserves to have their version of Footloose; well this one gives the current generation the chance to cut loose.