Footloose - (October 14, 2011): PG-13
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Opening Weekend Box-Office: #2 with $15,556,113
Domestic Box-Office Gross to-date: $30,948,517
Gross Revenue: $36,948,517
Production Budget: $24 million
Director: Craig Brewer
There are very few instances of genuine cinematic common knowledge, like Christopher Reeve playing the original Superman or Han Solo being a central character of the Star Wars universe, but absolutely everyone knows that 1984’s Footloose is the film that made Kevin Bacon famous. Kenny Loggins’ cover of the title song has also been played at nearly every dance and wedding over the past two decades, so calling Footloose a classic is anything but an exaggeration. Along with countless fans, I was understandably skeptical when it was first announced that Paramount would be releasing a remake with largely unknown actors assuming iconic roles; true, Dennis Quaid is a Hollywood veteran and Julianne Hough is known for her work on Dancing with the Stars, but nearly everyone had doubts concerning Kenny Wormald as the lead character, especially when Zac Efron was the original casting choice. Between the Step Up franchise and numerous reality series, the dance genre is undeniably popular among audiences today, so there was certain logic in revisiting the familiar, but there was no guarantee that a storyline popular nearly thirty years ago would resonate with today’s moviegoers. Paramount certainly could count on the curiosity of fans of the original to fill theaters, but there was still no guarantee that this generation’s Footloose could match the success associated with the 80’s powerhouse.
Offering no drastic deviations from the original, Footloose introduces audiences to young Ren McCormack (Kenny Wormald), an upbeat Boston teenager who has just moved to the small town of Bomont, Georgia, a restrictive southern community that has banned all dancing and rock music. The chief proponent behind this oppressive law is the town reverend, Shaw Moore (Dennis Quaid), who lost his son in a tragic car accident five years ago that he blames on alcohol, corruptive music, and lewd dancing. Soon enough, as an outsider, Ren runs afoul of a number of townspeople, including Rev. Moore, but he soon makes friends with fellow high school student, Willard Hewitt (Miles Teller). Ren also catches the eye of Rev. Moore’s rebellious daughter, Ariel (Julianne Hough), who has been acting out since her brothers death and causes even more trouble for Ren. Tired of feeling like an outsider, Ren decides to petition the town council to have the dancing ban removed, so that he and the rest of the high school’s senior class will be able to hold a prom dance, which serves as far more of a challenge than he ever expected.
Easily the best aspect of this Footloose is sheer nostalgia, as it is just pleasant to see a familiar story revisited for a new generation; Ren’s dancing tantrum at the mill, Ariel’s red cowboy boots, Willard’s dancing lessons and hair-trigger temper…it’s all there. At the very least, filmmakers were able to dodge a bullet from purist fans, who I’m sure would have rioted if any significant changes had been made to the storyline. With the young cast, it was refreshing to see Kenny Wormald and Julianne Hough successfully tackle iconic roles; as such a demonstration of talent may foreshadow significant future success for the actors. Both Wormald and Hough were surprisingly able to add some individual flair to their characters, as Ren’s family conflict takes on more of a tragic tone and Ariel’s hell-raising behavior receives far clearer justification. Unfortunately, producing a faithful adaptation is a double-edged sword, as both adherence to the source material and deviations from the familiar caused significant problems for this remake.
With a few minor exceptions, Footloose is scene-for-scene identical to the 1984 original, meaning that this film showcases limited creativity, offers little surprise, and largely comes across as lazy. One instance of the carbon-copy nature of this film is Miles Teller as Ren’s sidekick, who is so identical to the late Chris Penn in looks, mannerism, and speaking style, that it almost seems like a genuine case of reincarnation; I understand that purists don’t want too much deviation from the original, but when you produce something this close, what is the point of making another film at all? I mentioned that there are a few small changes to the story that are understandable to update for modern audiences, but one big change that makes absolutely no sense is the soundtrack, which morphs classic songs that shouldn’t be touched at all…either pick new songs or leave the old ones alone. Another key justification against this remake involves the lack of a genuinely relatable theme…in 1984, you could accept a small town outlawing dancing, but in today’s politically-correct, legal-loophole world, it is utterly ridiculous when Ren gets pulled over and ticketed for playing music, and his angry dancing reaction is equally foolish. In the end, this Footloose failed to meet the burden of proof that would be needed to fully justify a remake, especially when nothing truly special is offered.
In a incredibly close call, Real Steel barely edged out Footloose in this upbeat remake’s opening weekend, taking the top spot with just under a $1 million edge. A second place ranking with over $15 million demonstrates a considerable amount of audience interest in this update of a classic, which is understandable when one considers the sheer volume of fans that still tap their feet uncontrollably when the Kenny Loggins song starts playing. The international haul for Footloose has been less than stellar, but such a fact is not that surprising, as it is hard enough for domestic audiences to relate to this dance film, but Paramount has little to worry about, as the remake has already turned a profit. While I don’t expect Kenny Wormald to do much beyond the dancing genre, it will not be that surprising to see the sexy and sassy Julianne Hough establish more of a presence on the big screen. If you consider 1984’s Footloose as one of your favorite films, this remake is well-worth seeing and will not disrespect the hallowed original, but for everyone else, you cannot expect this film to offering anything special at the theater.
Overall Recommendation: Medium
