IMDb > Footloose (1984)
Footloose
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotes
Overview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv schedule
Awards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage board
Plot & Quotes
plot summarysynopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotes
Fun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQ
Other Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDesk
Promotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo gallery
External Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clips

Footloose (1984) More at IMDbPro »

Videos (see all 3)
Footloose (1984) -- Movieplayer.it - Trailer (Flash)
Footloose (1984) -- Clip: You're Beautiful

Overview

User Rating:
5.9/10   14,300 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 5% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Herbert Ross
Writer:
Dean Pitchford (written by)
Contact:
View company contact information for Footloose on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
17 February 1984 (USA) more
Genre:
Drama | Music | Romance more
Tagline:
One kid. One town. One chance. more
Plot:
A city boy comes to a small town where rock music and dancing have been banned. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 4 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(199 articles)
Kenny Ortega on exiting 'Footloose' remake: 'It was not planned'
 (From EW.com - Hollywood Insider. 28 October 2009, 4:51 PM, PDT)
Ortega leaves his 'Footloose'
 (From Monsters and Critics. 27 October 2009, 1:56 PM, PDT)
User Comments:
Silly, but lighthearted caper more (79 total)
US TV Schedule:
Fri. Nov. 2710:00 PMTVLAND   
Sat. Nov. 285:30 PMCMTV   more

Cast

  (in credits order) (verified as complete)

Kevin Bacon ... Ren McCormack

Lori Singer ... Ariel Moore

John Lithgow ... Reverend Shaw Moore

Dianne Wiest ... Vi Moore

Chris Penn ... Willard Hewitt (as Christopher Penn)

Sarah Jessica Parker ... Rusty
John Laughlin ... Woody
Elizabeth Gorcey ... Wendy Jo

Frances Lee McCain ... Ethel McCormack
Jim Youngs ... Chuck Cranston
Douglas Dirkson ... Burlington Cranston
Lynne Marta ... Lulu Warnicker
Arthur Rosenberg ... Wes Warnicker
Timothy Scott ... Andy Beamis
Alan Haufrect ... Coach Roger Dunbar
Linda MacEwen ... Eleanor Dunbar
Kim Jensen ... Edna
Michael Telmont ... Travis
Leo Geter ... Rich
Ken Kemp ... Jeff
Russ McGinn ... Herb
Sam Dalton ... Mr. Gurntz
H.E.D. Redford ... Widdoes
Jay Bernard ... Harvey
David Valenza ... Team Member
Meghan Broadhead ... Sarah Warnicker
Mimi Broadhead ... Amy Warnicker
Gene Pack ... Bernie
Marcia Reider ... Virginia (as Marcia Yvette Reider)
John Perryman ... Fat Cowboy
Mary Ethel Gregory ... Mrs. Allyson
Oscar Rowland ... Mr. Walsh
J. Paul Broadhead ... Mayor Dooley

John Bishop ... Elvis
Carmen Trevino ... Girl
Melissa Renee Graehl ... Girl (as Melissa Renée Graehl)
Monica M. Da Silva ... Girl
Terri Gay Ulmer ... Girl
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Deborah Frazier ... Dancer (uncredited)
Brian L. McCarty ... Nerdish High School DJ (uncredited)
Brian Wimmer ... (uncredited)
Create a character page for: ?

Directed by
Herbert Ross 
 
Writing credits
(in alphabetical order)
Dean Pitchford  written by

Produced by
Daniel Melnick .... executive producer
Lewis J. Rachmil .... producer
Craig Zadan .... producer
 
Cinematography by
Ric Waite (director of photography)
 
Film Editing by
Paul Hirsch 
 
Casting by
Jane Feinberg 
Mike Fenton 
Marci Liroff 
 
Production Design by
Ron Hobbs 
 
Set Decoration by
Mary Swanson  (as Mary Olivia Swanson)
 
Costume Design by
Gloria Gresham 
 
Makeup Department
Barbara Lampson .... hair stylist
Daniel C. Striepeke .... makeup artist
 
Production Management
Murray Schwartz .... unit production manager
 
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Robert Engelman .... second assistant director
Donald Hauer .... additional second assistant director (as Donald Paul Hauer)
L. Andrew Stone .... first assistant director
 
Art Department
C.J. Maguire .... property master
 
Sound Department
Robert Bradshaw .... sound effects editor
David E. Campbell .... sound re-recording mixer
Gordon Ecker .... supervising sound editor (as Gordon Ecker Jr.)
Stan Gilbert .... supervising adr editor
David W. Gray .... sound stereo consultant: Dolby
Randy Kelley .... sound effects editor (as Randall F. Kelley)
Bob Newlan .... sound effects editor
Al Overton Jr. .... sound mixer
John T. Reitz .... sound re-recording mixer
Gregg Rudloff .... sound re-recording mixer (as Gregg C. Rudloff)
Wylie Stateman .... sound effects editor
Anthony Milch .... sound editor (uncredited)
Greg Orloff .... foley mixer (uncredited)
John Roesch .... foley artist (uncredited)
 
Special Effects by
Wayne Beauchamp .... special effects (as James W. Beauchamp)
 
Stunts
Robert Allen .... stunts
Wayne Brown .... stunts
J. Suzanne Fish .... stunts
Donna Garrett .... stunts
Paul Goodwin .... stunts
Norman Howell .... stunts
Max Kleven .... stunt coordinator
Clair E. Leucart .... stunts
Daniel K. Moore .... stunts
Lane Parrish .... stunts (as Lane M. Parrish)
Carol Rees .... stunts (as Carol L. Rees)
John-Clay Scott .... stunts
Peter Tramm .... stunt dancer
 
Camera and Electrical Department
Eric D. Andersen .... camera operator
Carl Boles .... gaffer
Harold Rabuse .... key grip (as Harold H. Rabuse)
Richard R. Robinson .... still photographer
Baird Steptoe .... first assistant camera
Donald E. Thorin Jr. .... first assistant camera
Richard Walden .... camera operator
Dale Alexander .... key grip (uncredited)
Mako Koiwai .... second assistant camera (uncredited)
 
Casting Department
Cate Praggastis .... location casting
Margery Simkin .... casting: New York
 
Costume and Wardrobe Department
Kendall Errair .... costumer: women
Barton Kent James .... costumer: men (as Barton K. James)
 
Editorial Department
David Handman .... assistant editor
Peck Prior .... assistant editor
Gregory Scherick .... apprentice editor
 
Music Department
Nancy Fogarty .... music editor
Miles Goodman .... music adaptor: score
Jim Henrikson .... music editor
Becky Mancuso-Winding .... music supervisor (as Becky Shargo)
Lee De Carlo .... song producer (uncredited)
Brian L. McCarty .... music playback operator (uncredited)
 
Transportation Department
Sam Edelman .... transportation coordinator
 
Other crew
Frawley Becker .... location manager
Wayne Fitzgerald .... title designer
Chuck Gaylord .... consultant: gymnastics
Spencer Henderson .... associate choreographer
Ronnie Kramer .... secretary: Mr. Schwartz
Michael Maslansky .... publicist
Christopher Meledandri .... associate: Mr. Rachmil and Mr. Zadan
David Oliver .... title designer
Lynne Taylor-Corbett .... choreographer
Esther Vivante .... script supervisor
Ronald Walkshorse .... set security (uncredited)
 
Crew believed to be complete


Production CompaniesDistributorsOther Companies
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Parents Guide:
View content advisory for parents
Runtime:
107 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Dolby
Certification:
Iceland:L | Netherlands:12 | USA:PG (re-rating) (1983) | USA:R (original rating) | UK:12A (re-rating) (2007) | UK:PG (cinema rating) (cut) | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Manitoba) | Chile:14 | Finland:K-12 | Singapore:PG | Sweden:11 | UK:15 | West Germany:12
Filming Locations:
American Fork, Utah, USA more
Company:
Paramount Pictures more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Daryl Hannah turned down the offer to play Ariel in order to play Madison in Splash (1984). Elizabeth McGovern turned down the role of Ariel in order to play Deborah Gelly in Once Upon a Time in America (1984). Melanie Griffith, Michelle Pfeiffer, Jamie Lee Curtis, Rosanna Arquette, Meg Tilly, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Heather Locklear, Meg Ryan, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Jodie Foster, Phoebe Cates, Tatum O'Neal, Bridget Fonda, Lori Loughlin, Diane Lane and Brooke Shields were all offered the role of Ariel, but turned it down. more
Goofs:
Continuity: When he is talking to Ariel by the car after she finds him, he is shown clearly putting it back on. more
Quotes:
Wes: Ethel are you sure you're not tired?
Ethel: No, Ren did most of the driving.
Amy: If you ask me, Ren is a total fox.
Lulu: Amy!
Wes: Where did you hear that? Ethel do you see how television and those kinds of books influence children? You see?
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in "Mad About You: Outbreak (#5.7)" (1996) more
Soundtrack:
Bang Your Head (Metal Health) more

FAQ

Chapter headings, a semi-official version 1.00
more

User Comments

   (Comment on this title)
28 out of 31 people found the following comment useful.
Silly, but lighthearted caper, 24 June 2002
Author: Alain English from London, England

"Footloose" is a fun and very lighthearted motion picture that promises a good time and delivers.

The film has a simple, if unlikely, plotline. Streetsmart but gentle teenager Ren MacCormack(Kevin Bacon) arrives from the big city with his mother in the backwater town of Bomont. Enrolling at the local high school, he is appalled to discover the town's adults have imposed a law on "public dancing" and rock music, as enforced and practiced by the local preacher(John Lithgow). Ren quickly sets about changing things, falling in love with the preacher's daughter Ariel (Lori Singer) in the process.

The story is a little unlikely yet it is perfectly suitable for the teenaged audience at which it is pitched. The script takes some time to explore its simple theme - dancing and rock music, and what they symbolise for young people. Three scenes help to lay this out. The first sees Ren dancing by himself in a barn; the town meeting where Ren presents his case to the townspeople and explains to them the meaning of the dance; and the final prom sequence in which the teens of Bomont revel in their newfound liberation.

As the leading man, Kevin Bacon carries off his role very well. Ren isn't really a macho hero revelling in coolness, he's a down-to-earth young man trying to the right thing by his peers. His romance with Lori Singer's character Ariel is formulaic but perfectly inoffensive.

The film could have perhaps done with a little more nastiness to fully contrast against Ren's earnest intentions. Even Ariel's brutish boyfriend(Jim Young) fails to inject much tension in this respect and the final fistfight between him and Ren comes across as being a bit lame.

John Lithgow's characterisation is very good but it is a little too subtle. As the town Reverend and preacher of all things pure and holy, his extreme views come across not so much as puritanical, just merely uptight. The change that eventually occurs in his attitudes is hinted at very early on. The result is that he is nowhere near is frightening or intimidating a character as he could have been. At the same time his troubled relationships with his rebellious daughter and quiet wife(Dianne Wiest) are very well written and acted. In these scenes he excels and his character's development seems very natural.

On the technical side, the film is well-shot and the gloriously Eighties soundtrack complements the proceedings very well, bringing the necessary exhuberance and bounce to the whole movie.

Whilst "Footloose" is certainly no masterpiece, it succeeds in being a lighthearted knockabout caper, and as such is a very enjoyable movie.

Was the above comment useful to you?
more (79 total)

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Footloose (1984)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Who else hated Ariel? swlitzy
What could Rusty's real name be? Ray_Donahue
100 things we learned from Footloose dani_godwin
Remake? jelloshot0808-1
Chapter headings, v1.00 annevejb
WHAT IF...Michael Cimino *had* made 'Footloose'? khaosjr
more

Recommendations

If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
- - - - -
Carrie American Beauty Save the Last Dance Saturday Night Fever Forrest Gump
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
Show more recommendations

Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits External reviews
News articles IMDb Drama section IMDb USA section
Add this title to MyMovies

You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Update' button will take you through a step-by-step process.