There’s no dancing around it: 1984’s Footloose is one of the greatest dancing movies ever made. The story of big city liver Ren (Kevin Bacon) going to a town in rural America and clashing with the town’s pastor (John Lithgow) who banned dancing makes for a compelling story that has sealed itself into the stuff of legend.
As Ren brings back music and dancing to the town of Bomont, he also finds love in the rebellious daughter of the pastor, Ariel (Lori Singer). The movie essentially feels like a 2-hour music video because that’s pretty much what it is. Footloose revolutionized the way films approached advertising and utilizing their soundtracks, and here are ten instances in the film to showcase how they did so.
Somebody’s Eyes/Bang Your Head (Metal Health)
These two songs represent a snippet of the music that just plays in the background of the film with little purpose. Which is a shame, because Karla Bonoff’s “Somebody’s Eyes” is a genuinely great song, as is “Bang Your Head” by Quiet Riot. There could be something to analyze with them, though. “Somebody’s Eyes” plays while Ariel and her abusive boyfriend, Chuck, are fooling around in the woods. And it’s awkward because the use of the song might mean the audience is the ones that are watching.
“Bang Your Head” simply plays while Ren is driving around Bomont before he gets pulled over for his music. It’s notably the only metal song in the soundtrack, and sure, it makes sense that he’d get pulled over for the loud metal sounds.
Dancing In The Sheets
Shalamar’s “Dancing in the Sheets” gets cut short (to the sound of a Pac-man death!) when Ariel’s father, Reverend Moore, shows up and stops the boombox from encouraging booming someone’s box. His shocked reaction and quiet seething rage/pain sets the stage for how personally he takes the dancing ban, as he did so in honor of his son’s death following a party, and he doesn’t want his other child to do the same.
The Girl Gets Around
Poor Ariel. She’ll never get a break. We get it: the girl gets around. Sammy Hagar’s song is very on the nose, playing as Ariel decides to jump from her friend’s car to Chuck’s car while the cars are racing. She gets her feet into the windows of both cars and stands between them, laughing, as a huge semi-trailer truck approaches. Ariel stays in her precarious pose for quite some time, only jumping into Chuck’s car at the last possible second. See, she’s cool because she endangered people’s lives besides her own.
Holding Out For A Hero
Sorry, but Shrek 2’s cover and use of the Bonnie Tyler classic is not just better than the Footloose version, it’s also the most iconic. In Shrek 2, “Holding Out For A Hero” plays in one of the finest third-act climaxes put to the screen as Shrek races to save his true love. In Footloose, it plays while Ren is playing a game of chicken against Chuck with two big tractors.
The scene is pretty funny, as Ren tries to jump off, but can’t, due to his shoelace, and thus he wins the game, but the epic nature of the song doesn’t fit such a low-stakes scene.
I’m Free (Heaven Helps The Man)
In a cathartic scene, Ren tries to convince the town council to allow dancing with an impassioned speech. He does so by quoting scripture, and for a small Utah town that’s…good, but not enough, and the council shoots him down. After stewing on it for some time, and after seeing some fellow townsfolk burn books they deem are bad influences, Reverend Moore decides to go ahead and let the kids have a prom dance. In the scene, he stands before the congregation in his church and makes the announcement. Then, the soft pop-rock sounds of Kenny Loggins’ song washes over the scene.
Hurts So Good/Waiting For a Girl Like You
In this scene, Ren and company, including Ariel, Willard (Chris Penn), and Willard’s date, Rusty (Sarah Jessica Parker), drive some 100 miles away to a country bar to find a place to dance freely. John Mellencamp’s “Hurts So Good” plays while Ariel and Ren get down and dirty, and Willard and Rusty sit on the sidelines, watching. It’s clear that Willard is uncomfortable dancing, and with the town’s ban, never tried, and Rusty clearly wants to get on the floor with Willard and have fun.
The scene only gets more awkward when Foreigner’s love ballad “Waiting For A Girl Like You” starts to play, and Rusty silently stares at Willard, disappointed that she’s stuck to the bar area and watching, not participating.
Almost Paradise
The main love theme from Footloose, and now used in The Bachelor in Paradise, is one of the better-known of the many, many cheesy earworms that the era of love ballads produced. Mike Reno from Loverboy and Ann Wilson from Heart sing the duet, and it really is a solid entry to the soundtrack because of their vocal talents being combined. The scene plays when Ren and Ariel get goo-goo for each other, so it’s a pretty basic use, but at least it wasn’t wasted as background fodder.
Never
In arguably the most recognizable (and simultaneously the silliest) scene in the film, a frustrated Ren dances his troubles away in a warehouse. He rushes to it late at night, smoke and beer in hands, angrily chucks the beer bottle, and begins to dance angrily. Moving Picture’s “Never” sounds like a ski movie montage song, but sure, it totally works for Footloose in this context. It’s the most 1980s sounding song in the film by far, and the scene has aged, but in the best way possible. The scene of Ren jumping onto the poles and doing gymnastics is a bit out of place, but it’s kind of amazing.
Let’s Hear It For The Boy
Even the 2011 country remake of Footloose couldn’t resist fitting the original 80s pop tune into their film by any means. And likewise, using it for the same iconic scene. In one of the most heartwarming and amusing scenes in the film, Ren teaches Willard how to dance to the poppy tune by Denice Williams.
It’s a pretty arduous task to behold, as Willard really has zero idea how to dance to a simple beat. Ren works the feet, the hips, the hands, and the head-bobbing all through the scene, finally getting the ever loveble Willard to cut loose.
Footloose
The movie’s main song, made for and named for the movie, is arguably Kenny Loggins’ best work. It is actually used three times in the film. The first time is for the film’s opening credits filming…well, feet…and they’re cutting loose. It’s a cute opener. The second is in the bar, when Willard and Rusty are watching everyone dance. And when that opening of “Footloose” comes on, Rusty just can’t sit by anymore, and she rushes to the dance floor, where she promptly begins dancing with a guy listed in the credits as “Fat Cowboy.” Willard confronts Rusty and Fat Cowboy, and frankly, Fat Cowboy deserves the ass-whooping he gets. He’s much older than Rusty and says he’ll be going home with Rusty instead after Willard says he brought Rusty. It’s a bit odd that the song was used in this scene, as it might deflate the final big use of it, but…
Nobody puts Bacon in a corner. The final use of the song is the big payoff of the movie. Everyone gets down to boogie, and the party atmosphere is intoxicating. There are loads of talented people just dancing and having fun, and seeing Willard get to use his movies he learned earlier in the movie is immensely satisfying. It’s pretty much the whole point of dancing: a fun social event for people to bond over.
