Footloose

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1:26

Footloose

PG

1984

1h 47m

Drama

Music

Romance

Comedy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

55%

Tomatometer

47 Reviews

71%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

Moving in from Chicago, newcomer Ren McCormack (Kevin Bacon) is in shock when he discovers the small Midwestern town he now calls home has made dancing and rock music illegal. As he struggles to fit in, Ren faces an uphill battle to change things. With the help of his new friend, Willard Hewitt (Christopher Penn), and defiant teen Ariel Moore (Lori Singer), he might loosen up this conservative town. But Ariel's influential father, Reverend Shaw Moore (John Lithgow), stands in the way.

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Critics Consensus

There's not much dancing, but what's there is great. The rest of the time, Footloose is a nice hunk of trashy teenage cheese.

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Wendy Ide

The Times (UK)

Jun 30, 2023

It’s very, very silly, but, ahem, kind of fun.

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Kathleen Carroll

New York Daily News

Feb 17, 2016

2.5/4

"Footloose" turns out to be a sort of Boy Scout version of "Flashdance," a carefully toned-down, overly respectable piece of schmaltz ...

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Variety Staff

Variety

Feb 12, 2008

Essential to the result is young Kevin Bacon, superb in the lead part.

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Rachel Wagner

Hallmarkies Podcast

Aug 7, 2025

A lot better than people give it credit for. Takes on deeper themes about grief, loss, censorship, and growing up

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Douglas Davidson

Elements of Madness

Feb 13, 2024

One of the great things about revisiting a film after any period of time is discovery: new details, new concepts, even new theories. In the case of FOOTLOOSE ... there comes multiple discoveries ...

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Allison Rose

FlickDirect

Feb 12, 2024

4/5

For those of us that remember when Footloose came out, this release is a walk down memory lane and offers a slight improvement from previously released version.

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RICHARD H

Aug 19, 2024

i saw it years ago and wanted to compare it to the newer version

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Paul Aaron

Jun 25, 2023

Always loved the original. Made me feel like a teen again.

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Joshua Coleman

May 7, 2023

This movie still holds up 40 years later. Only annoying thing is that Fathom films start exactly on time and most people anticipate trailers so more then half the audience walked in late to the movie.

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Vincent S

@Vin_E_At_The_Movies Aug 17, 2026

A killer soundtrack, a wonderful Kevin Bacon performance and a lot of energy make Footloose an 80s classic. Plus one of the best scenes ever in a musical film, REN teaching Willard how to dance. I watched it in a theater at 15 and just saw it again and it’s still a lot of goofy fun!

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Allan C

@RT15713161 Jul 1, 2026

Still a Classic, Still Completely Ridiculous Footloose (1984) **1/2 Footloose is every bit as iconic, and every bit as ridiculous, as its reputation suggests, turning a ban on dancing into gleefully overwrought melodrama. Kevin Bacon, Lori Singer, and John Lithgow keep the earnestness winning, the soundtrack still rocks, and the campy absurdity is ultimately part of the film's enduring charm. SEE LETTERBOXED FOR FULL REVIEW

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Joanne D

@RT27437272 Jun 18, 2026

Not bad. Ive seen worse but I expected it to better. Doesn't live up to the hype

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Herbert Ross

Director

Kevin Bacon

Ren McCormack

Lori Singer

Ariel Moore

John Lithgow

Reverend Shaw Moore

Dianne Wiest

Vi Moore

Chris Penn

Willard Hewitt

Footloose: Official Clip - Dancing At The Mill

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Footloose: Official Clip - Let's Dance!

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Footloose: Official Clip - Screaming at the Train

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Footloose: Official Clip - The Parking Lot Fight

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Footloose: Official Clip - A Time to Dance

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Footloose: Official Clip - Ren & Ariel Kiss

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Footloose: Official Clip - Let’s Hear It For the Boy

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Footloose: Official Clip - Footloose Fight

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Footloose: Official Clip - Dancing at the Drive-in

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Footloose: Official Clip - Hero Tractor Chicken

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Synopsis

Moving in from Chicago, newcomer Ren McCormack (Kevin Bacon) is in shock when he discovers the small Midwestern town he now calls home has made dancing and rock music illegal. As he struggles to fit in, Ren faces an uphill battle to change things. With the help of his new friend, Willard Hewitt (Christopher Penn), and defiant teen Ariel Moore (Lori Singer), he might loosen up this conservative town. But Ariel's influential father, Reverend Shaw Moore (John Lithgow), stands in the way.

Director: Herbert Ross
Producer: Lewis J. Rachmil, Craig Zadan
Screenwriter: Dean Pitchford
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Production Co: Paramount Pictures, Phoenix Pictures, IndieProd
Rating: PG
Genre: Drama, Music, Romance, Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Feb 17, 1984, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 1, 2013
Runtime: 1h 47m
Sound Mix: Surround, Dolby
Aspect Ratio: 35mm, Flat (1.85:1)

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