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The ‘80s were a wild time for Kevin Bacon. The blossoming star had just caught his first major wave at the tail end of the last decade thanks to National Lampoon’s Animal House and was feeling out what type of actor he’d be. As we know now, the answer is every type, as Bacon has seamlessly hopped from one genre to the next, flexing his skills along the way. After a few smaller roles that would lead to a larger one in the franchise starter, Friday the 13th, the steam really started to roll for Bacon after being cast in Barry Levinson’s Diner alongside a dynamite ensemble that included names like Paul Reiser and Steve Guttenberg. But everything would change for Bacon when he danced into the role of Ren McCormack in Herbert Ross’ 1984 musical drama, Footloose. The film fully launched Bacon into the spotlight, blasting him towards superstardom. And now, the classic title can be streamed on a TV near you for free courtesy of Pluto TV.
Whether it’s Bacon’s hair, his blue jeans, or his dance moves, there’s a lot to love about Footloose. The movie centers around Bacon’s Ren McCormack, a young man who has been forced to move with his family from a bustling life in the big city of Chicago to a tiny town in Texas. Things are very different in Ren’s new home, but the biggest and most upsetting thing for the teenager is the town’s ban on dancing. He soon comes to learn that a tragic accident led to the decision to outlaw rock music and hip gyrating, but tries to find a way to prove to the village’s minister (John Lithgow) and the rest of the folks that dancing is not a crime.
Joining Lithgow and Bacon in the toe-tapping feature is a lineup of talent that includes Dianne Wiest (Practical Magic), Chris Penn (Reservoir Dogs), Sarah Jessica Parker (Sex and the City), Elizabeth Gorcey (Teen Wolf), John Laughlin (Crimes of Passion) and Frances Lee McCain (Gremlins).
Right up there with other of-the-time classics like Flashdance, Dirty Dancing and Stayin Alive (the John Travolta-led sequel to Saturday Night Fever), Footloose proved that ‘80s audiences were ready to get down and boogie. The movie was both a financial and critical success, earning $80 million domestically against a $7.5 million production budget. Meanwhile, one couldn’t turn their radios on without hearing some of the movie’s groovy tunes blasting through the airwaves, with Kenny Loggins’ “Footloose” and Deniece Williams’ “Let’s Hear It for the Boy” even earning Academy Award nominations.
If you wanna cut loose with Bacon in one of his earliest career-defining roles, head over to Pluto TV now to stream Footloose.
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Footloose
Release Date February 17, 1984
Director Herbert Ross
Runtime 107 minutes
Character(s) Ren , Ariel , Rev. Shaw Moore , Vi Moore , Willard , Rusty , Woody , Wendy Jo , Ethel McCormack , Chuck , Burlington Cranston , Lulu , Wes , Andy Beamis , Roger Dunbar , Eleanor Dunbar , Edna , Travis , Rich , Jeff , Herb
Writers Dean Pitchford
Budget $8.2 million
Studio(s) Paramount Pictures
Distributor(s) Paramount Pictures
This article covers a developing story. Continue to check back with us as we will be adding more information as it becomes available.
English (US) ·