FOOTLOOSE

CAPSULE REVIEW –– It's really hard to comment on a film that had you been writing at the time of its initial release would have been on your Top 10 list. Ah, the folly of youth. Many of the films from the 80s don't really stand up to the test of time, but that can be said for most movies regardless of decade. In the case of this "musical" about an outsider who brings dancing back to a small town high school, it holds up better than it should. All due to the sexy and charming performance by Kevin Bacon, which made him a superstar with the ladies. He makes the most of his first starring role, proving that no matter how trite and silly a script can be, he has enough screen presence to make it work. John Lithgow and Dianne Wiest, playing the parents who are fearful of their children's burgeoning sexuality and what it might lead to, bring stability and dignity to the melodrama. There's a good enough spark between Bacon and Lori Singer to get the job done, but I find her to be more annoying than attractive. It seems to me the only reason she snares Bacon is because of the flashing "I'm easy" sign on her forehead. The soundtrack filled with 80s pop is actually still quite catchy and entrancing. FOOTLOOSE could've been a classic if it had more depth and less kitsch. As is stands, it's a modest hit with a decent beat that won't over-tax your brain or heart.