Episode 46 - Footloose

"Ecclesiastes assures us... that there is a time for every purpose under heaven. A time to laugh... and a time to weep. A time to mourn... and there is a time to dance.” -Ren McCormack

The 1984 musical drama, “Footloose,” makes viewers laugh at its afterschool special-caliber plot…and weep about the fact Kenny Loggins was nominated for both an Oscar and a Grammy for the title song. It makes us mourn the 110 minutes we wasted watching it… and it makes us want to dance directly into an oncoming train.

Applewood-smoked Kevin Bacon plays Ren McCormack, a dance-crazed gymnast who's forced to move from Chicago to a small religious town where dancing is illegal after his father abandons his family.

John Lithgow plays Reverend Shaw Moore, a silver-tongued preacher who rules his town by issuing fiery pronouncements from the pulpit. After his dunce son died while driving drunk and acting like a moron, he decided to ban everyone from dancing. He also viciously slaps his daughter at one point.

Lori Singer plays Ariel Moore, a rebellious preacher’s daughter whose entire identity revolves around the death of her brother and punishing her father. Her favorite pastime is putting her friends’ lives in grave danger.

Chris Penn plays Willard Hewitt, a super-friendly hick who learns some bizarre dance moves that wouldn’t be well-suited for prom, or any other social occasion.

Sarah Jessica Parker plays Rusty, Ariel’s gossipy BFF who has the hots for Bacon, but settles for Penn.

Join us as we discuss Jim’s aversion to glitter and how 80s movies love to perpetuate the reefer madness myth.

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This episode is sponsored by Peewee CTE.