In the words of George Carlin, “Those who dance are considered insane by those who cannot hear the music.”

Footloose (1984) tells the story of the rural small town of Bomont, Georgia, where the art of dance was forbidden.  Everything changed when a group of intoxicated teenagers, one of which was the the preacher’s only son, were killed in a car accident. The loss traumatized everyone, especially the parents. To “prevent” an event like that from ever occurring again, dancing, upbeat music, partying, along with everything else that’s fun ,was banned. The elders acted out of genuine, yet misguided, parental concern. That all changed when Ren McCormack moved to town.

Ren McCormack, the face of the revolt against these absurd laws, ultimately won over the elders. He convinced them that dancing is not a crime, nor the cause of the lives lost. He gave a moving speech, that even won me over ,which ensured the elders that teenagers are not insane for wanting to dance.  After a ton of persuading, risks, tears, and dancing, the teens were free at last to have their first dance in three years.

In 2011 the classic musical-drama, “Footloose,” was remade. Directed by whom you ask? Craig Brewer, the director of both Hustle & Flow and Black Snake Moan.  Many ask, why? Why remake it to be irrevocably faithful to the original? My question is, why not? It seems like Brewer was not trying to alter the plot of the 1984’s classic. He’s simply making it fresher, better, and keeping the pizzazz the original had. It’s a direct adaptation. Brewer transforms the musical while giving it life and charm in order to compliment the older version. The music in this Footloose is more electric than the original, but the movie still opens and closes with Kenny Loggins’s title song “Footloose,” which was the cherry on top.