Footloose

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Kevin Bacon dances in silhouette against large backlit windows in an iconic scene from the 1984 film Footloose, directed by Herbert Ross.

Footloose

film by Ross [1984]

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July 21, 2026

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Kevin Bacon dances in silhouette against large backlit windows in an iconic scene from the 1984 film Footloose, directed by Herbert Ross. — Footloose Kevin Bacon in Footloose (1984), directed by Herbert Ross.

The film Footloose (1984) is a teen drama centered on a small town that has banned rock music and dancing. The storyline pits teenagers, led by Kevin Bacon's character, against the town's adult authorities in their desire to express themselves through dance. The film is noted for its themes of youthful rebellion and the conflict between generations, and it features actors like Lori Singer and Sarah Jessica Parker. The word "footloose" itself describes someone who is not bound by rules or worries, reflecting the film's spirit of freedom and self-expression.12

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12 Essential Brat Pack Flicks
Footloose (1984)
In his New York article, Blum classified Footloose’s male lead, Kevin Bacon, as one of several young actors who were “not quite there” in their careers. Yet Bacon went on to become one of the most prolific actors of his generation, inspiring the…
Read More
In his New York article, Blum classified Footloose’s male lead, Kevin Bacon, as one of several young actors who were “not quite there” in their careers. Yet Bacon went on to become one of the most prolific actors of his generation, inspiring the…
Read More

Kevin Bacon
Breakthrough in Footloose and later film career
Footloose (1984) was the film that put Bacon into the limelight. In it, he plays Ren McCormack, a dance-loving teenager who moves from a big city to a small town where rock music and dancing are verboten. Bacon showed himself to be a capable dancer,…
Read More
Footloose (1984) was the film that put Bacon into the limelight. In it, he plays Ren McCormack, a dance-loving teenager who moves from a big city to a small town where rock music and dancing are verboten. Bacon showed himself to be a capable dancer,…
Read More

Herbert Ross
Films of the 1980s
…preceded Ross’s biggest box-office hit, Footloose (1984), a teen-oriented musical that starred Kevin Bacon as a live-wire newcomer who brings the joys of dancing and rock music to the repressed kids in a conservative town.
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…preceded Ross’s biggest box-office hit, Footloose (1984), a teen-oriented musical that starred Kevin Bacon as a live-wire newcomer who brings the joys of dancing and rock music to the repressed kids in a conservative town.
Read More

Sarah Jessica Parker
Annie, Square Pegs, and Footloose
…to several film offers, including Footloose (1984) and Girls Just Want to Have Fun (1985).
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…to several film offers, including Footloose (1984) and Girls Just Want to Have Fun (1985).
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Heart
Career
…Paradise,” which appeared on the Footloose film soundtrack. In 1986 Nancy Wilson married filmmaker Cameron Crowe, and she went on to compose music for Crowe’s films Jerry Maguire (1996), Almost Famous (2000), Vanilla Sky (2001), and Elizabethtown (2005). The couple divorced in 2010.
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…Paradise,” which appeared on the Footloose film soundtrack. In 1986 Nancy Wilson married filmmaker Cameron Crowe, and she went on to compose music for Crowe’s films Jerry Maguire (1996), Almost Famous (2000), Vanilla Sky (2001), and Elizabethtown (2005). The couple divorced in 2010.
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