The original film is a classic from the 80s and known worldwide. The song is played at events and danced to. Is the remake worth all of this glory as well?
plot
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The plot of each movie was very alike; however the changes that were made completely changed the viewer’s thoughts on the movie. In the original Footloose the preacher changes his mind about the prom during a confrontation with his daughter, in which he is told that the library is burning “unsuitable” books and he rushes to the library. When he gets there he changes his mind about the whole situation, missing any depth that could have been there to make way for dance. In the remake Ren is the one who has an influence on the preacher. They have a moving talk about loss, and how Ren understands the preacher`s pain about Bobby dying, because he had to watch his mother slowly die in front of him. This makes the preacher to think about how the mourning has gone on too long and is only negatively affecting the people. The remake had a much more realistic persuasion instead of an instant change of heart. Also, in the original movie Ren’s mother was still alive. She moved to Bomont with Ren and supported him, which allowed the viewers to focus more on the kids being able to dance. In the 2012 movie Ren’s mother was dead and his father had never been attentive. Ren was hurt and had reasons for lashing out, and it was more interesting to learn about Ren’s problems and his mother rather than just getting the city to dance.
ONE POINT TO FOOTLOOSE (2011)
THEME
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The main theme of the “Footloose” movies was stand up for one’s beliefs and persevere through opposition. This theme was well represented in each movie, but especially in the 2011 film, as the 2011 film had more depth. In the original film this theme was well achieved. This was the theme as it is shown in most aspects of the film. Ren’s main belief in the original is that the town deserves to have a dance. The preacher, who is a major leader in the town, disagrees as the law against dance was placed when his son and multiple other teenagers were killed after attending a dance. In the original Ren’s uncle also opposes the dance, so Ren only has a few friends supporting him. However, he got through this opposition through hard work and doing everything he can, and eventually the seniors are allowed a prom. Another opposition Ren faces in the original was Ariel’s boyfriend Chuck. Chuck is upset that Ariel and he had broken up, so he goes to all ends to make Ren’s life miserable. Chuck challenges Ren to a game of chicken on tractors, and though Ren had not played before, Ren believes in the town and he powers through the opposition and wins the game. Chuck and his friends also show up at the prom to ruin it, but Ren and his friends beat them up, and continue to enjoy the dance they had worked hard for. This theme was also excellent in the remake. Ren faces even more opposition in the 2011 film. As soon as he shows up in Bomont others begin to oppose him. He receives a speeding ticket the first time he drives his car, and he must appear in court even though he did not know the rules, and that Is why he received it. The teachers also never believe him when he tells the truth, especially about the blunt, and he is seen as a troublemaker. Ren is even kicked off the gymnastics team because he brings Ariel home after curfew. Chuck also opposes him in this film, however in this film they race schools buses and Ren still wins. The opposition in this film is much greater, but Ren believes that the town has mourned for too long and he wants the teenagers to experience fun. Since these are his beliefs, he powers through all the opposition and is able to host a dance at the end of the movie. As the remake did have more opposition and more plot and theme depth, it is awarded the point for this category.
ONE POINT TO FOOTLOOSE (2011)
SOUND
The main song of these movies is the title song, Footloose. The lyrics and basic tune were the same in each version of the movie, but the remake updated it with a better beat to appeal to new potential viewers. Many parts of sound in the original did not go well with the current plot. While Ren and Chuck were racing on tractors, (which are slow vehicles), a song about fast cars was playing. Though it was a race, the song was laughable and didn`t compliment the scene well.
ONE POINT TO FOOTLOOSE (1984)
LIGHTING
The lighting techniques in each movie were very similar. During the serious times, like the talk with Ariel`s father in the remake and when Ren met the council in the original, the lighting was darker, portraying a darker and more serious mood. During the happier moments, such as the prom at both movies and when the kids were having fun dancing the light was bright, making the audience happier and more excited.
ONE POINT TO FOOTLOOSE (1984) AND FOOTLOOSE (2011)
SET
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The set of each movie was supposed to be a very small town called Bomont. In the original movie the town seemed quite varied from place to place. Many of the houses seemed to be in a developed area, but when Ren drove or went out the rest of the town looked like a small town. This took away from the overall feel of Bomont. In the remake, the town seemed very put together. Every scene that was shot looked like it was from a small town, and the water tower that said Bomont added greatly to the atmosphere, and to the depth the audience felt about Bomont and how it was run.
ONE POINT TO FOOTLOOSE (2011)
COSTUMES
The costumes in these movies were not a large attraction, as most of the actors were dressed as normal teenagers. However, a main character that dressed differently was Ariel. Ariel was very rebellious, and this was shown expertly in the remake in which she dressed very revealing which set her apart from the rest of the kids at the high school. This was not done as well in the original, as Ariel seemed to blend in with everyone else.
ONE POINT TO FOOTLOOSE (2011)
PROPS
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The small white buggy in each of these movies was an important prop. Ren showed up to school in the original in a white buggy blasting music, while every other car was a muted coloured sedan or station wagon. This automatically set him apart, and showed his rebellion. Furthermore, in the remake his emotions and depth were thrust into that car. His uncle gave it to him to fix up, so as a project he put a lot of work into making that car seem cool and for it to actually run. The first time he drove it he got a ticket for being a nuisance, and yet he still continued to drive it the same way. This car really reflected Ren`s personality and perseverance and foreshadowed his role in the rebellion of dance. The car in the remake held much more meaning, and it was overall a better prop.
ONE POINT TO FOOTLOOSE (2011)
ACTING
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Ren McCormack is the hero of these dance centered movies. In the original he was acted by Kevin Bacon, who transformed a character with little depth into a heartthrob. Kenny Wormwald rebooted this character in the remake, and he acted the new depth to the character very well. Bacon was a very powerful actor in the original. He embodied the cool composure of his character, shown especially in the scene when Ren goes to talk to the council. Bacon started the scene with his character being a bit nervous, and speaking like his speech to the council was scripted and he had practiced it well. Later on in the scene his character started to relax and be comfortable so Bacon became more relaxed, his tone increased and he was much more open. There were a few weak moments for Bacon. However, Bacon seemed to have little emotion in most scenes, and was boring and cold. The remake featured Kenny Wormwald as Ren. Wormwald was successful at embodying the added emotional depth and hurt to Ren. A really good scene for Wormwald was when Ren confronted the preacher in the church. Ren went to go talk to the preacher about the dance, and they started talking about death and loss. Ren talks about his mother’s death to the preacher. Wormwald was very strong and talked slowly, but his half smile and his eyes showed that he loved his mother, and missed her. Ren then talked about his when he is grocery stores he keeps thinking he sees his mother, and Ren’s portrayal broke the hearts of the viewers. However, Wormwald did have some weak moments. Ren had an accent from Boston, and sometimes when Wormwald was talking he would lose this accent. The accent was on and off throughout the film, and it was somewhat irritating. Both of these actors were strong for the movie they were in, but Bacon will always be known as Ren.
ONE POINT TO FOOTLOOSE (1984)
RESULTS
Surprisingly, Footloose (2011) comes out on top. The added depth to the film and more reasonable story line made the film more relateable and interesting, even though the original Footloose will always be a classic.