Castelar at the Movies: Footloose

Nowadays there are a few movie remakes which are truly satisfying. Fortunately, the remake of the beloved 1984 original which launched Kevin Bacon’s career is one of the best remakes that I have watched this year. First and foremost, this new version is wilder, sexier and darker in some aspects if you compare it to the original film.

This time around, Kenny Worlmald portrays the rambunctious outsider named Ren McCormack who comes to live with his aunt and uncle in the small southern United States town of Bomont; where he quickly realizes the youth of this town is miserable because of the strict laws of their small town. The town quickly breaks up any type of social gathering which involves loud music and dancing.

Worlmald’s performance is good, but the real standout of the film is Miles Teller who portrays Ren’s sidekick Willard Hewitt. Teller easily creates an endearing character which is funny and amusing to watch in every single scene that he is in. Willard’s friendship with Ren is one of the best aspects of the movie as these young actors seem to have a natural chemistry working with each other. 

    Julianne Hough portrays Ariel Moore in a convincing manner as she is a tough and wild young woman who is miserable because of the laws that her hometown has approved which in many aspects chain her freedom to express herself like she wants to. Ariel is a rebellious teenager who constantly likes to flirt with danger at every turn. Her father, Reverend Shaw Moore is a man who has lost his son in a fatal car accident and this tragic event has driven him to become an overprotective father figure for the entire town of Bomont. 

Reverend Moore firmly believes that the only way to protect the young members of his community is by abolishing any type of inadequate behavior. Reverend Moore is portrayed by Dennis Quaid as a man who is a natural born leader and a pillar of the community that acts as a moral guardian that wants to keep everybody safe and sound. However, by trying to protect the young members of his community he has failed to focus his attention on the one person that needs his guidance the most and that’s his own daughter. Both parents and children make mistakes and when someone makes a mistake that creates an opportunity for them to learn from their personal errors. 

Castelar