Footloose (1984)

Footloose is a 1984 American musical-drama film directed by Herbert Ross. It tells the story of Ren McCormack (Kevin Bacon), an upbeat Chicago teen who moves to a small town where, thanks to an uptight clergyman (John Lithgow), dancing and rock music have been banned. The film is loosely based on events that took place in the small, rural, and religious community of Elmore City, Oklahoma.

Ren McCormick (Kevin Bacon), a teenager raised in Chicago, moves with his mother to the small town of Beaumont to live with his aunt and uncle. Soon after arriving, Ren makes a friend named Willard, and from him learns the city council has banned dancing and rock music. He soon begins to fall for a rebellious girl named Ariel, who has a boyfriend named Chuck Cranston, and an overprotective father named Reverend Shaw Moore (John Lithgow), an authority figure in the town. Ren goes before the city council and reads several positive Bible verses about dancing in an effort to get them to abolish the law. (Psalm 149) Although Rev. Moore is moved, he opposes Ren and the council votes to keep the law that prohibits dancing. Shaw's wife is supportive of the movement, and explains to Shaw he cannot be everyone's father, and that he is hardly being a father to Ariel. She also says that dancing and music are not the problem. Shaw soon has a change of heart after seeing some of the townsfolk burning books at the local library that they think are dangerous to the youth. Realizing the situation has gotten out of hand, Shaw stops the burning. It is a pivitol moment as Rev. Moore, trying to do what he feels is right, begins to realize that external factors that may do damage can only be controlled so much. Ren goes to Rev. Moore to ask his permission to take Ariel to the senior prom which has been scheduled to take place at a grain mill just outside town limits in order to get around the ban. They have a heart to heart talk and this furthers Rev. Moore's evolution in thinking about the difficult matters of corruption of the soul by external factors. On Sunday, Rev. Moore speaks in church about how in every parent's life, there comes a time when they must let go of their child and hope that they have learned at least some of life's lessons that the parent has tried to impart. He equates the current sitation about the dance to that moment and instead of using his power to oppose the upcoming dance, he asks his congregation to pray for the high school students putting on the prom.