The name "Kenny Wormald" isn't going to mean jack to most people. In a lot of ways he's very much like Ren McCormack, the character he plays in the remake of Footloose. He has the unenviable task of making us all forget about Kevin Bacon's iconic performance in that 1984 film, just as Ren's job is to make the small Georgia town of Bomont get past their tragedies and dance! Dance until their hearts are content. With the help of musically gifted director Craig Brewer, Wormald helps this remake dance circles around the original.
With his slightly spiky 'do, Wormald instantly cuts an image reminiscent of Bacon's. That is until you hear him speak catch an earful of that hard Boston accent. It might take some getting used to, but after awhile it becomes apparent this Ren McCormack is meant to look and sound a bit tougher than Bacon's. After his mother dies from a bout with cancer, Ren is taken in by his aunt and uncle in the very conservative Bible-toting town of Bomont. In the wake of a fatal car accident involving some local teenagers, town government swiftly passed a Draconian law banning loud music and dancing in public. This obviously cannot stand, and Ren decides to do something about it, but not before he rubs pretty much everybody the wrong way first.
That includes the town preacher(Dennis Quaid), who introduced the new rules in the wake of his son's death as a means of protecting his rebellious daughter, Ariel(Julianne Hough). She naturally catches Ren's eye, which her lunkhead stunt car driver boyfriend isn't too happy about. Fortunately, Ren also makes a few friends as well, including the rhythmless Willard(Miles Teller), who becomes his loyal sidekick in a quest to liberate their peers from oppression by the adults.Always trust in Craig Brewer. That should be the new mantra when it comes to any film he undertakes. Just as he did with the southern crunk style of hip hop in Hustle & Flow, and the bluesy stylings of Black Snake Moan, Brewer makes music the lifeblood of his story. You can't imagine these characters without it in their lives. Footloose isn't just about rock 'n roll, combining R&B, pop, and country in a way that'll make you want to get up and bust a move. Some of the original's cheesier elements are in still place, like when things get too much for poor Ren to handle and he just needs to "dance it out". The one drawback is that there should've been more dancing because it's so good, especially when Willard gets up off the wall and shows he can hang with the best of them.
Those who grew up with the original Footloose will probably always defer to Bacon's performance, but Wormald doesn't try to emulate him. He makes the character his own, and as a former dancer working with the likes of Madonna, Justin Timberlake, and Chris Brown, he cuts a rug far more effectively than Bacon ever could. Here he shows the ability to be a capable actor as well, strong and confident. Julianne Hough, while maybe looking a little too old for the role of a high school anything, plays a halfway decent wild child, and she also has some sweet moves, accomplished in knee high cowboys boots no less. The show stealer for me was Miles Teller, in the role once played by Chris Penn. Teller might be best recognized from playing opposite Nicole Kidman in last year's Rabbit Hole. He gets all of the film's biggest laughs, but also plays a believable southern teen without coming off like an ignorant hick.
Footloose is a film that, while beloved by other children of the 80s, was hopelessly mired in the time period. Brewer's biggest hurdle was in making the silly premise of a town that bans music and dancing seem believable in today's world. He does it by not insulting our intelligence. Of course it's silly, but that doesn't mean the characters can't be fully realized. Footloose isn't just an acceptable remake, it's one of the best we've seen all year, and continues to establish Brewer as a director doing things with musicals that others simply can't.
