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April 06, 2006
Great American Movie?
The American Film Institute (AFI) came out with their list of the 100 Great American Movies back in 1998 and I am afraid they missed the boat. About the only thing I agree with in their list is the fact that no actor appeared in more of the top 100 than Jimmy Stewart (my pick for the Great American Actor,) but that is an argument for another time. I am going to make the case for Footloose as THE Great American Movie.
We have to start with the acting... and the acting in Footloose has to begin with Kevin Bacon. Ren McCormack was the seminal role that really launched the career of one of our most prolific actors - doubt me? Can you say Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon? You don't see any games about Orson frickin' Welles.
Bacon is supported by the duo of John Lithgow and Dianne Wiest, both amazing talents with extensive credits. Footloose also created stars other than Kevin Bacon... Chris Penn and Sarah Jessica-Parker are the classic pictures of success - what is more American than that? Come on, it even has a "sure thing" that went bust in Lori Singer. This film has it all.
Okay, so now you are saying... "but how can a musical be considered the Great American Movie?" Well, Footloose was more than just a musical... not only was the music used in a totally original way, but the soundtrack itself is the story of America.
Earlier musicals took themselves out of the storyline to do a "song and dance number." Not Footloose. The songs were woven into the background at times and fit perfectly as part of the action when needed. This technique, which is a normal part of most films nowadays, was completely groundbreaking at the time.
The emergence of MTV was still happening when Footloose hit the big screen and the fact that it was chock-full of contemporary artists made it a perfect fit for the new medium called music video. We are not talking Rogers & Hammerstein here... we are talking Kenny Loggins, Sammy Hagar, and John Cougar Mellencamp. The release of music videos on MTV prior to the film was also groundbreaking. The explosion of the soundtrack, which had a half dozen songs in the top of the charts the day the film premiered, was revolutionary. It can be argued that Footloose launched MTV, and with it an entirely new way of marketing films.
Okay, so the film broke ground on many fronts... so what about the story? Hello!? What is more American than the little guy fighting impossible odds, sticking to his guns when times are tough, and winning? Or how about the battle between freedom of speech and censorship... religious tolerance and religious persecution... generation versus generation... the right versus the left... progress or tradition? This film REALLY has it all.
Posted by CDogg at April 6, 2006 04:01 AM
Comments
I finally come around to visiting my estranged buddy's site and what do i see ? frigging Grizzly Adam's with a Longhorns cap... and... and... a heartwarming plee for a "closet" musical.... what the @#$%^&* hell is going on!?!?!? last time i check hell has not frozen over... no wait... my feet are cold... mentioning Jimmy Stewart in the same breath about this "Closet" musical... Why!?!?! oh why !?!?!? what? has the Sheep Farmin' Lovers Hack-of-a-film literally pulled the wool over your eyes ? the only mammals who were happy were probably the sheeps... they're saying... "hey, Number 51 sheep... those two are doing it to each other rather than to us..." hell froze over for the sheeps...
enough of my "Sheep Box"...
ola Chris... How are the Dallas Cowduds" doing ?
yes.. DarkDiver's got access now...
Posted by: Clay Media and yes... i'm EJ "Davad's Gay Lover " Green at April 7, 2006 02:28 PM