In 1984 a film rocked the world and changed the faces of musicals and dance forever. It didn’t have cutting-edge graphics, special effects, explosions, or guns. It was a dance film. The film was “Footloose,” and a not so common fact about it was that it was filmed right here in Utah.
“Footloose” is the story of a small town whose head pastor, played by John Lithgow (“Rise of the Planet of the Apes,” “How I met Your Mother”) who, after losing a son to a drunk driving accident, pressures the town into outlawing music and dancing. Kevin Bacon (“X-Men: First Class”) plays an out of town boy sent to live with his aunt and uncle in the tiny town. He and his friends take it upon themselves to have the unpopular law repealed so that the senior class can have a proper prom and kids in the town can express themselves.
The little town that the film is set in is the once little town of Lehi, Utah. In fact, the iconic scene in which Bacon dances inside the warehouse is in the famous Lehi Mill that can be seen from the freeway.
This film is so monumental in film history and it is such a great thing to realize that locals were hired as extras for the film’s high school, town and bar scenes.
“It was a lot of fun,” said Tammy Meyere, who was an extra in the bar scene and happens to be my mom. “I can happily say I was a part of something in my youth that has become iconic for its time.”
They say that imitation is the highest form of flattery and in film language, that translates into remakes. Hitting theaters this Friday is the remake of “Footloose.” The film features a fresh new cast of young people, all ready to cut loose for a whole new generation.
Lately remakes have been having a far better run than before, with “Arthur” and “Let Me In” shaking up the genre. “Footloose” looks like it’ll softshoe its way right behind them, creating a new classic in a new generation.
