Footloose (1984) - Quotes

Determination in a Small Town Challenge

Taglines: He's a big-city kid in a small town. They said he'd never win. He knew he had to.

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Music as a Source of Support

Taglines: The music is on his side.

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

A Desire to Dance

Taglines: All he wanted to do was dance.

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

One Kid's Chance in One Town

Taglines: One kid. One town. One chance.

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Strained Family Relationships and Communication Challenges

Reverend Moore: [discusses his daughter] We're losing her, Vi. Don't you see that?

Vi: No. I see you chasing after her and I see her running from you.

Reverend Moore: She's become so willful, so obstinate.

Vi: She's like her father. The two of you were so wonderful once. You had so much to talk about. I was almost jealous.

Reverend Moore: It's not as if we don't talk. It's just that sometimes people run out of things to say.

Vi: [pause] Shaw? It's 20 years now I've been a minister's wife. And I've been quiet, supportive, unobtrusive and after 20 years I still think you're a wonderful, a wonderful preacher. You can lift a congregation up so high they have to look down to see heaven. But it's the one to one where you need a little work.

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Confrontation Over Attitude and Tradition

Willard: You know what it is, you've got an attitude problem.

Ren: Oh I've got an attitude problem?

Willard: Yes and I'm not the first one that's noticed it. I mean we're not stuck in the goddamn middle ages here. I mean we've got TV. We've got Family Feud. We're not stuck in Leave It To Beaver land here.

Ren: Well I haven't noticed a wet T-shirt contest in town yet.

Willard: Yeah but I'm waiting. Patiently.

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Ariel's Defense Against Reverend Moore's Accusations

Reverend Moore: Were you drinking?

Ariel: No.

Reverend Moore: Smoking something?

Ariel: No! I wasn't stealing, I wasn't gambling, I wasn't dancing, I wasn't reading books I'm not supposed to! I am late!

Reverend Moore: Who were you with?

Ariel: Ren McCormack.

Reverend Moore: I don't want you to see him anymore.

Ariel: Why not?

Reverend Moore: Because I've heard he's a troublemaker.

Ariel: Just because he hasn't lived in this town for 20 years doesn't make him a troublemaker!

Reverend Moore: Ariel, I don't know what I'm going to do with you.

Ariel: There ain't nothing to do with me, Daddy. You like it or not, this is it. It doesn't get much better.

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

Concern Over Troubling Events in the Community

Wes: Seems that a bunch of kids was raising some hell over at Burlington Cranton's property a few days back. Tore up the fields, turned over a tractor and everything. Today, someone suggested to me there's been some trouble up at the high school. I think it was drugs. You don't happen to know anything about it, do you?

Ren: No.

Wes: What was that? I can't hear you.

Amy: He said no.

Lulu: Amy.

Ren: I said no, sir.

Wes: It seems that a lot of people are pointin the finger in your direction lately.

Ren: And what have they said?

Wes: What I have been tellin you about the trouble and the drugs and it just seems like you've had a lot of problems since you moved. And I figured...

Ren: You figured where there's smoke there's fire, right?

Wes: Usually works like that. Now, Ren, you know that I would never try to take the place of your father.

Ren: [gets up and leaves] Yeah, well, there's no chance of that!

Quotes sourced from Wikiquote (© Wikiquote contributors), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modified for formatting/length.

A Playful Exchange About Music and Work

Ren: [[w:Men At Work|Men At Work] You like ]?

Willard: What men?

Ren: Men At Work.

Willard: Well, where do they work?

Ren: No, they're a music group.

Willard: Well, what do they call themselves?

Ren: [[w:The Police|The Police] Oh, no. What about ]?

Willard: What about em?

Ren: You ever heard them?

Willard: No, but I seen them.

Ren: Where, in concert?

Willard: No, behind you.

Debate on Masculinity and Language

Chuck: I thought only pansies wore neckties.

Ren: See that? I thought only assholes used the word "pansy.

Trusting Our Children to Make Their Own Choices

Rev. Shaw Moore: I'm standing up here before you today with a very troubled heart. You see, my friends, I've always insisted on taking responsibility for your lives. But, I'm really like a first-time parent who makes mistakes and tries to learn from them. And like that parent I find myself at that moment when I have to decide. Do I hold on, or do I trust you to yourselves? Let go and hope that you've understood at least some of my lessons. If we don't start trusting our children how will they ever become trustworthy? I'm told that the senior class at the high school has got use of the warehouse in Bayson for the purpose of putting on a senior dance. Please join me to pray to the Lord... to guide them in their endeavors.

Faith and Society's Challenges

Rev. Shaw Moore: [first line] And he is testing us! Every, every day, our Lord is testing us. If he wasn't testing us, how would you account for the sorry state of our society? For the crimes that plague the big cities of this country? When he could sweep this pestilence from the face of the earth with one mighty gesture of his hand. If our Lord wasn't testing us, how would you account for the proliferation these days of this obscene rock and roll music, with its gospel of easy sexuality and relaxed morality? If our Lord wasn't testing us, why, he could take all these pornographic books and albums, and turn them into one big fiery cinder like that! But how would that make us stronger for him? One of these days, my Lord is gonna come to me and ask me for an explanation for the lives of each and every one of you. And what am I gonna tell him on that day? That I was busy? That I was tired? That I was bored?! No!! I can never let up! I welcome his test! I welcome this challenge from my Lord so that one day I can deliver all of you unto his hands, and when that day dawns, I don't wanna have to do any explaining! I don't want to be missing from your lives!

Invitation to Dance at the Party

Ren McCormack: [last line] Hey, hey. What's this I see? I thought this was a party! Let's dance!!

The Timeless Importance of Dance

Ren McCormack: [addresses the town council and reads from his notes in the Bible; reads again] From the oldest of times, people danced for a number of reasons. They danced in prayer... or so that their crops would be plentiful... or so their hunt would be good. And they danced to stay physically fit... and show their community spirit. And they danced to celebrate." And that is the dancing we're talking about. Aren't we told in Psalm 149 "Praise ye the Lord. Sing unto the Lord a new song. Let them praise His name in the dance"? And it was King David - King David, who we read about in Samuel - and what did David do? What did David do? What did David do? "David danced before the Lord with all his might... leaping and dancing before the Lord." Leaping and dancing. Ecclesiastes assures us... that there is a time for every purpose under heaven. A time to laugh... and a time to weep. A time to mourn... and there is a time to dance. And there was a time for this law, but not anymore. See, this is our time to dance. It is our way of celebrating life. It's the way it was in the beginning. It's the way it's always been. It's the way it should be now.