I Decided To Rewatch 2011's Footloose As An Adult, And I'm Having Flashbacks Related To Why It Meant So Much To Me As A Kid

Sometimes, you watch a film as an adult, and it just takes you back to when you viewed it for the first time as a kid. That's what rewatching 2011's Footloose did for me.

Throughout the age of film, there have been movies that have changed a generation or made an impact on those who watched them. Some of those come from the best rom-coms, or others from the best horror movies, but for me, it was always dance. The best dance movies pretty much defined me as a kid. I loved to dance.

But there was always one dance movie that stood above the rest, and that was Footloose. No, not one of the best '80s movies ever, but the 2011 remake. And now, rewatching it as an adult, I'm finally starting to realize just how much this film changed the direction of my life…and it might not be for the reason you think.

I've Said Before That I Love The Newer One Compared To The Older One

Okay, before you come at me with the pitchforks and tomatoes, let me preface this by saying that 2011's Footloose was the version that I grew up with. It's strange to think that there are two different versions of this film. Some people grew up with the 80's version, but for me, it was the remake.

And honestly, it's because it came out during a big time in my life. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of older films, original movies, and more that I consider my personal Roman Empire. I could go on and on about some of the best '90s movies because I watched them on repeat as a kid.

But 2011 Footloose was a cultural reset in my mind because of the rise of hip-hop dancing at the time (which was legit everywhere online) and the kind of music we listened to. It was the perfect time for a dance movie like this… and it seriously changed the course of my life.

But Watching Them Dance In The 2011 Film Reminds Me Of Little Me

If you're reading this, you're probably wondering how on Earth a 2011 remake of a classic '80s film could somehow change the course of a little girl's life. The answer is pretty simple.

I wanted to be like Julianne Hough.

I mean, don't we all? But jokes aside, I fell in love with her from Footloose. While she is a professionally trained dancer, the moment I saw her in this film, I knew I wanted to be like her, to have that same kind of walk and persona and looks and everything. Was this the right thing for a twelve-year-old to think at the time?

Probably not.

Regardless, I still wanted to be her, and now, watching the 2011 version of this movie, I really do realize that it just reminds me of little me and how much she wanted to change in order to be accepted, to be the stereotypical kind of pretty and skilled you would see in movies like this.

I Tried So Hard To Get Healthy In Order To Dance Like That

The dancing in Footloose really made me analyze who I was as a person, and how much I wanted to get to that point where I could easily dance like that. So I made it my mission because of Footloose to get healthy.

I've mentioned this in other articles, but I was bullied immensely as a kid. I didn't quite know how to take care of my Puerto Rican hair, which was always thick and curly and in knots and never quite looked good. I had bushy eyebrows and grew too fast, and to top it all off with a cherry, I was pretty overweight. It was the perfect recipe for trauma as a kid, and it hit hard from the words kids would hurl at me.

I knew I always looked different from the people in Footloose, just based off of my ethnicity, but I also knew that I could still get healthy, so I could, at the very least, dance like them.

From there, I did everything I could to lose weight. It was not necessarily healthy that a girl my age at the time was so focused on weight loss, but I also think I needed to be. If I hadn't tried so hard to achieve what I did, I don't know how my life would've gone from there.

While there was no bullying within the film of Footloose (just really the typical high school bully stuff you would see in any of these films), I really did connect with the plight to want to dance - but I couldn't get there if I didn't get healthy. Now, years later, I live a much healthier lifestyle than I ever thought I would. And it all stemmed from a 2011 movie about a town unable to dance like they want to.

And Now I Genuinely Feel Proud Of Myself For How Far I've Come Because Of A Movie

Did I ever get to the level of being as good at dancing as Julianne Hough? Ha, that's a laugh. No one can quite get there. That's why I'm sitting here writing this.

But I do dance as a hobby now, and it's fun to go out there and find other people who have that same passion. And it's not even just from this movie that I learned to love dance – I learned to love so many other things, all because I wanted to get healthy and to become better.

It's been a long road to get here. I won't sugarcoat it, there were so many bumps and potholes in that curvy drive to where I am now. Of course, I've come out with bumps, bruises, and scars from it. I still think about the times I had to go through just to become okay with who I am now as a person and as a healthy individual.

But upon rewatching Footloose, I can't help but chuckle at the fact that this is because of a movie—a remake.

I still enjoy it, don't get me wrong. The dancing is still some of the best I've seen in modern-day movies, but it makes a girl think.

There are so many times that I've met people who don't understand why I have a passion for film and television. Why I'll recommend the best shows to binge on Netflix for you get obsessed with, or how detailed I can get into the Harry Potter films or any of that. But truthfully, it's because most of the time, these shows changed me for the better, just as Footloose did.

Something like this makes me realize how many cinephile's or TV lovers have a genuine fondness for a movie or show, not even because of the content within – it's because of the feelings they experienced while watching. Their lives changed afterwards because of that singular moment when they decided to sit down and watch. And I think that's just beautiful because now, I get it too.

Maybe I'm getting too emotional over here, but I know what I feel, as do plenty of others. I think it's time for another movie marathon and another slew of emotions.