I gotta cut loose, footloose
Kick off your Sunday shoes
Please, Louise
Pull me off of my knees
Jack, get back
C'mon before we crack
Lose your blues
Everybody cut footloose
You're playin'so cool
Obeying every rule
Dig way down in your heart
You're burning, yearning for some
Somebody to tell you
That life ain't passing you by
I'm trying to tell you
It will if you don't even try
You can fly if you'd only cut loose
Footloose
Kick off your Sunday shoes
Oowhee, Marie
Shake it, shake it for me
Whoa, Milo
C'mon, c'mon let go
Lose your blues
Everybody cut footloose
You got to turn it around
And put your feet on the ground
Now take ahold of your soul
I'm turning it loose
Footloose
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 going to come to me...
and ask me for an explanation...
for the lives of each
and every one of you.
What am I going to 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 want to have
to do any explaining!
I don't want to be missing...
from your lives!
Praise the Lord in singing...
hymn number 397...
"What a Friend We Have in Jesus. "
What a friend
We have in Jesus
All our sins and grief to bear
I will. You have
a good week now. Bye.
Mrs. MacCormack, your sister
has us so excited about you coming.
- Thank you.
- Did you meet my wife, Vi?
- No. How do you do?
- How nice to meet you.
- This is my son, Ren.
- Hello, Ren.
- Would you excuse me?
- Daddy?
Ariel, will you come
and meet the MacCormacks?
The stunning new gentleman.
This is Mrs. MacCormack
and her son. Is it Ren?
Ren's going to be new
at the high school tomorrow.
Me, Edna, Wendy Jo and Rusty are
going for a soda at the Hi-Spot.
Ariel, remember
you have school tomorrow.
I'll be home for supper.
God, is he excellent!
What, the new kid?
He's all right.
Are you blind?
He is gorgeous!
- Have you seen the new high school?
- No, I haven't.
I almost forgot.
Cindy Addis had her baby.
What was it? Who told you?
- My mother spoke to her mother.
- Is she coming back for graduation?
I don't feel sorry for her.
You can't buy a diaphragm
through the mail. I'm serious.
Did she decide who the father was?
It was Duane Capps.
Wait! I've been going with
Duane Capps. He'd never have time.
How long does it take?
Ladies and gentlemen,
moving up behind us...
you'll notice the
incredible barf-mobile.
Come on!
Hi, girls. Goin' my way?
You lonely tonight?
- You want a race, you got a race!
- What, that piece of junk?
- Step on it!
- I am steppin' on it!
Come on! No guts, huh?
- In back of us, buddy!
- Take this, Rusty.
- Come on!
- You chicken!
- Come on, take you all on, girl.
- Come on! Come on, Chuck!
- What are you doing?
- Come on!
- Edna, slow down, please.
- Throw it, honey.
Stop it!
I'll get closer.
You can do it. Keep coming!
Ariel, will you stop it? Now!
Stop showing off! It's not funny!
You're gonna kill yourself!
Look, please be careful!
He's testing us! He's testing us!
Ariel, there's a truck!
Get in the car!
Shit! Get in the truck!
Get in the car!
Be careful!
Come on! Get in!
Get in!
Jesus, we should never
have let her done that.
- Have you met any of your teachers?
- No, I haven't had a chance.
They've only been here
eight hours.
I took care of that last week.
Registered him and everything.
I made you some of those
Toll House squares I promised.
Lulu, you taste one of these,
you'll burn your recipe.
Reverend, we have a little problem.
I heard the English teacher
is planning to teach that book.
Slaughterhouse Five.
Isn't that an awful name?
That's a great book.
Slaughterhouse Five.
It's, it's a classic.
Do you read much?
- In another town it's a classic.
- In any town.
Tom Sawyer is a classic.
- That's fine.
- Ethel, have some more ham.
You sure Ren
doesn't want something?
We're both a little tired
from the move.
I'm gonna take Ren a potato.
Amy, come back and sit down.
I'm sure your cousin's fine.
It's a shock to the system,
moving out here from the big city.
- What if he's starving?
- Amy, you are so lame.
Sarah! Amy, eat!
I can't sit still!
I'm so excited you're both here!
You sure you're not too tired?
No. Ren did most of the driving.
If you ask me,
Ren is a total fox.
Where did you hear that?
See how television and those
kinds of books influence children?
What the hell's the problem?
- Chuck Cranston, are you crazy?
- You're sick!
- Ariel, here's your sweater.
- Ariel, I could kill you!
You almost did.
That's what you get
for sniffing spray starch.
After he graduated,
they drained his brain.
- Edna, you gettin' fries?
- You can't have any.
Wendy Jo!
Yes?
Bring me Edna's fries.
Oh, sure!
Where are you going?
- What are you doing?
- Smuggled tapes.
You be careful with that.
Your daddy hears you playin' it,
he'll bust your butt.
He put his hands all over!
Your mother didn't think
you had any money with you.
Yeah, Mom?
You about ready to go?
You gonna wear that tie?
Yeah.
I think you might want
to dress down for now.
Why? I like the tie.
September, when you go to college,
you can dress like David Bowie.
Come on, let's go.
Why don't you comb your hair?
Shit, mister, where are you goin'?
- You're supposed to look.
- Sorry.
Where'd you learn how to drive?
Stay on the right side.
I like that hat. They sell
men's clothes where you got that?
Willard, come on.
- What's your name?
- Ren.
My name's Willard. Hewitt.
- Glad to meet ya.
- How ya doin'?
- All right. I'll see you around.
- All right.
I swear, one of these days...
That tie is fabulous!
I mean it. It's fabulous. Don't let
anyone tell you any different.
Right?
Very good.
Girl, you are on!
Chicago, wow, man.
Must be wild, like the Naked City.
Ah, fish.
I'll tell ya, you're gonna bounce
off the goddamn walls here.
What do you do there?
Oh, I don't know. Same thing
you do here. What do you do here?
- Lot of this.
- Yeah, that too.
I'll tell you, there was this place
called the Blue Heaven.
It was great. Had to steal IDs
to get in, but it was incredible.
It was like a huge
underground circus, you know.
Hot pink neon climbin' up the walls.
And astro music.
And millions of girls,
like from the university mostly.
If we could get one to dance,
just one, then that was it.
We'd get out on the floor
and we'd really start to smoke.
We'd start cuttin' in,
and these girls would stop.
- And they'd look.
- They'd look how?
You know, they'd start
to warm up a little. Right?
Pretty soon,
they'd start buying us beers.
- They're buying you guys beers?
- Oh, yeah.
Ah, shit.
Wait. There was this one.
This was the best.
Ginger.
Listen. We started dancing, right?
Slow dancing,
like we're stuck to each other.
Eventually it's obvious to me that
she wants to do more than dance.
Right? So we left the place.
On the way to the car, she's
already got her tongue in my ear.
We get to the car.
She says we can't go to her place
'cause of her roommate, right?
But she says,
"Hey, that's no problem. "
She's got seats in the car
that recline back. All the way back.
- If you know what I'm saying.
- All the way?
Would I shit you? Right?
She rips my shirt open.
She's clawing my chest.
She's biting my neck, and I'm trying
to get over the stick shift...
'cause we're goin'
like a freight train now.
All of a sudden, she starts
screaming at the top of her lungs...
"Oh, God! Oh, God!
Don't stop! Make Ginger pop!"
Oh, shit, really?
But we did dance.
We danced our asses off.
Willard, how could you let
our new student eat this food?
- Don't eat this.
- We have delicious homemade food.
- Come on over.
- It's so good. Come on, Willard.
Oh, chicken!
Come on, come on. Good boy.
Bring your friend.
- You won't get any of that here.
- What's that?
- Dancing. There's no dancing.
- That's right.
- Why?
- It's illegal.
Jump back!
It's true.
- Has been for five or six years.
- Why?
Go ahead, tell him.
It started when kids
got killed in a car wreck.
Whole town went bananas, blaming
it on the music, liquor and dancing.
Now they're just convinced
it's all a sin.
Who's convinced?
Whole damn town.
You really can't dance here, man?
I can't believe that.
It's true. This isn't the only
place either. You'd be surprised.
Places upstate you can't dance.
Places in Kansas and Arkansas.
All over the place.
My cousin lives in Montana, and ya
can't dance where she lives either.
Yeah? She ever get busted
for bopping?
I don't know.
I never asked her.
You rich?
No. Why?
'Cause I don't think
I ever bought a tape before.
Get serious!
This place is too weird.
Don't you ever listen
to the radio?
No. We got one radio at home,
but it's never on.
- You like Men at Work?
- Which men?
- Men at Work.
- Where do they work?
- They're a music group.
- What do they call themselves?
- Oh, no. What about the Police?
- What about 'em?
- Have you heard them?
- No, but I seen 'em.
- In concert?
- No, behind you.
What? Oh, shit!
- Step out of the car.
- Could you tell me the problem?
Just step out of the car, please.
- Jim, these plates are Illinois.
- So?
You got a license?
Catch.
Hey, I just bought that.
- Playing it kinda loud.
- There a law against loud music?
Watch that attitude, boy! This way
I don't have to take you in.
Twenty-five dollars. They wouldn't
even let me off with a warning.
You can't talk to our police
the way you talk to big city police.
- But I wasn't doing anything.
- Yeah, sure.
Sarah, hush.
There was this bunch of kids
snuck over the state line...
to see some rock and roll group...
and they were stopped on their way
back into town by the police.
They were on church and
school probation for weeks!
You better watch your step
around here, young man.
Daddy?
I'm sorry about the other night
at the drive-in, about the music.
I was surprised.
Yeah.
I don't know what came over me.
I can't always be with you.
I can't always look out for you.
What's the music?
Oh, it's... I think it's Haydn.
Chamber pieces.
And that kind of music's okay?
It's uplifting. It doesn't confuse
people's minds and bodies.
I don't...
What?
I see.
Tell your mother to go on to bed.
I still have a lot of work.
I will.
What is it?
- Good night.
- Good night, hon.
Grab my books.
Let me in.
How you doin'?
You the new kid?
I'm talking to you.
Where'd your tie go?
I thought only pansies
wore neckties.
Oh, yeah? See that? I thought
only assholes used the word pansy.
- He got you on that one!
- Shut up!
Son of a bitch
is gonna pay for that!
Either you got jumbo coconut balls,
or you're really pretty stupid.
- Who was that douche bag?
- He's a weasel, but watch your back.
- Can you operate a palette jack?
- Uh-uh.
- How 'bout a bag closer?
- Uh-uh.
- Where are you from?
- Chicago.
You're not stupid, are you?
You trying to piss me off?
Boy, a lot of folks are gonna
give you problems right off...
because you're an outsider.
You're dangerous. They're always
gonna worry about ya.
Screw 'em. And this is only one
little corner of the world.
Start Thursday?
Sounds okay.
Oh, hi, Ariel.
Chuck Cranston wants to see you.
Meet him the back
of his daddy's field tomorrow...
What happens tomorrow at 5:30?
- You'll have to show up to find out.
- And if I don't?
People will know you're scared.
Anyway, Chuck will find you.
You want that?
You're backing up!
Hey, yo!
How come he sent you?
I volunteered.
MacCormack, where the hell are you?
You know her?
So she tells me...
that I pissed Chuck off, right?
So he wants to see me.
Then she walks away.
He figured you were gonna chicken
and never... Impressive.
Kinda out of it.
I had to go to work last year.
You still move it.
You better watch that. Ariel's gonna
tell her pop and you're gonna burn.
What's her story?
Is she really tough or what?
She's just trying to make people
forget she's a preacher's kid.
- That why she hangs out with Chuck?
- Maybe.
- People think she's a hell-raiser.
- Is she?
I think she's been kissed a lot.
You'd never guess
your daddy's a fire chief.
You'd never guess your daddy's
a minister. Red Boots.
My daddy hates me
wearing these boots.
And you love that, don't you?
What are you gonna do
when I go away to college?
Why do you wanna do that, honey?
Just 'cause. I'm cut out for more
than this small town.
You're as small town
as they come.
A chicken race with tractors?
- How hard could it be?
- Just like a car. It's easy.
Just like driving a sports car.
Nothing could be simpler.
Oh, hell, Ren,
just remember to stay calm.
Calm? I've never driven
a tractor before.
It's easy. Look. This is your
clutch, your gas, your brake.
You start off,
you just shift it into high.
Don't worry about your one, two,
three, four. Just put it into third.
Once you get going,
slam it into fourth.
That's your emergency brake.
These operate your bucket.
I'll bet he's scared shitless,
and he turns out in ten seconds.
Chuck, you sure you're up to this?
Whose side are you on
anyway, honey?
You had a lot to smoke.
Don't tell me
I had enough to smoke.
I didn't say you had enough.
I said you had a lot to smoke.
Don't tell me that either!
Why don't you go tell dog-face
we're ready to go! Yeah!
Just remember he's chicken shit.
Hang in there. You'll be great!
- Just hope to God he pulls out.
- I don't wanna split his face open.
- Cool it, Tarzan!
- Give him hell, Ren!
How did I get myself into this?
Hey, Woody, come here.
Listen, has anybody
ever died doing this?
Just once.
Hey, Ren! Hey, sport!
When this hat flies in the air,
you better have your butt in gear.
- Come on, Ren!
- Go! Go!
Let's see what you're made of!
Come on, sucker!
Chuck, move it!
You wanna go up, huh?
There you go.
Oh, you wanna go down.
Kick his ass!
That's it! Jump, you chicken!
Sit down!
What are you doing?
Trying to kill me?
You stupid idiot!
Get off!
Turn out!
Oh, shit!
Help! He tried to kill me.
Excuse me. Thank you.
I don't believe this town.
Hello.
Tell me.
He has team practice
every day until 4:00.
Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays
he's at the Beamis Mill till 6:00.
You already knew that.
He hasn't dated
since he's been in town.
And late Friday nights,
by the light of the full moon...
he breaks into churchyards and bites
the heads off live chickens.
Come on, what is it? Chuck?
I never did think he had
all his dogs barking anyway.
Besides, what is wrong about
getting a little psyched over Ren?
He's cute.
He's from out of town.
Don't tell me that doesn't curl
your toes. I know you too well.
You want out of here so bad,
you probably memorize bus schedules.
And you don't?
Hey, asshole.
Interested in some
really good shit?
Rich, you sly little shit.
You just made a whole sentence.
Don't get smart-ass!
I've been watching you.
I know you're not stupid.
And I got a friend here who can
help you out from time to time.
No, thanks. I got my own sources.
I'm getting into hog tranquilizers...
We'll just call this a sample,
and you know where you can get more.
- Rich, I don't want your shit.
- Why don't I just take it?
You're taking chances
being new in this school.
I gotta show you something.
Wait! This is tea!
Would I do that with a real joint?
You know what an ounce goes for?
I'm gonna get you.
You wait.
The Reverend was right about you.
A bunch of kids was raising hell
at Burlington Cranston's property.
Tore up the fields,
turned over a tractor.
Today someone suggested
to me there's been...
some trouble at the high school,
I think it was drugs.
You wouldn't know about that?
What did you say? I can't hear you.
- He said, "No. "
- Amy.
I said, "No, sir. "
You know, whenever we used
to call your folks in Chicago...
I don't think there was
any trouble, was there?
I don't know what
to make of it.
- People are pointing your direction.
- What did they say?
What I've been telling you
about the trouble and drugs.
You seem to be having trouble since
you moved here. And I figured...
You figured where there's smoke,
there's fire, right?
Usually works like that.
Look, you know I would never try
to take the place of your father.
Well, there's no chance of that.
Uh-oh, he's taking the car.
Big time!
What are you doing here?
Watching.
I thought I was alone.
Not in this town.
There's eyes everywhere.
- How come you don't like me?
- What makes you think I don't?
You never talk to me at school.
You never look at me.
Maybe because if I did, your
boyfriend would remove my lungs.
Chuck Cranston doesn't own me.
He likes to act like he does,
but he doesn't.
Do you wanna kiss me?
Someday.
What is this someday shit?
I get the feeling
you've been kissed a lot.
I'm afraid I'd suffer
by comparison.
You don't think much
of me, do you?
You think I'm small town?
I think Bomont's a small town.
I'm going away.
I've already applied to colleges.
I applied to colleges my father
doesn't know I applied to.
He's gonna come after me,
but I'm gonna be gone.
Wanna see something?
Sure.
We call it "The Yearbook. "
It started four or
five years ago, I guess.
It's stuff we're not
supposed to read.
This is all out of books?
Most of it.
Some songs, magazines.
Some poems that get made up.
"I'll sing to you of silver swans,
of kingdoms and carillons. "
"I'll sing of bodies intertwined
underneath an innocent sky. "
You wrote that?
It's not even one of my best.
It's all right.
Wait a minute.
You hear that?
- What?
- The train. You hear it?
Sometimes after football games
we come out here.
Just a few of us.
And we stand here.
Then when the train comes,
we make out like crazy.
Oh, yeah?
Most of the time
we just stand and scream.
Scream?
Yeah. I saw it in a movie.
Real loud from here.
Don't screw around.
Come on.
Come on,
I'll take you home.
- It's late.
- Yeah.
It's hard to impose a curfew on the
young people in my congregation...
that I can't even enforce
in my own home.
- Have you been drinking?
- No.
- Were you smoking something?
- No!
I wasn't stealing,
gambling, dancing...
or reading books
I'm not supposed to.
I am late!
Who were you with?
Ren MacCormack.
- I don't want you to see him.
- Why?
I've heard he's a troublemaker.
Just 'cause he hasn't lived
in this town for 20 years...
doesn't make him a troublemaker!
I don't know what
I'm gonna do with you.
There ain't nothing
to do with me, Daddy.
Like it or not, this is it.
It doesn't get much better.
What the hell happened?
Why'd you get kicked off the team?
Because somebody's got it in for me.
Coach found out I brought Ariel
home late, so I'm a troublemaker.
That's not why
I'm off the team. No, no.
I'm off cause they don't have funds
for one more gymnast, but thank you.
I'm busting my balls trying to fit
in and every door slams in my face.
Hey, MacCormack!
Sorry to hear you got caught.
Don't fool around
with the preacher's daughter!
How does anybody live in this town?
You know what it is?
You got an attitude problem.
- I got an attitude problem?
- I'm not the only one who's noticed.
We're not living in the goddamn
Middle Ages. We got TV, Family Feud.
We're not stuck in
Leave It to Beaver land here.
Well, I haven't noticed
a wet T-shirt contest in town yet.
I haven't either,
but I'm waiting patiently.
I tell you what I'd like to do.
Glue a Playboy centerfold inside
each of Reverend Moore's hymnals.
Yeah, you know what else
we could do?
We could start one of your
nightclubs right in the church.
That's it.
That's it, man.
What's it?
A dance.
- What?
- A dance!
We could have a dance!
You know, a dance?
- You know what I mean! Dance! Dance!
- You're gonna get me angry!
Gonna turn this town upside down!
Stop it!
I was down in Denver last year...
for about a week
at a Bible convention.
And the whole time I was there,
people would come up...
and ask me, "Reverend, how can
you live in such a small town...
so far away from the hustle
and bustle of the 20th century?"
I'd say to them,
"You'd never ask me that...
if you could just once,
just for one minute...
experience the feeling of family
that comes from knowing...
that all of our lives
are tied up with each of us.
That we feel all the same joys...
the same sorrows,
and that we care.
Each and every one of us cares
for the other. "
I told them...
"I just feel closer
to my Lord out there.
And I feel closer...
and safer with my people...
and I think they feel closer to me.
The Lord smiles on us out there.
And that's why I'm staying. "
Why don't you have some cake?
Roger, the town council
has no intention of bowing...
to wishes of a small group
of students.
Eleanor and I are absolutely certain
that this boy is organizing a dance.
- We're not gonna have any dance.
- We let some punk push us around...
it won't be long before every
community standard is violated.
- Boy, are they in a tizzy!
- Ariel, get in the car!
- Got the whole council going!
- There's a meeting I won't miss.
- Where are you taking us?
- Over the state line.
I want you to see
what you've been missing.
I know you're not gonna
let Willard fight, right?
- I don't fight.
- Right, and I don't breathe.
- Are you gonna dance?
- I drink better than I dance.
Come on!
I'll watch you guys, see if
you can show me something new.
We didn't come all this way
just to sit it out.
I'll be out there. Don't worry.
I'm just gonna grab a beer.
Come on, don't be an asshole!
They're waiting to dance with us.
I can't dance.
You what?
I can't dance.
At all.
All right. All right.
- Buy him a beer.
- Take my jacket.
- What's the matter?
- My feet have been hurting.
They weren't hurting in the car.
I wanna dance.
I wanna get a beer.
Waitress, let me have another beer.
I can't help myself!
Hey, I came with that girl.
Doesn't look like
you're leaving with her.
Hey, I guess you didn't
hear me the first time.
- No fights. You don't even know him.
- Why don't you flake off?
No fights.
When was the last time
you seen your dick, partner?
Rusty, he was fighting
to save your honor.
- It's too late.
- I don't fight.
- Your dance gonna be like this one?
- Everything but the fight.
Forget it.
Ow! Come on!
Up on the roof, oh, yeah.
One hundred proof, oh, yea.
Ain't that fine, oh, yeah.
You cherry slime, oh, yeah.
Oh, what?
Oh, yea.
I hate this bridge.
Gives me the creeps.
How come?
You've heard this one.
The infamous Crosby Bridge accident.
- You've heard it.
- No.
You're missing out!
'Bout five years ago...
these kids were playing highway tag
and they were drunk.
One car hits the other one, and
they both go over the bridge. Dead.
That's when they started passing
laws against booze...
against dancing and drinking.
I don't know.
My father had a field day.
Your father? Why?
My older brother
was one who got killed.
You should've seen Bobby.
He was like Warren Beatty,
only taller. Wasn't he?
My father went off the deep end.
He decided we all needed saving,
no matter what.
He's gonna personally save this
pissant town and deliver it...
to heaven with his daughter
sitting like a cherry on top.
I called over to Rusty's last night.
I don't understand why you feel
it necessary to lie to me.
I don't know why you find
it necessary to check up on me.
I'm concerned about
your well-being, that's all.
How come when I'm home you're never
as interested in what I do or say...
as you are when
I walk out that door?
Wham! Suddenly
you wanna know everything!
I don't like this outburst...
any more than I like
not knowing where you were!
Shaw, don't you think
we could wait on this?
No, I don't. I'm sick and tired
of you coming in on her side!
She'll have to start
answering for herself.
I don't know why. You don't listen
to me any more than you do her.
I've never hit anyone in my life.
We're losing her, Vi.
- Don't you see that?
- No.
I see you chasing after her,
and I see her running from you.
She's become so willful
and obstinate.
She's like her father.
The two of you
were so wonderful once.
You had so much to talk about.
I was almost jealous.
It's not as if we don't talk.
It's just that...
sometimes people run out
of things to say.
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 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.
- We could really use your support.
- My mother wouldn't approve.
But we're not talking
about a free-for-all.
It won't be a drunken brawl.
It's just a dance.
Just give it some thought.
Okay? Sleep on it.
Just think about it.
Okay, thanks. See you later.
Sounds great to me.
How you doin'?
Need any help, just let me know.
You got it.
Chuck has heard something
that's upset him real good.
I want you to tell me it ain't so,
Mr. Chicago Big Shot.
He heard you're gonna try and throw
a dance at school. A senior dance.
He figured only a dumb fag would try
that. Is that what you're trying?
He sure the hell is!
Excuse me, girls.
Come out, Ren.
You guys stay there.
Is he really gonna
get us a dance?
Yep. Ain't ya?
- It's about time, MacCormack.
- I'll be there.
Thanks.
Don't you have any better manners?
Didn't your mama teach you better?
You treat animals like that?
How's it feel?
Don't feel too good now, does it?
- What are you talking about?
- You'll have to fight city hall.
What do you mean
I gotta fight city hall?
'Cause there's a town council.
It's made up of seven people.
Shaw Moore's one of 'em.
Burlington Cranston is another.
Personally, I don't like
that lousy son of a bitch.
They meet every third Thursday
of the month.
Something you want in this town,
you'll have to talk to them.
You're gonna get really creamed.
Geez. I'm not so good
with words.
Keep thinking like that, man,
and you are gonna get creamed.
Woody doesn't know
a dance from a dipstick.
And you do? You do, huh?
Which way is your left?
Huh? Willard,
which way is your left?
He don't know his left foot
from his right foot.
I'll tell you something. If I gotta
get up in front of that council...
you gotta learn to dance.
What is this, Roger?
I don't know this book.
I hope you wouldn't.
Reverend Moore, Mrs. Evans is
calling about that dance at school.
Would you tell her I'll call her
back after Junior Bible?
What were you saying?
This was found in one of
the athletic lockers at school.
A book like this should be burned.
We should go to the library
and remove this corruption.
There's no sense blowing it up
into something that it isn't.
Hello! Careful.
Come on, Max.
I'll set up, Vi.
I think it's quite obvious
what it is.
It's not quite so obvious
how I should handle it.
Reverend, if you'll excuse
my saying so...
when we got rid of that young
English teacher at the school...
we didn't get
any support from you.
Because I didn't think we had
any grounds for his dismissal.
Around here, it caused
a lot of folks some worry.
A lot of folks worry
a little too much.
Doesn't take much time
for corruption to take root.
How long is that, Roger?
About as long as
it takes compassion to die?
- Do I get a cookie?
- No!
- Did you drink all the milk?
- Yeah!
- I wanted to talk to you.
- You don't have to tell me nothin'.
I know why
you don't call me.
I wanted to tell you myself.
I know why you don't want
to see me anymore.
I'm not stupid!
I'm not blind.
It's MacCormack, ain't it?
You're just dying to screw
MacCormack, aren't you? Aren't you?
You're so stupid!
Stupid?
Think I don't see you looking at him
like some bitch in heat?
You'll wrap those skinny legs
around anybody.
Shut up!
Is that what I get? Huh?
I treated you decent!
Shit.
Put that down!
Don't even think about that.
- Jesus!
- You think about it!
Stop it, Chuck!
'Bout through with you anyway.
I'm sorry you have
to see me like this.
I'll be okay. I'll sneak in
at home. I'll be fine.
- Do I look okay?
- You'll pull through.
Thanks for coming for me.
I don't understand.
There's nothing to understand.
It's for taking on my father.
Wait a minute.
I got no beef with him.
No, wait. This is my fight, it's
with the town, not with one guy.
You don't get to turn my fight
into a "screw you" to your old man.
Hey, look...
maybe...
Maybe you shouldn't try so hard
to forget your brother...
or to try to make your father
forget him, you know?
- It's not that easy.
- I know.
Do I still get the box?
Gimme the box.
Nice.
Think you might ever kiss me?
Harvey and Bernie
were here for a long time.
They still talking
about that dance?
Yeah.
- What did you decide to do?
- It's not gonna happen.
That's one more thing Ariel is not
going to forgive me for, but...
Can you step out of the way enough
to realize she's doing this for you?
Me?
I don't see that.
I just know that
when kids dance together...
they become sexually irresponsible.
I can't take the chance...
What's so funny?
You talk like that's the only thing
that gets them excited.
Don't you remember when we used to
look at each other and get excited?
It's just the same with them.
You're not gonna put
their eyes out.
None of this is gonna undo
one stupid accident.
I'm responsible for
the spiritual life of this community.
Shaw, you can't be
a father to everybody.
You can't do that.
I thought that at least
you believed in me.
I never stopped.
Be at the town council meeting
tomorrow night.
Only fairies dance.
I'll lay you flat, Ariel.
Support Ren MacCormack at
the council meeting tomorrow night.
You can make a difference!
I'm calling to remind you
to come to the town council meeting.
Hi.
- Still hurt?
- Naw.
Good.
- Nervous?
- No. Uh-uh.
Look, I...
Yeah.
Yeah, I'm nervous.
I don't know what
I'm gonna say to the council.
There's only seven of them, right?
- Who else is gonna be there?
- Everybody.
Take a deep breath.
You ready?
What is it? The Holy Bible?
Ah, this is great.
This is great! What...
How'd you know where
to find all this?
Are you kidding?
I wanna tell you something.
Thanks.
Come on.
What the hell is that?
- Oh, my God!
- Amy? What is it?
"Burn in hell"?
This says, "Burn in hell. "
- Ren, what the hell is going on?
- Somebody's trying to make a point.
Do you see now?
You don't wave flags here
without people taking shots at them.
This is not the first time.
My business was off, but people
are taking business away from me.
Your aunt's gotten ugly phone calls
and today your mother lost her job.
Mom, is that true?
Mr. Collins said
he heard things about you.
He thought I ought to stay home
and be a proper mother.
- What did you say?
- I told him to shove it.
Damn it, Ethel, this is serious.
- There's other jobs!
- Where?
- Shouldn't you call the police?
- I don't know if it'll do any good.
I'll get Jim Earlhaus over here.
Will you stop?
Now will you stop?
I don't understand this town.
It's like something's
choking everybody...
only they don't know
they're choking.
Let me ask you something.
Why this dance in this town?
Let me ask you something.
Why this dance in this town?
It's not just about a dance.
Not anymore.
I know.
That's what I mean.
I watch you, I see.
- You're not gonna understand this.
- Try me.
When Dad first threatened to leave,
I thought it was because of me.
I thought it was something
that I wasn't doing right.
And I figured there was something
I could do to make it like it was...
and then he'd want to stay,
you know.
But when he left
just like that...
I realized that everything I'd done
hoping that he'd stay...
everything I'd done,
it didn't mean shit.
Didn't matter.
And I felt like,
"What difference does it make?"
But now...
Now I'm thinking...
I could really do something,
you know.
I could really do something
for me this time, you know...
otherwise I'm just gonna disappear.
All right, Virginia, that ends
the discussion on this issue.
So the price of a dog license
will go from $3.50 to $4.50.
A licensed pet is a happy one.
That takes care of old business.
Burlington?
Thank you, Virginia.
It was real good.
Now we can consider
any new business.
Excuse me.
Before we begin, I want
to remind all you kids...
we're conducting
an official meeting.
We're not gonna tolerate
any disturbances.
The floor is now open
for any new business.
My name is Ren MacCormack and
I would like to move on behalf...
of most of the senior class of
Bomont High School that the law...
against public dancing within the
town limits of Bomont be abolished.
Mr. Chairman,
could I address myself to this?
You bet.
Even if this was not a law...
which it is...
I'm afraid I would have difficulty
endorsing an enterprise...
which is as fraught
with genuine peril...
as I believe this one to be.
Besides liquor and drugs, which
seem to accompany such an event...
the thing that distresses me
even more, Ren...
is the spiritual corruption
that can be involved.
These dances and this kind of music
can be destructive.
And, Ren, I'm afraid
you're gonna find...
that most of the people in
our community will agree with me.
I do.
- That's all I have to say.
- A vote is in order on the motion.
- Will all those opposed...
- Excuse me, I...
- I would like to say something.
- Please sit down.
This is outrageous!
- If you think that we're...
- Eleanor, sit down.
I think Mr. MacCormack
has a right to be heard.
I just wanted to say a few words
about this motion...
so that you wouldn't think
that we were...
encouraging destruction
with this idea.
"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. "
Amen.
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.
You know you were railroaded,
don't you? Huh?
When are you gonna wake up
and smell the coffee?
Shaw Moore walked into that meeting
with votes already in his pocket.
- You didn't have a prayer.
- Bad pun, Andy.
What are you gonna do now?
It's over.
What if it ain't?
What if you have your dance
in Bayson?
No. The whole point was
to do something here in Bomont.
Bayson's, what,
thirty miles away?
Not where it runs up
to these tracks it ain't.
I figure if the Bomont fire trucks
can't cross these tracks...
neither can the long arm
of the law.
What about the long arm
of Reverend Moore?
Remember he said if you could find
a way to convince him...
it wouldn't be a spiritual
corruption, he'd think about it.
- So?
- Make him think about it.
"And I beheld and heard
an angel flying...
through the midst of heaven
saying with a loud voice:
'Woe, woe, woe...
to the inhabiters of the earth. '
And I saw a star fall
from heaven unto the earth...
and the angel
was given the key...
to the bottomless pit.
And he opened
the bottomless pit...
and there arose a smoke out of
the pit as smoke of a great furnace.
And the sun and air were darkened
by reason of the smoke of the pit. "
Yes?
I used to get such a kick
watching you work up your sermons.
- And now?
- It's different.
I see the stage. I see costumes.
It's show business, isn't it?
Well...
it's the only way I know
to reach people's emotions.
I haven't heard from you
for a while.
When was it? Thursday?
I was angry, you were angry.
- I was not.
- Yes, you were.
If you weren't, you would've
asked me what was wrong. You knew.
Ariel, I cannot let
this dance happen.
Ren MacCormack made
a lot of people stop and think.
I object to that kind of music,
and I think you know why.
- Because people fornicate to it.
- I never said that.
- You told the church board that.
- That was not meant for your ears!
When do my ears get old enough?
When do you stop protecting me?
I'm no saint!
It is my duty to look after
the spiritual growth of you...
I'm not even a virgin.
- Don't talk like that in here!
- Why not?
Isn't this where I confess my sins
to my preacher? In church!
I ask to be forgiven. Am I?
Oh, forgive me, deliver me!
Don't do that in here. You
know better where to draw the line!
Thank heavens you're here.
People are calling.
They're over at the library.
Roger! Eleanor!
What are you doing?
We decided these books...
Who's we? Whose authority
are you acting on?
Hold it everybody!
Listen to me!
When did you all decide
to sit in judgment?
Who elected you to be the saviors
of everybody's souls in Bomont?
We have a perfect right to determine
what our children...
When you've burned all of these,
what are you gonna do then?
Chris, take these out of here.
Satan is not in these books.
He's in here!
He's in your hearts.
Go on home, all of you.
Go and sit in judgment
on yourselves.
And, Roger, go home.
Eleanor, come on.
Go home now, both of you.
Sometimes things
don't make any sense.
If you could explain to me my father
maybe I could explain your son.
But it doesn't make any sense.
Look, I gotta go.
Listen, I know you're gonna do
what you gotta do...
but thanks for listening.
Thank you for...
Well, thank you.
That was your friend Ren.
He came here to ask me if he could
take you to a senior prom.
I'm running out of answers.
I know how hard it is for you.
I'm know I'm not making it easier.
I just don't know that I believe
in everything you believe in...
but I believe in you.
I'm standing up here
before you today...
with a very troubled heart.
You see, my friends...
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.
Lights!
- You look very nice.
- Oh, no.
Yes, you do.
Yes, you look very nice.
Yes, you do.
You look wonderful.
- You think?
- Yeah. Mm-hmm.
You can't very well go to a prom
without a corsage.
Oh, Mom.
This is gorgeous!
- Where do you think I should...
- Here's a wrist thing.
Oh, Mom, you really
didn't have to.
I didn't.
Don't go on to him about it
because he'll only deny it.
I was gonna come up and get...
I was...
gonna come up and get you.
- What's the matter?
- You're beautiful.
What?
I mean it.
You are beautiful.
Come on.
Thank you.
- Let's take a closer look.
- No. She'll think I'm checking up.
No. She won't even know
we're here. Come on.
You're the last folks I expected
to see around here tonight.
- Good evening, Andy.
- Hi, Andy.
Reverend, you done
a good thing here.
I'm still not sure
it was the right thing.
Comes close.
Shaw?
What is it?
It's just the two of us again.
- Shaw?
- What?
We're almost dancing.
- Hi, Rusty.
- Hi.
Hello, Willard.
You promised you won't fight.
Don't you look sweet.
- What do you want?
- I've got business with MacCormack.
Cool it, all right.
No fights tonight, okay?
Hey, no fights, fellas.
Sure, Willard.
All right.
Cute.
No fights, Willard.
Damn, man! I told you.
I promised Rusty no fights tonight.
Let me go, goddamn it!
- Oh, Willard!
- What do you want me to do, Rusty?
Kill the son of a bitch!
Help, somebody!
- Chuck!
- Hey, it's Mr. Dance Fever.
You're a goddamn hero
when it's five to one.
Ren, get up!
Beat the shit out of him!
Bastard!
You're gonna dance now.
All right!
- Hey, handsome.
- Great dance, man.
Fighter heroes!
I thought you guys were
actually gonna fight or something.
You're great.
Hey, what's this I see?
I thought this was a party.
Let's dance!
Just watch, all right?