let first admit that this movie be not some deep drama or social commentary . it may have a good message and but it isn not shove down your throat . in the end it be just a fun movie to watch . have say that and this be one of my favorite movie because of that good message and and more importantly and because of the way in which it be present . countless movie and book have be center on the basic theme of this movie namely the intergenerational friction between teen and their parent . unfortunately and most of them fall into the same trap and paint one ( or both ) side a stereotypical in the extreme . frequently this show up by have kid that be ultra clever battling against bumble adult ( breakfast club or ferris bueller day off both of which be enjoyable come immediately to mind and but the list be oh so long ) . usually and the kid have no apparent concrete reason to be battle the adult and the adult merely want to be obey because they be adult they do not appear to have any desire to actually do what best for the kid . in the end and these tale usually have the kid triumph over the adult . footloose largely avoids this . at first and it appear that the adult in town be go to turn out to be cardboard cutout transplant from all the other movie in the genre and but it quickly turn out that the adult be not evil and nor stupid and nor uncaring . they be genuinely try to do what they believe be best for their kid and they realize that they aren not infallible and that they do not have all the answer . in the end they be willing to consider change not because they be convince the change be necessarily right and but because they respect and trust their kid . for their part and the kid aren not rebel just to rebel and nor be they try to deny their parent authority even a they struggle against it . quite the opposite and they largely work within the bound of the system their parent have set up in their quest to change it and their parent . they do so because they respect and trust their parent . furthermore and they be willing to accept defeat when it appear their best effort do not win the day . what this film portray so well be that parent and their child may have different outlook and priority and they may come into passionate conflict a a result but they can do so while the mutual love and trust and and respect endures .