Exclusive Interview: ‘Footloose’ Director Craig Brewer

If you are Craig Brewer, an unusual choice to direct a remake of Footloose think you're not alone. The man behind the gritty, provocative films such as Hustle & Flow and Black Snake Moan was himself strongly against the idea of ​​revisiting the 1984 admission of dance theater of cheese – that is, until a bunch dead bugs helped convince otherwise. In an exclusive interview, discussing affable, based in Memphis Brewer surprisingly intense devotion to the original Footloose, and why he feels the remake fits comfortably alongside the other films in its canon.A Many managers retreat to the idea of ​​re- a movie like Footloose. How did you react when you were approached? Oh, I was startled. Several times I have avoided. The first time was when I read what they did. I was, like many others, think it would be so terrible. Why would they need to do this? It's a classic film, they will ruin everything. And [I drew back] again, when my agent called me and said, "They do not do this film. They want you to do. "And I said," No, it's long. I can not Footloose. Why would you want to Footloose? "He was the most important film of my young adulthood. I did not see how it could be updated, because it may be appropriate. And I said no. He said, "Well, you had read the script they developed" And they sent me the script, and I thought, "No." The script was nothing like the original. Then I said again, they no I'm on my way to the bachelor party in New Orleans, Memphis – married a friend of mine for years. I'm on the long bridge over the marsh, and I get a call from the president of Paramount, Adam Goodman, and he's like "I refuse to accept your passport. Why do you think of the passage Footloose? "We just sat in the law. Will you, 'Look, you call me and I appreciate everything, but why are you guys remake of Footloose: I said? Is this the only one making money? "He said," Yes. We think we need to shoot a young person who has these ideals, so we do it how you want to do. How would you do? "And I thought," Well, I Footloose. I would not try to reinvent it in some way. I would try to make them more relevant. But I could not see how it goes. "Then there were all these errors on the marsh that have been hitting my windshield. I just got a rental and I hit the windshield with the screening of liquid, but it has not been boiled so that it guts smeared all errors in my window and I could not see through . So all the traffic coming the other way, the lights would come on my car and I really felt I could collide with them at any time. And that's where I got the idea. [The accident] has always played in the movie, but I've never seen this crash. I have never seen the time when these children hit another car, but I have not seen this tragedy. It would be understood, it was once a law that was already in this conservative town. But the idea of ​​trauma, and a small town with the trauma and very reactionary and sometimes too reactionary, where all the rules and laws to protect their children, suddenly seemed more important that even in 1984. Thus, as opposed to [the project] and fights with them, I saw a way to make it accessible to a modern and always in the mythology of Footloose. I wanted to sing for his fans pounding their feet to Kenny Loggins, and, but then continue with this truck. I wanted to go to the fans: "What? Oh, right. "Then everything started to fall place.Did ask why they were so ardently in the pursuit of you? You should not immediately seems to me that the first choice for a project like this., think the problem is that most people have – and I totally get it – it my films, and they have a memory of Footloose I think it's something wrong. I told someone the other day: "Well, I have this movie about this girl who truly traumatic event in their life experiences and then it starts to screw around with this guy and is really self-destructive. They tried to kill nearly twice. "And they were like," Do Black Snake Moan? "And I was like," No, no. It's Footloose. "If you say these things started, you think, yes, but it was Footloose. It was cheesy and fun. Of course it was, in places, but this film was hard. There was a certain hardness that I remember in particular. I was 13 [when I saw it], it shocked me. I think if Adam Goodman took over the studio, as it was, "I do not want a version Glee happy, Footloose. I mean what was up Footloose, "I know that many people are like" The Man Who Hustle & Flow is Footloose "But I think when they see my -. Footloose? And even if they see the original Footloose – the way they become a little more. In my films I explored religion and family and music, and the idea of ​​music as an exorcism of the bad things in your head – I think the dance with Kevin Bacon began in a warehouse. This film was in my heart, I knew that each frame. You place great importance in this film is a sympathetic portrait of the villain, played by Dennis Quaid create. Was it important to you?, Le was important to me. I wanted to demonize not necessarily believe either, because I felt that if we did, it would not feel authentic for today. I mean, I'm sure there are extremes of churches out there and all, but most people do when they go to church, they are religious leaders who really care about their community have to do. They try not only the bad guys try to dance by the people, for fear that they continue to go to hell. I did not want this film to be about. I do not think that the reason we keep these children, because it's a sin to dance. There is much merit in the dance, to be destructive. I'm 40 this year, and I remember leaving Dirty Dancing. It was then I was in high school, and all were dirty dancing. I remember: You're with your girlfriend, you are confronted her, put your feet against his crotch, and began grinding up and down. At least then, if we did back in the day was, I search for the girl in the eye, but now the girls in the ass rubbing on the forks of the boys, and it is literally what our grandparents told rock and roll was, sex is standing. I look and I think, well, I'm sure it's great and funny, but I am there is a kind of, like, bad, what is it? [Laughs] And that's where I like it when I became this guy who thinks like me? But now I do. When I saw my daughter doing that, I would like, "Wait a minute. Come here, young lady, I have a conversation with you. "It's just because I am a father of Tarzan now.Do you next plan? I hope. I just turned in the script and read it in the studio this weekend. We'll see what they think. Will take it easy on the character? Sort of. It is certainly the time. It's not like a modern interpretation of it. There is no hip-hop in it. [Laughs] I was in the books when I was younger, and loved the movies. Something tells me that you make a new Footloose movie, but you also take into consideration the fans of the original. Well, Tarzan so many different types of fans. There are people who loved the Disney movie. There are people who loved Greystoke. There are people who loved Weissmuller in black and white. There are people who do not like everyone that, like books. There are people who love comics. There are many people with this movie.Yourself especially true, right? Right please. And I must say, I think I wrote the best script I ever wrote about this movie Tarzan. I hope I am able to do it.Footloose opens everywhere tomorrow, October 14, 2011.