Trivia: The film's soundtrack album knocked Michael Jackson's "Thriller" off the top of the U.S. album charts, where it had ranked for more than a year.
Trivia: In the scene where Rev. Shaw shows Ren a picture of his deceased son Bobby, John Lithgow actually showed a picture of his real son.
Trivia: Beaumont High School is really "Payson High School" in Payson, Utah.
Trivia: Dianne Wiest plays Lori Singer's mother in the movie, even though in real life she's only 9 or 11 years older than Singer, depending on which resource you use for her birth date.
Suggested correction: Per Wikipedia Dianne west was born in 1946 and Lori singer in 1957.11 years.
You shouldn't believe everything you read on Wikipedia. Wiest (not West) was born March 28, 1948. Not 1946.
Trivia: With the Principal's knowledge, 24-year-old Kevin Bacon attended the Provo Utah High School as "Ren McCormack", a transfer student from Philadelphia to get into his role. With his narrow tie and new-wave haircut, he was treated pretty much like in the film. Bacon gratefully left with the location scouts on the afternoon of the first day.
Trivia: Frances Lee McCain plays Ethel McCormack, the mother of Ren McCormack (Kevin Bacon). In real life, McCain is only fourteen years older than Bacon.
Trivia: While filming an episode of 3rd Rock from the Sun, a guest actor playing a carnival strongman told John Lithgow that, growing up in a small town, his father was similar to Reverend Moore. The man took his father to see Footloose without telling him what it was about, and his father was so moved by Lithgow's performance that he permitted his son to be the first of his six children to attend his high school prom.
Trivia: On the DVD commentary, Kevin Bacon stated that at the time of release that despite the studio's insistence, he refused to go around telling reporters that he did all his own dancing in the film (he was mostly doubled) after the backlash that Jennifer Beals copped after Flashdance where she was forced by the studio to say she did all her own dancing despite only doing close-ups.
Trivia: John Lithgow (born in 1945) is only twelve years older than his on-screen daughter Lori Singer (born in 1957).
