Gov. Cox invites Kevin Bacon to the Beehive State for 40th anniversary of ‘Footloose’
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For the 40th anniversary of “Footloose,” Utah Gov. Spencer Cox extended an invitation to the star Kevin Bacon to visit the Beehive State.
“Mr. Bacon, I’m governor Spencer Cox from the great state of Utah. Can I call you Kevin?” Cox said in a video posted to X. “Kevin, we are so excited that next year will be 40 years of ‘Footloose.’ It’s hard to believe it’s been that long.”
Cox then invited Bacon to return to Payson High School for the anniversary of the film. Bacon played one of the film’s leads, Ren McCormack. Moving from Chicago to the Midwest, McCormack finds that the town has banned rock music and dancing. He decides he’s not going to stand for that and tries to shake up the town.
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“Footloose” has become a classic. After it came out in 1984, it was nominated for two Academy Awards as well as a Golden Globe. Payson High was the spot where several scenes of the movie (specifically, the high school scenes) were filmed.
Hey @KevinBacon, it’s hard to believe it’s been 40 years since “Footloose” premiered. Utah’s preserved the legacy this film left on our state, so we’d like to formally invite you back to the Beehive State to celebrate four decades of “Footloose” with us, @payson_lions and… pic.twitter.com/Y7hmFQxXAR
— Utah Gov. Spencer J. Cox (@GovCox) November 29, 2023
This isn’t the first attempt Utahns have made to encourage Bacon to come back to Utah.
In honor of the 40th anniversary of the film, Payson High School students have invited Bacon to come to their 2024 prom — before the school is scheduled to be rebuilt, according to KSL NewsRadio.
The school has a calendar full of “Footloose” themed events in anticipation of the 40th anniversary, including a 1980s’ themed homecoming dance, a screening of the movie on the football field and a theater performance of “Footloose,” per The Daily Herald.
“We wanted to take the chance to not only celebrate the high school as a way to give the school a big send-off, (but) celebrate ‘Footloose’ all at the same time,” Payson High’s Student Council adviser Jenny Staheli told KSL NewsRadio.
While it’s unclear if Bacon has responded to this prom invitation, he has connected with Payson High School students in the past. In fact, in 2009, he sent a special video to the Payson High student body.
“Hey, what’s up, Payson? Kevin Bacon here. Thank you, thank you,” Bacon said in the video. “You know, 25 years ago, I made a movie in your own backyard called ‘Footloose.’ OK, OK, I know that the movie wasn’t ‘Citizen Kane,’ ... but the basic idea was a good one.”
“Even though you’re young, don’t be afraid to raise your voice and be heard,” Bacon said.
Bacon has yet to respond to Cox’s invitation.
