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Reverend Shaw Moore, also known as simply "The Reverend", is the main antagonist of the 1984 musical film Footloose and its 2011 remake of the same name.
He was portrayed by John Lithgow (who also portrayed Lord Farquaad in Shrek, Burke in Blowout, Lamar Blackburn in The Accountant, Carter Nix, Sr. and Jr. in Raising Cain, B.Z. in Santa Claus: The Movie, Lord John Whorfin in The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the Sixth Dimension, Eric Qualen in Cliffhanger, Earl Talbot Blake in Ricochet, and Arthur Mitchell in Dexter) in the original 1984 film, and by Dennis Quaid (who also portrayed Charlie Peck in Intruder, Vaughn Ely in Beneath the Darkness, Corporal Gallo in Pandorum, and Harvey in The Substance) in the 2011 remake.
Biography[]
1984 timeline[]
Shaw was a respected pastor of a local church in the city/town of Bomont County in the state of Utah where he maintains a friendship with the town's inhabitants and the council. Sometime later, he met Vi and married her. The couple had two children, Bobby and Ariel, whom he both loved dearly. The Moore household became a happy home for the family.
One night, Bobby went for a hangout with his friends and the group went to a dance event where they were intoxicated. On their way home, the group met an accident on the road when they collided with another vehicle, killing them instantly. Due to this incident, Shaw was devastated and persuaded the city/town council to pass several draconian laws and ordinances, which include anti-liquor laws, anti-drug laws, and a ban on loud music and all unsupervised dancing within the city limits.
Later on, Chicago native Ren McCormack and his mother Ethel move into Bomont to live with their relatives following their patriarch's deseration. On one Sunday, Ren meets and befriends Shaw and his daughter Ariel, whom he later falls for. He later learns of Shaw's dancing ban from a new classmate name Willard. After a game of chicken involving tractors with Ariel's boyfriend Chuck Cranston, Shaw distrusts Ren and forbids Ariel form having an association with him. This causes Ariel to later rebel and challenge her father's authority and Ren decides to challenge the anti-dancing ordinance so that the high school can hold a senior prom.
After Ariel is subjected to domestic abuse by Chuck, Shaw suspects Ren as the culprit and sends an associate to torment the McCormacks. The associate throws a brick with the words "Burn in Hell" through the window of Ren's house. Later on, the council arranges a meeting with the townsfolk for Ren to debate whether the dancing ban should be lifted or not. Using Bible verses, Ren calls for the acknowledgement for others on their right to enjoy. This moves Shaw but the city council votes against him. Vi, who supports the movement, explains to Shaw that he cannot be everyone's father and that he is hardly being a father to Ariel.
Despite further discussion with Ren about his own family losses and Ariel's opening up about her own past, disclosing that she has had sexual relations, Shaw cannot bring himself to change his stance. The argument between Shaw and Ariel is cut short, when a woman informs them about a book-burning event orchestrated by members of his congregation in the local library. Shaw leaves Ariel in church to head there, arriving as the situation goes out of control. He confronts a man about to burn another set of books, the latter claiming that they are doing it as the books are detrimental to youth. Shaw then takes the books, orders a child to return them to the library, and admonishes the crowd of their actions, stating that problems and evil do not reside in the books, but instead in the heart and character of people, now reflecting Vi's statement of dancing not being the problem. He orders the book-burning stopped and tells the congregation to go home and reflect instead.
The following Sunday, Shaw asks his congregation to pray for the high school students putting on the prom, which is set up at a grain mill in Bayson, a neighboring town of Bomont not under the town limits. On prom night, Shaw and Vi listen from outside the mill, dancing for the first time in years.
2011 timeline[]
The 2011 version of Shaw Moore remains similar to the original incarnation on account of strict demeanor and elements seen in the 1984 film, but is more of a toned-down version of the character. While still remaining the film's main antagonist, this incarnation is portrayed in a more sympathetic light and his hometown of Bomont County is relocated from Utah to the state of Georgia. Unlike the 1984 version where Bobby's death is only mentioned and explained through word of mouth, the incident is instead shown in full detail as a prologue.
On one Sunday, Shaw and his daughter Ariel befriends Massachusetts native Ren McCormack, a newcomer to Bomont who decided to move into the town from Boston to live with his relatives after losing his mother to leukemia following his father's desertion. Ren later learns of Shaw's dancing ban from a new classmate name Willard. After a game of chicken involving buses with Ariel's boyfriend Chuck Cranston, Shaw distrusts Ren and forbids Ariel form having an association with him. This causes both Ariel and Ren to challenge her father's authority and try to overturn the anti-dancing ordinance so that the high school can hold a senior prom.
Like the original, Shaw suspects Ren as a culprit to Ariel's domestic abuse by Chuck, but instead berates her before attempting to order Ren's arrest. His wife Vi stops him and tells him that she supports Ren's movement, justifying that dancing and music aren't the problems. Later on, Ariel gives Ren a Bible with highligted verses on dancing and singing as well as music to present during his debate with the council on whether the dancing ban should be lifted or not. Using Bible verses, Ren calls for the acknowledgement for others on their right to enjoy. This moves Shaw but the city council votes against him.
Shaw still has enough influence to pressure the parents not to let their teenagers come, but Ren visits him one evening and the two strike up a conversation wherein they share stories of their losses and realize their common ground; the loss of a loved one. Ren states that even though they denied the motion to dismiss the law, they cannot stop the dance, before asking Shaw respectfully if he can take Ariel, to which the latter agrees.
A few days before the prom, Shaw asks his congregation to pray for the high school students putting on the event, set in a cotton mill in the neighboring town of Bayson. On prom night, Shaw and Vi watch as Ariel and Ren walk hand in hand and drive off to the event. It is implied that he later changed his stance and ordered the council to partially lift the dancing ban.
Trivia[]
- The original and 2011 Shaw's opening preaching are scripture free.
- While both the 1984 and 2011 incarnations also have tragic backgrounds on account of losing a family member which become the cause for their antagonism, the 2011 version exhibits more of the "tragic villain" element, as his son Bobby's death is depicted in full detail, serving as a prologue to the events of the remake. Such depiction allowed the audience to also sympathize with the villain, and understand his justification on convincing the council to pass the draconian laws and ordinances.