Dirty Dancing 

Year of Release: 1987
Genre: Musical
Rating: PG-13 for adult themes
Director: Emile Ardolino
Starring: Patrick Swayze, Jennifer Grey, Cynthia Rhodes, Jerry Orbach, Jack Weston, Kelly Bishop, Jane Brucker

Date Of Revised Review: April 2008

“Dirty Dancing” is an appealing dance musical with a strong love story and a toe-tapping soundtrack. It is this perfect blend of dance; romance and music that has elevated the films appeal to female audiences the world over. The story takes place in a resort hotel in the early 1960's. Jennifer Grey plays Baby Houseman, the innocent teenage daughter of a wealthy doctor, Jake Houseman (Jerry Orbach). Patrick Swayze stars as the dynamic Johnny Castle, the working-class hotel dance instructor who she falls madly in love with. It’s the steps the film takes in getting these two characters together that make it so interesting. At the evening dance Baby sees Johnny perform a Latin dance routine with Penny (Cynthia Rhodes) and is instantly smitten. Later, Baby carries a watermelon to gain entry into the darkened staff quarters where “Dirty Dancing” is the popular pass-time. Here, her first dance with Johnny takes place and by now she is madly in love. Next, we find out that Johnny’s dance partner Penny is pregnant and cannot perform in a dance exhibition at a nearby hotel. Baby agrees to help out by taking her place. At first Johnny is skeptical but eventually agrees. Johnny begins to train Baby and the romance blossoms. Tensions mount when Baby’s, Dr. father, has to save Penny’s life after a botched up abortion. Baby’s father believes that Johnny is responsible for the pregnancy and tries to stop Baby from seeing Johnny. All of these things culminate in a captivating finale, involving the two lovers performing in the resort’s end of season show.

“Dirty Dancing” features some raw, energetic dance sequences and has a spectacular soundtrack as a backdrop. From new songs such as "I've Had The Time Of My Life" by Jennifer Warnes and Bill Medley to “Hungry Eyes” by Eric Carmen to “She’s Like The Wind” by Patrick Swayze and a collection of old 60s favorites such as “Hey Baby” by Bruce Channel, “Big Girls Don’t Cry” by Frankie Valli, “Do You Love Me” by The Contours and “Wipe Out” by the Surfari. When it comes to great music, “Dirty Dancing” has it all and it is no surprise that record sales went through the roof.  Patrick Swayze is a dancer in real-life and this film gave him the opportunity to put those hot dance moves to good use. This was his star-making performance and for many years after he was a household name. Jennifer Grey’s innocence and girl-next-door quality was what female audiences connected with and her work on this film has become her signature role. Dancer turned actress Cynthia Rhodes ("Staying Alive", "Flashdance") is also very good in her small role, especially in the opening mambo dance sequence with heartthrob Swayze. They are electrifying together and it’s a shame the film’s storyline kept them apart most of the time. The film's climactic dance sequence featuring Swayze and Grey is nothing short of spectacular. This show-stopping finale makes you want to jump out of your seat and start dancing yourself or simply sit there with a big goofy smile on your face wishing that you could dance like that. It has that feel-good quality that makes you want to watch it again and again.

Made on shoestring budget of $5 million, "Dirty Dancing" was the surprise box office smash of 1987 grossing over $300 million worldwide. The film’s theme song, "I've Had The Time Of My Life" added to its success and deservedly won the Academy Award for “Best Song In A Motion Picture”. The film was so popular around the world that there was a demand for more. Fans just couldn’t get enough of “Dirty Dancing” so in Los Angeles some of the film’s musicians and dancers went on tour for what was to become, “Dirty Dancing – The Live Concert” (1987). Fans loved it, but this still wasn’t enough, they wanted a big screen sequel with Swayze and Grey but unfortunately they didn’t get one. Instead the result was a short-lived 1988 TV series starring an entirely different cast, with Patrick Cassidy and Melora Hardin playing Johnny and Baby this time round. In 2004 a sequel of sorts was released to moderate success. It was titled “Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights” with Swayze making a brief guest appearance as a dance class instructor. In 2004-2005 an international “Dirty Dancing” stage-show hit the scene with shows in the UK, Australia, New Zealand and Germany. In 2006 the search for a new “Baby” began when “Dirty Dancing” became part of the reality TV fad. Jennifer Lopez’s ex-husband Cris Judd hosted this dance series that lasted one season. In 2007, Dirty Dancing celebrated its 20th Anniversary with a new DVD launch, a brief US cinemas re-release and “Dirty Dancing – The Classic Story On Stage” went to Canada. "Dirty Dancing" remains a favorite film for many people and is the ultimate crowd-pleaser. It is the perfect example of what a teen dance musical should be.

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"Dirty Dancing" Movie Stills - Now Available:

"Dirty Dancing Sequel" - Now Available on DVD:

Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights (2004) [DVD]
Sizzling, in-name-only prequel to the 1987 smash centers on an upper-crust American teen (Romola Garai) who arrives in Cuba just as Castro is about to seize control. Defying her family's wishes, she enters a respected national dance contest with a charming local waiter (Diego Luna). But with revolution on the horizon, will the forbidden lovers be torn apart forever? Sela Ward, Jonathan Jackson, and Mya co-star. 105 min. Widescreen; Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Digital stereo; Subtitles: English, Spanish; audio commentary; interviews; featurettes; music videos; deleted scenes; theatrical trailers.  

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Pick Of The Flicks - Recommended Links:
Dirty Dancing at Hollywood Teen Movies

Patrick Swayze at Hollywod Cult Movies
Jennifer Grey at Hollywood Cult Movies
Cynthia Rhodes at Hollywood Cult Movies

Musicals & Dance Classics at Hollywood Teen Movies
Teen Movies Of The 80s at Hollywood Teen Movies
Tony's Cult Movies, Blockbusters & Classics

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