my favourite film

Rating: 10/10 (27 September 2005)

This film is set in the summer of 1964 when a 17 year old girl Frances "Baby" Houseman, (played by Jennifer Gray), goes on holiday with her older sister and parents to America's Catskill mountains. Her father is a doctor, who saved the resort owners life a few years ago, so the family receive top treatment throughout their visit. Baby takes no interest in the activities held at the resort but then when she offers to help carry some melons to the staff headquarters she finds a dance party on the go. Baby is eager to join in the festivity and even more so when she sees the sexy Johnny Castle (played by Patrick Swayze) who is the dance instructor of the resort. She then joins in the raunchy dancing and gets hooked so returns most nights, without her father knowing. Then her relationship with Johnny starts to develop, even though Johnny has specifically been told to not hold a relationship with any of the guests. Baby then enjoys the rest of her holiday with overwhelming consequences. The genre of the film is a romance/drama and is directed by Emile Ardolino. It's set in the 1960's but was actually made in the 1980's. I think the film would be most enjoyed by women, probably teenagers and above. I don't think men would appreciate the romance in the film (maybe some would) and I think younger children wouldn't be able to understand or relate to it as much as teenagers or older people would. The film is set in the Catskill Mountains and the film has some beautiful scenery. The opening scene focuses on the Houseman family in the car on the way to the resort and the surroundings around them are stunning: great big, fresh looking trees border the road they are driving on. Then comes a shot of the mountain, which looks superior, covered in these trees that seem to be all around. When they arrive at the Kellerman's the camera focuses on the actual resort and the camera shot is moving at the pace that the car would be, showing what the Houseman's see from the car window. Trees just like the rest of the area, surround the resort. It looks like a great place to stay: very high class and makes you think how lucky they are to be there. Many people are already out and about enjoying the activities held; it looks a lively fun place to be. Throughout the film the scenery is always full of fabulous greenery and even when it's raining it still doesn't make you feel dull. It's just like a typical, entertaining, holiday resort that looks like lots of fun. The actors in the film dance excellently all the way through and it contains some great modern jazz music. Including a very well known track "(I've had) the time of my life", which won an Oscar, "Be my Baby", and a song, which has been released again recently "Hey Baby". It almost wants to make me want to learn to dance but always certainly gets me up dancing. One of my favourite dance scenes is when Baby first discovers the art of "dirty dancing" and when she first walks into the room the shock on her face is a priceless picture she is truly shocked by what she can see. They're hot, raunchy dancers all in one room, and you can see the steam in the air and it makes me feel I can almost sense how sweaty and steamy the room is. The camera changes from different couples and you can see the great amount of passion between them. As Baby walks through the crowd carrying a melon she looks quite scared of what she's seeing. Then Johnny arrives with his dance partner and put on a fabulous performance in the middle of the floor while Baby watches in curiosity almost dancing herself. Johnny then comes over and asks Baby why she's here, and she replies, "I carried a watermelon". I find this line really amusing because how many times is it that the hunk you have a big crush on comes over and asks you a question and you reply with a silly, pathetic answer like that, it made me feel that I knew exactly how she felt. But then he drags her to dance with him and she relaxes and let's herself go, getting really into the dancing. The film deals with many important issues such as abortion, relationships and family. It covers them greatly in a way you can relate to them and understand what they are going through. When Johnny's dance partner ends up getting pregnant by one of the waiters that work at the resort (who is also going out with Baby's sister), you really feel for her and unless you've been in that exact situation couldn't begin to imagine what she's been through. It's such a touching subject to watch. At the start of the film Baby is a quiet teenage girl who wants to go into the Peace Corp and change the world. She doesn't really care that people call her Baby. But then when she meets Johnny and starts to really get into her dancing that's when she changes and becomes more adult: wearing make-up, which her father doesn't approve of, basically taking more care of her appearance. She loves her new passion for dancing and Johnny her dance instructor and has "the time of her life" on her break to the Catskill Mountains. Even though the story line is kind of predictable in places I love the whole film and the actors play it really well,adapting to their roles brilliantly. It's a movie I can watch over and over again without ever getting bored and gives out a great message Â– Have the time of your life.