Good

Rating: Null/10 (14 March 2008)

Dirty Dancing (1987)
*** (out of 4)
In the summer of 1963, Frances "Baby" Houseman (Jennifer Grey) goes to the Catskills for a three week vacation with her father (Jerry Orbach), her mother (Cynthia Rhodes) and her older, most experienced sister Lisa (Jane Bruckner). Baby's name fits her just fine because she's the angel of the family and in her father's eyes, she will always be his little baby. At the summer resort the two sisters talk about boys and love but Baby doesn't see too much in the snotty group of rich people.
One night she sneaks off from the resort and finds herself in a smaller club full of rock music and dirty dancing. Johnny Castle (Patrick Swayze), a dance instructor at the resort, catches Baby's eyes but she knows that she'd never be good enough for him. As fate would have it Johnny's dancing partner is unable to perform so Johnny decides to take Baby and teach her how to dance. Since this is dirty dancing Baby knows that her parents wouldn't approve so she must sneak out to meet Johnny and before long the two start falling in love but in that day and age the bad boy can't be seen with the good girl. All of this leads up to Baby being put in the corner.
I had just turned seven years old when Dirty Dancing was released in theaters and I remember crying the entire drive to the theaters because my mother was forcing me to see a "chick" film with her. I'm somewhat embarrassed to say this but I left the theater thinking I had just seen the greatest film ever made. When the movie was released on video I was at the store each weekend renting out the video only to watch it countless times over the weekend. In other words, this film was always amongst my favorite films but I hadn't seen the film in over a decade so I wasn't sure how my childhood memories would hold up in 2003.
Viewing Dirty Dancing as an adult I must say I'm embarrassed that I considered this one of the greatest films ever made but on the other hand I understand why this film is loved by many people. The movie, while nothing great, is still a lot of fun, although some of this fun enters the "so bad it's good" category. For starters, the performances from Swayze and Grey are rather weak but at the same time they are good enough to put a smile on the viewers face as the two fight and eventually fall in love. The chemistry between the two makes for a good time and adds to the little love story that's going on.
Another thing that keeps the movie going is its #1 soundtrack, which features classic songs as well as new material including (I've Had) The Time of My Life, which was not only a big hit but an award winner. The ending of the film is without a doubt one of the most charming in film history as Baby gets out of the corner and dances the night away. The dance sequence is full of high energy that will have your feet moving along with the characters. All the dance sequences are quite impressive but that aside the film is still a character study.
The film features all the typical stereotypes, which leads to many unintentional laughs but these laughs just add to the fun hidden in this minor classic. The films message of the rich and poor is also laughable but they always follow this up with some sexy dancing so the political undertones are pretty much forgotten. The movie is very fast paced and its heart is in the right place, which is why Dirty Dancing has survived the past sixteen years and I'm sure we'll have another DVD release within the next fifteen as more and more people are introduced to this film.