Dirty Dancing

Rating: Null/10 (9 May 2006)

The exceptionally controversial film Dirty Dancing is a fitting example of a movie which contains many religious and moral topics. This film tells the story of a young girl (Baby), who is pretty much a "goody goody" her whole life up until one summer when she encounters a group of people unlike any she has met before. At a resort in which she vacationed with her family, she was intrigued by dance instructor Johnny and his "bad boy" image. This is a summer in which Baby is faced with moralistic issues ranging from premarital sex, deception, adultery, theft and abortion (to name a few).
Even the title of this film offers a sense of vulgarity which I connected with the type of dancing since it so close and the amount of body contact. They way the characters dressed were also very sexual with the frequent showing of flesh and the idea that this type of dancing hinted at sort of a foreplay act.
On the more religious aspect of the film, Baby lies to her father about needing money to help out a friend, something that she never had done to her father before. The reason for her lie is to help out a less fortunate cause. As if lying wasn't bad enough, the money she lied to borrow from her father was to go towards Penny's abortion. Another immoral act in the film involved the old married couple who stole from the members of the resort, this contributed to the many morally wrong acts that occur in the movie as well.
Although the film contains many religious and moral issues, it also tells a love story and shows the growth of a naive young woman as she is faced with the everyday problems that are a huge part of the world today. While she made some wrong choices herself, she learned from others mistakes and grew up throughout the whole process.
Despite the fact that Dirty Dancing contains a lot of moral issues which I do not agree with, but contrary to those facts I still enjoy the film. I believe the character learns from her own mistakes and the mistakes of others around her which ultimately would help shape her into an exceptional individual.