All The Elements Of A Guilty Pleasure

Rating: 7/10 (13 October 2011)

What movie has all the elements of a guilty pleasure? I think that Dirty Dancing has all of it.The movie stars Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey in the lead roles as Johnny and Baby respectively.The cast also includes Cynthia Rhodes and Jerry Orbach. The story is a coming of age drama that documents a teenage girl's rebellion against her father by starting a relationship with a dance instructor during the family's summer vacation.
The film was set in thee summer of 1963.A 17-year-old New Yorker Frances "Baby" Houseman is vacationing with her affluent family at Kellerman's,a resort in the Catskill Mountains. She is planning to attend Mount Holyoke College to study economics of underdeveloped countries and then enter the Peace Corps. Her father, Jake, is the personal physician of Max Kellerman, the owner of the resort.
Baby develops a crush on the resort's dance instructor Johnny Castle, part of the working class entertainment staff. When she, while carrying a watermelon, is invited to one of their secret after-hour parties, she observes the "dirty dancing" for the first time. She is intrigued by the sexy dancing, and receives a brief, impromptu lesson from Johnny. Later, she discovers that his dance partner Penny Johnson (Cynthia Rhodes) is distraught over being pregnant by Robbie Gould,the womanizing waiter who is dating and cheating on Baby's sister Lisa.
In her efforts to help, Baby also becomes Penny's substitute dancer for a performance at the Sheldrake, a nearby resort where Johnny and Penny perform annually. The upcoming show requires Johnny to train Baby to become a better dancer and learn the required routine.
As Baby becomes Johnny's pupil in dancing, tempers flare and a romance begins to develop in the process. Their performance at the Sheldrake goes reasonably well, though she is too nervous to accomplish the dance's climactic lift. When they return to Kellerman's, they learn that Penny's backstreet abortion was botched, leaving her in agonizing pain. Baby brings her father to help, but he assumes that the pregnancy was caused by Johnny, and he therefore forbids Baby to have anything to do with Johnny or his friends. Jake is furious at Baby for lying to him and betraying his trust. Baby, however, defies him and sneaks out to visit Johnny in his room that same night, where they consummate their blossoming romance.
Johnny's and Baby's relationship is eventually revealed after Johnny is accused of stealing a wallet from one of the resort guests and is unable to provide a verifiable alibi. To save Johnny from being fired, Baby confesses that Johnny could not have been responsible as she was with him in his cabin that night. He is eventually cleared of the theft charge, but is still fired for having an affair with a guest. However, Baby's selfless act inspires Johnny to realize that "there are people willing to stand up for other people no matter what it costs them." Even after being fired, Johnny returns to the resort to perform the final dance of the season with Baby. The film ends with an iconic dance finale.
Just like what I said in the first paragraph,I think that the 1987 movie,Dirty Dancing has ALL THE ELEMENTS OF GUILTY PLEASURE.It has drama,comedy,romance between two people of different backgrounds - rich and poor,cheese,predictability,teen-age lust,trying to find oneself and of course,dancing.The DANCE FINALE between Johnny and Baby remains ICONIC up to present.There is a lot more I can tell you that.That is why this movie has become a favorite of many people all throughout the years despite of its predictability and many plot holes.Of course,what makes is memorable is the Oscar Best Original Song winner,"(I've Had) The Time Of My Life" by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes.Added to that,the title of the movie,"Dirty Dancing" was not about dirty dancing at all BUT to catch the audience attention into watching the movie.
Although a lot of people do enjoy this movie not due to the intelligence of the story BUT due to the pleasure,numerous formula found in other movies and entertainment it provides to the viewer.Honestly,I believe that this is a classic movie in the 1980's but not a timeless one due to just like what I said,"Dirty Dancing contains all the elements of guilty pleasure". A 7/10 rating is fair for this movie.