Product: Dirty Dancing (1987)
Rating: 3.0
Beautifully Photographed, Occasionally Trite
In the world of film, where some transcendant examples reign supreme, this movie (not "film," most definitely "movie") succeeds in entertaining while occasionally tweaking the conscience of the more enlightened viewer. Some dubiously moral but easily recognizable stereotypes (a former model who gets an illegal abortion, a gigilo dancer, a "good" girl who lies about her sexual relationship with an illicit boyfriend) are paraded without apology, juxtaposed by the reassuringly solid but "hopelessly unhip" proper Jewish family. With a theme of "All people deserve equal respect in spite of any obviously dumb and irresponsible choices they've made," this show makes it easy to see how the 1960s turned into the decade of decadence of the twentieth century. The acting isn't that great, particularly Swayze -- yes, he's cute, but he doesn't do his better work here -- and Cynthia Rhodes, who's beautiful but made of cardboard when not dancing. The dancing is phenomenal and the cinematography exquisite, but it can't completely make up for a weak storyline and performances.