Rent Dirty Dancing on Amazon Video (paid link)
Written by: Eleanor Bergstein
Directed by: Emile Ardolino
Starring: Patrick Swayze, Jennifer Grey, Jerry Orbach, Cynthia Rhodes
Rated: PG-13
Watch the trailer
Plot
Spending the summer at a Catskills resort with her family, Frances "Baby" Houseman falls in love with the camp's dance instructor, Johnny Castle.
Verdict
It's a seductive and sexy romance movie. We've got lovers bridging a class divide, the smarmy resort staff, wealthy guests, and lots of dancing. The movie makes me wish I could dance. It also has a great soundtrack. While it's an enticing romance, this provides enough character development to give the story a foundation. That and the chemistry between Swayze and Grey is easily evident. They're both forced to face their shortcomings and assumptions, though dance of course.
Watch It.
Review
This was Swayze's breakout role. Grey had gained acclaim with the previous year's Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986).
The soundtrack is one of the best selling of all time, mixing 80s rock with 60s pop. Dirty Dancing did for dance lessons what Top Gun (1986) did for military enlistment; both skyrocketed due to the movies.
In 1963, high school student Baby (Jennifer Grey) vacations with her family at a resort. We're also introduced to the bad boy dance instructor Johnny (Patrick Swayze) who can really move and doesn't like management. When Baby sees Johnny dancing in the staff quarters at an after hours part, she's instantly infatuated.
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| Jennifer Greyn plays Baby |
The resort owner's son Neil pursues Baby, though he's a bit arrogant and off-putting. A womanizing waiter is after Baby's sister. He also got dancer Penny (Cynthia Rhodes) pregnant but refuses to accept any responsibility. Baby is involved in all of it. Johnny dispels her assumptions that Penny's baby is his, and Baby borrows money from her father to help out. What isn't immediately evident is that at the time abortion was completely illegal. That's why Baby's father later helping due to complications is such a big ask; helping after the fact was considered aiding. Penny finally accepts the money, and that ends up with Baby having to fill in for her as Johnny's dance partner. She doesn't know how to dance, forced to learn quickly. Johnny already doesn't like her, resenting her privilege. As he states, she used her father's money to play hero.
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| Cynthia Rhodes, Jennifer Grey, Patrick Swayze play Penny, Baby, Johnny |
Cue a dance montage where Johnny trains Baby. It's no surprise they fall for each other, and his cold disposition soon warms. She was already enthralled. It's a fun romance movie with a lot of chemistry between Swayze and Grey. This high school girl falls for an older dance instructor that initially doesn't like her. I'm sure this type of story sells more than a few romance novels, but this also adds the dynamic of class at this resort. The patrons are rich, the staff are struggling paycheck to paycheck, and that's a point of contention.
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| Jennifer Grey, Patrick Swayze play Baby, Johnny |
Later in the movie Baby stands up for Johnny when he's accused of stealing. He's awestruck anyone would vouch for him, especially one of the rich guests he initially dismissed. Baby broke that stereotype for him as he came to admire her heart and sympathy. Johnny's fired anyway for having a relationship with a guest. It's more of that class divide as management is posturing.
Johnny and Baby get a moment of redemption at the end with one last dance, the one they practiced through most of the movie. Baby's father apologizes to Baby and Johnny and everyone dances into the credits.
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