It's the summer of 1963 and Baby (Jennifer Grey) along with her family have headed to Kellerman's, a holiday camp owned by one of her father's patients. There, she meets and falls in love with the camps handsome dancing instructor Johnny Castle (Patrick Swayze). But things don't run smoothly especially when Baby's father finds out about their secret romance.
►►► Opinion
Cheesy, cliché, predictable and a film which will strike terror in most men at the mere mention of its name. But whilst all those may hold some amount of truth, there is no denying that "Dirty Dancing" is unbelievably popular, not just with those who enjoyed it on its release in 1987 but with countless generations since and not just female audiences either. With a decent mix of romance, reasonable performances and brilliant music it manages to rise above some of the cheesiest dialogue in cinematic history to provide an enjoyable and entertaining experience.
On the surface the plot appears to be nothing more than your typical romantic faire where a blossoming relationship between two lovers on different sides of the track fails for one reason or another only for the young lovers to realise that maybe what they've got is worth fighting for. Turn this into a holiday romance and you then have a plot which will make every teenage girl and a few older ones fantasize, and of course a few men to. But most significantly, set it in the 60s a time when everything seemed so simple and no one was worried about what the future held and you have not the most complex of stories but one which many viewers will not only be able to relate too but also enjoy. The essence of the film is predictable and you know exactly how things will turn out for the
young lover's way before you get to the cringe worthy climax of the film, but instead of spoiling the movie it works in its favour making it unbelievably easy to watch. What is also good about this simple plot is that other than a couple of minor add-ons, such as Baby's sisters romance with a waiter and the old couple who happen to be small time thieves, nothing gets in the way of telling the main romantic story. Of course, the film is littered with some stereotypical scenes many of which revolve around the intimate dancing between Baby and Johnny, but also along the way we get scenes where Baby's father realises that his little girl has been hiding things from him and the now classic where Johnny decides that his love for Baby is more important than anything. Whilst they may be stereotypical and at times pretty cheesy they are worked well within the film giving it a dose of realism. Even the unbelievably cheesy dialogue actually works brilliantly in the film. Who has never heard the utterly terrible "No one puts Baby in the corner" without laughing but in this simple romantic story it works and like with some of the scenes, "Dirty Dancing" manages to use it to its full advantage, making it one of the most memorable films from the 80s.
Of course the film would not be so memorable without the appeal of its stars, most notably Jennifer Grey and Patrick Swayze. Despite having been in a few films prior to Dirty Dancing, both stars were not exactly house hold names and whilst Swayze's career seems to have gone on to bigger and better things, Grey seems to reach her pinnacle with "Dirty Dancing". But despite not being huge stars, they carried the film brilliantly, with Grey beautifully portraying Baby who experiences first love whilst also dealing with no longer being the apple of her father's eyes after disappointing him. Whilst Swayze, a man who at times lacks the finesses of a proper actor, manages to use his raw acting ability to make the character of Johnny feel very real, as he has to deal with being involved with someone on the more affluent side of the tracks. Of course you can't mention Swayze without at least commenting on his snake hips, and although I cannot see what the great appeal is he can certainly dance and shows this skill off brilliantly through out the whole movie. Even the chemistry between Swayze and Grey does come across as being pretty real and whilst it is hard to forget that you are watching two stars act, you get a sense that they were actually falling in love. Looking at the supporting cast, they all do a good job allowing Grey and Swayze to take centre stage, even the annoying Wayne Knight, who plays an entertainer, manages to be pretty unobtrusive. But one supporting actor does deserve a mention and that is Jerry Orbach as Baby's father, Dr. Houseman. For most of the film he is just there, but when it becomes apparent that his little girl has betrayed him by falling in love, his performance is brilliant as you see the angst of realising that his little girl is now a woman.
Whilst there is not much to say about the direction other than director Emile Ardolino has done a great job of keeping the film focused on the storyline, and brilliantly capturing the feel of the 60s. There is a lot to say about the soundtrack, one which is a huge factor in not only the success of the film but also a hugely enjoyable part for me. Littered with wonderful songs from the 60s, such as "Big Girls Don't Cry", "Do You Love Me" and "Love Man" to name just a few, it really does assist the film in not only setting the tempo of each and every scene but also taking you effectively back to an era of rock n roll and sweet soul music. But it is not just the old songs which make the film and probably the most famous song to come from the film is the slightly cheesy, but enjoyable "(I've Had) The Time of My Life" and who can forget "She's like the Wind", penned and sung by Patrick Swayze. All in all, a really fitting and enjoyable soundtrack.
►►► Summary
So, as a red blooded male, does "Dirty Dancing" strike terror in my heart, maybe once upon a time, but no longer. In fact despite all that is wrong with the film, from being predictable, soppy and incredibly cheesy I have to admit to liking it. Compared too many romantic films it manages to stay focussed on the main plot and does not attempt to be anything more than a feel good, romance which will actually get you championing the course of the young lovers. It also helps that the performances and chemistry between the stars actually feels real, making the film that little bit better than the majority of romances. But undeniably the soundtrack is a huge reason as to why the film is so good, well for me anyway. Even after 20 years, "Dirty Dancing" still seems as popular as ever and I cannot see it ever falling from the lists of people's favourite films. Definitely a film to curl up to, with a loved one and a decent glass of wine any evening of the week.
Production Year: 1998 - Drama - Director: Carl Franklyn, Carl Franklin - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Meryl Streep, William Hurt, Renee Zellweger, Tom Everett Scott, Nicky Katt, Lauren Graham
Production Year: 2004 - Drama - Director: Nick Cassavetes - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over, 12 years and over - Starring: Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling, Gena Rowlands
Production Year: 2007 - Drama - Director: Mike Binder - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Adam Sandler, Don Cheadle, Jada Pinkett, Liv Tyler, Saffron Burrows, Donald Sutherland, Mike Binder
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Apr 9th, 2007
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