Hi,
Thanks for my first ever diamond and of course the continued rrc's. It's beginning to look a lo...
Hi,
Thanks for my first ever diamond and of course the continued rrc's. It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! xx
Member since:08.02.2008
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Dirty Dancing is just one of those films that everyone is expected to have seen. Now obviously the fact that I am writing this review lets you know that I have seen the film and so I am definitely one of those people who just presumes that everyone else has seen it.
Dirty Dancing was released in 1987 but is set in the Summer of 1963. It stars Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey in the lead roles of Johnny Castle and Frances 'Baby' Houseman.
The summer of 1963 sees Frances holiday with her parents and older sister in America's Caskill Mountains. Almost immediately she is swept off her feet by the talented and extremely sexy dancing heartthrob that is Johnny Castle. Uninterested in the activities that the resort has to offer she discovers more about this mesmerising dancer and after stumbling into an all-night dance party she finds herself longing to be part of the raunchy dance scene before her very eyes.
Obviously however her father is less than impressed by her holiday choices and forbids her to have anything to do with Castle. This though only makes her more determined to do so and she decides to take dance lessons. Things quickly escalate as Baby learns a passionate Latin dance and things progress even further when she finds herself in the position of Johnny's leading lady both on and off stage.
Dirty Dancing truly is a fantastic film. It is of course at the heart a love story but also leans towards showing how the decadent sixties began to take over from the more reserved fifties. Furthermore the film also has a few deeper storylines, which include theft, pregnancy and abortion all of which are extremely relevant now. I think that this is one of the reasons that the film continues to have appeal because it breaks away from the simple romance storyline to include wider issues to which people can relate.
The music within the film is absolutely outstanding and really makes it the sensation that it has become. These songs are a mix of slow ballads as well as more powerful ballads and Most people whether they have seen the film or not will know some of the songs within it, "I've had the time of my life" being the main favourite.
The dance moves within the film are also amazing from the word go and really do capture the spirit of the story and the period within which it is set. Both Swayze and Grey do exceptionally well in the dance sequences and at times really do look like the professional dancers. Once again the film also contains a dance move that is well known. Again people may not have seen the film but they are quite likely to have seen or heard of the dance move associated with it.
Finally I must add that Dirty Dancing has also given us a phrase that once again nearly everyone knows: "No-one puts Baby in a corner!" Maybe this is the idea that the film is trying to put across. Maybe the film is trying to say that y loving your daughter to the extent that she feels suffocated or overprotected is not the best way to go and that trying to shade her from everything you feel is bad for her can't go on forever. Maybe the films final message is that it often takes someone that everyone else feels is inappropriate or not suited to really pull you out of your shell and make you who you are.
All in all Dirty Dancing is a fantastic film. It is of course highly geared towards a female audience but I know many male film watchers who have really enjoyed this film too. My Dirty Dancing DVD has a rating of 15 but I have been led to believe that it has been re-rated to a 12A standard although I'm not sure why. It lasts for 96 minutes and although my copy has no special features to speak of it really is a pleasure to watch.
Pictures of Dirty Dancing (DVD)
One of the most iconic scenes
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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
a brilliant film I watched it over and over again when it came out - Lyn x
Amy69 11.04.2009 13:18
I didnt know that phrase! Though Ive never seen this and I have no interest in it xx
RICHADA 11.04.2009 10:59
MrsR loves this - I can't stand it! Guess it's one of those films and unfortunately reading any review about it is unlikely to make me like it any more! Richard.
Its inspired a hit musical. The soundtrack has sold in its millions. And its still, ... more
arguably, the most popular film on Patrick Swayzes curriculum vitae. Most worrying of all, perhaps, is thatDirty Dancingis now more than twenty years old. Nowthatsscary...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
It's the summer of 1963, and 17 year old Frances Baby Houseman (Jennifer Grey) is about to ... more
learn some major lessons in life as well as a thing or two about dancing.On holiday in America's Catskill Mountains with her older sister and parents, Baby shows...
Advantages: Soundtrack, dancing, Swayze in the best shape of his life Disadvantages: Chemistry between Swayze and Grey, some might say the script but it's a classic
Mountainlilly 13.07.2009 ·
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Review of Dirty Dancing (DVD)