When this low budget film, with a cast of unknown actors and actresses, came out in 1987, it took a whole lot of critics and moviegoers by surprise and by storm. The amazing part is that it manages to surprise and delight audiences to this day. This film has brought in more than three hundred million dollars from all over the world, and set a record in home video sales as the first to sell more than a million copies. The soundtrack produced two multi-platinum albums and a huge number of singles.
The dancing in this movie is certainly "dirty" by most popular standards of 1963, when it takes place. Foxtrot it is not. Mambo to the max is more like it. If you were old enough to see the movie when it first appeared, watching it now is a "trip", and a really good one! The main characters are Frances Houseman, known to family and friends as "Baby", and Johnny Castle, a hunk of a dance instructor. Jennifer Grey is the perfect actress for the role of "Baby", and Patrick Swayze emerges into stardom with his portrayal of Johnny Castle.
The Houseman family is vacationing at Kellerman's, a Jewish resort in the Catskills, and they are honored guests since Baby's father is family physician to the owner of the resort. Baby is seventeen and "couldn't wait to join the Peace Corp and save the world." Her father dotes on her, but expects her to save the world by following in his footsteps. When his "Baby" gets mixed up with the crowd of "dirty dancing" people who party and dance dirty, he is appalled.
Johnny Castle is very much a ladies' man, but until he meets Baby, he has only been using and being used by women. When his dance partner gets a botched abortion, unknowingly financed by Dr. Houseman at Baby's insistence, and she has to call her father to save the dancer's life, the doctor assumes that Johnny is the guilty party and forbids his daughter to have anything further to do with "those people".
Baby has done what she believes is the right thing, but it causes a painful rift between her Dad and her growing understanding of herself. She finds herself offering to stand in for Penny, mostly so Johnny won't lose his "gig". With some really intense lessons from the pro, they develop a pretty stunning routine of their own. Yes, Baby falls in love.
Meanwhile, Lisa is about to make a big mistake with Robbie, who is the unrepentant cause of Penny's abortion. Johnny, too proud to defend himself, is about to get fired on other grounds, but Baby starts growing into Frances when she provides his alibi, at her own expense.
The "dirty dancing" that these two wonderfully believable young people supply is so entrancing because it is both sensual and sophisticated, yet still has a purity that defies any element of sleaze. It is just a joy to watch them together. The grand finale has the entire clientele of Kellerman's on their feet and getting into the spirit in a big way. It's a triumph of courage over self-doubt, and love over any darn thing that stands in its way!
The movie's title can apply to all the different scenarios that unfold as the story progresses. The actual dance scenes, including the "instruction" of Baby by Johnny in the correct steps and attitudes, are beautifully choreographed and entirely believable. Dirty Dancing is far from dirty. It is sensuous and sexual but somehow innocent - and very, very attractive! Patrick Swayze is irresistible, and Jennifer Grey is the epitome of the na?ve but innately sensual girl becoming a woman.
The movie translates well into the Broadway stage production also. The stage musical adaptation of Dirty Dancing has played to enthusiastic theatre goers in Germany, England, Canada and even Australia, and is still showing in London. If you move fast you can still see the touring production of the musical in Boston, but it is scheduled to close March 15th of this year. If you haven't caught this show in a theatre or on stage, you ought to get the video - it's too good to miss! - 15615
The dancing in this movie is certainly "dirty" by most popular standards of 1963, when it takes place. Foxtrot it is not. Mambo to the max is more like it. If you were old enough to see the movie when it first appeared, watching it now is a "trip", and a really good one! The main characters are Frances Houseman, known to family and friends as "Baby", and Johnny Castle, a hunk of a dance instructor. Jennifer Grey is the perfect actress for the role of "Baby", and Patrick Swayze emerges into stardom with his portrayal of Johnny Castle.
The Houseman family is vacationing at Kellerman's, a Jewish resort in the Catskills, and they are honored guests since Baby's father is family physician to the owner of the resort. Baby is seventeen and "couldn't wait to join the Peace Corp and save the world." Her father dotes on her, but expects her to save the world by following in his footsteps. When his "Baby" gets mixed up with the crowd of "dirty dancing" people who party and dance dirty, he is appalled.
Johnny Castle is very much a ladies' man, but until he meets Baby, he has only been using and being used by women. When his dance partner gets a botched abortion, unknowingly financed by Dr. Houseman at Baby's insistence, and she has to call her father to save the dancer's life, the doctor assumes that Johnny is the guilty party and forbids his daughter to have anything further to do with "those people".
Baby has done what she believes is the right thing, but it causes a painful rift between her Dad and her growing understanding of herself. She finds herself offering to stand in for Penny, mostly so Johnny won't lose his "gig". With some really intense lessons from the pro, they develop a pretty stunning routine of their own. Yes, Baby falls in love.
Meanwhile, Lisa is about to make a big mistake with Robbie, who is the unrepentant cause of Penny's abortion. Johnny, too proud to defend himself, is about to get fired on other grounds, but Baby starts growing into Frances when she provides his alibi, at her own expense.
The "dirty dancing" that these two wonderfully believable young people supply is so entrancing because it is both sensual and sophisticated, yet still has a purity that defies any element of sleaze. It is just a joy to watch them together. The grand finale has the entire clientele of Kellerman's on their feet and getting into the spirit in a big way. It's a triumph of courage over self-doubt, and love over any darn thing that stands in its way!
The movie's title can apply to all the different scenarios that unfold as the story progresses. The actual dance scenes, including the "instruction" of Baby by Johnny in the correct steps and attitudes, are beautifully choreographed and entirely believable. Dirty Dancing is far from dirty. It is sensuous and sexual but somehow innocent - and very, very attractive! Patrick Swayze is irresistible, and Jennifer Grey is the epitome of the na?ve but innately sensual girl becoming a woman.
The movie translates well into the Broadway stage production also. The stage musical adaptation of Dirty Dancing has played to enthusiastic theatre goers in Germany, England, Canada and even Australia, and is still showing in London. If you move fast you can still see the touring production of the musical in Boston, but it is scheduled to close March 15th of this year. If you haven't caught this show in a theatre or on stage, you ought to get the video - it's too good to miss! - 15615
About the Author:
By Matt Ryan, sponsored by StubPass.com. StubPass sells Dirty Dancing Tickets, sports tickets, concert tickets, theater tickets, Musical Tickets and more to just about any event in the world.
