Take a slightly deceptive title and a couple of unknown actors, add an unknown choreographer, and you have the "sleeper" of Hollywood's dreams! Dirty Dancing, with its unassuming budget and very little hoopla, has now done over $300 million at the box office. It has enthralled moviegoers in Europe and Australia as well as the U.S.A. Home video sales of over a million set a record for that industry. The soundtrack has spawned two multi-platinum albums and an astonishing number of singles sales.
For those of us who watched Dirty Dancing on the big screen when it was first released, watching it today is almost heartbreakingly nostalgic. The story takes place, after all, in 1963, "before Kennedy was assassinated", and when it seemed the world retained its innocence. Jennifer Grey plays Frances Houseman, known to everyone as "Baby", and not minding it at all. Patrick Swayze is Johnny Castle, the street punk who has the moves as the dance instructor at the resort.
The dancing and all its side effects take place at a resort in the Catskills, where the Houseman family is taking a summer vacation. Baby's father is Dr. Houseman, physician to the rather sycophantic owner of Kellerman's Resort. His wife and Baby's older sister, Lisa, are relatively minor characters but each contributes to the subplot of the film. Baby's fascination with the dance instructor, Johnny Castle, and his partner Penny gets her and her family involved with "those people", and the fun begins.
Watching Johnny and his partner, Penny, do their riveting (and deliciously dirty) Mambo number at a staff party, Baby is entranced. But when Penny falls prey to the owner's son, and has an illegal and life-threatening abortion, Baby gets her father involved, and it appears to be curtains for her growing attraction to the irresistible Johnny.
But Baby also has the moves, as she and Johnny find out together when she offers to fill in for his partner so he won't lose his job. Both of them have doubts, but Johnny is a peerless teacher, and Baby quickly learns to trust him - and falls in love, of course.
Meanwhile, the Foxtrot and badminton go on, but other dramas are playing out. Lisa confides to Baby that she's planning to "go all the way" with Robbie. Baby knows that Robbie is the father of Penny's aborted child, but their father thinks Johnny is the culprit. When Johnny is accused of theft by one of his many female "conquests" - she's seen him with Baby - he is assumed guilty by almost everyone. Baby knows, and this time Frances tells the truth. Frances, as Johnny tells her, is "a grown-up name".
Everybody grows up in this film, in one way or another. It's a triumph of love, with Johnny coming back to the resort for his traditional "last dance" of the season, even though he has been fired. When he pulls Baby out onto the stage - from her family's table, and in front of the whole Kellerman assembly, the "dirty dancing" they perform is truly a dazzling sight to behold, and indeed the entire audience is on its feet and dancing in the aisles.
Dirty Dancing is basically a simple, romantic love story, with just enough supporting characters and interwoven plot lines to keep it interesting. When the forces of stodginess and intolerance show up, they are ultimately and emphatically overwhelmed by the forces of love and fair play. The realistically choreographed dance scenes are a powerful force in themselves, but everything comes together for a rousing happy ending.
This simple boy-meets-girl and goodness-wins-out Hollywood production has proved to be much more than it ever aspired to be. The Broadway musical adaptation of Dirty Dancing has done well in Europe, Australia and Canada, and is still showing in London. You can also catch the touring production in Boston until March 15th. If you miss the show, you need to get the movie. It's a winner!
For those of us who watched Dirty Dancing on the big screen when it was first released, watching it today is almost heartbreakingly nostalgic. The story takes place, after all, in 1963, "before Kennedy was assassinated", and when it seemed the world retained its innocence. Jennifer Grey plays Frances Houseman, known to everyone as "Baby", and not minding it at all. Patrick Swayze is Johnny Castle, the street punk who has the moves as the dance instructor at the resort.
The dancing and all its side effects take place at a resort in the Catskills, where the Houseman family is taking a summer vacation. Baby's father is Dr. Houseman, physician to the rather sycophantic owner of Kellerman's Resort. His wife and Baby's older sister, Lisa, are relatively minor characters but each contributes to the subplot of the film. Baby's fascination with the dance instructor, Johnny Castle, and his partner Penny gets her and her family involved with "those people", and the fun begins.
Watching Johnny and his partner, Penny, do their riveting (and deliciously dirty) Mambo number at a staff party, Baby is entranced. But when Penny falls prey to the owner's son, and has an illegal and life-threatening abortion, Baby gets her father involved, and it appears to be curtains for her growing attraction to the irresistible Johnny.
But Baby also has the moves, as she and Johnny find out together when she offers to fill in for his partner so he won't lose his job. Both of them have doubts, but Johnny is a peerless teacher, and Baby quickly learns to trust him - and falls in love, of course.
Meanwhile, the Foxtrot and badminton go on, but other dramas are playing out. Lisa confides to Baby that she's planning to "go all the way" with Robbie. Baby knows that Robbie is the father of Penny's aborted child, but their father thinks Johnny is the culprit. When Johnny is accused of theft by one of his many female "conquests" - she's seen him with Baby - he is assumed guilty by almost everyone. Baby knows, and this time Frances tells the truth. Frances, as Johnny tells her, is "a grown-up name".
Everybody grows up in this film, in one way or another. It's a triumph of love, with Johnny coming back to the resort for his traditional "last dance" of the season, even though he has been fired. When he pulls Baby out onto the stage - from her family's table, and in front of the whole Kellerman assembly, the "dirty dancing" they perform is truly a dazzling sight to behold, and indeed the entire audience is on its feet and dancing in the aisles.
Dirty Dancing is basically a simple, romantic love story, with just enough supporting characters and interwoven plot lines to keep it interesting. When the forces of stodginess and intolerance show up, they are ultimately and emphatically overwhelmed by the forces of love and fair play. The realistically choreographed dance scenes are a powerful force in themselves, but everything comes together for a rousing happy ending.
This simple boy-meets-girl and goodness-wins-out Hollywood production has proved to be much more than it ever aspired to be. The Broadway musical adaptation of Dirty Dancing has done well in Europe, Australia and Canada, and is still showing in London. You can also catch the touring production in Boston until March 15th. If you miss the show, you need to get the movie. It's a winner!
About the Author:
By Matt Ryan, sponsored by StubPass.com. StubPass sells Dirty Dancing Tickets, sports tickets, concert tickets, theater tickets, Musical Tickets and many more tickets to your favorite events around your area.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment