Dirty Dancing Tickets” Is Good Clean Fun!
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 secret seems to be a combination of qualities. Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey are a scintillating couple when they get going, and they certainly do! The scene is set in 1963, when the world (at least the United States) still held on to something like innocence. Jennifer Grey is well cast as Frances Houseman, a not-quite-typical Jewish Princess who is known as “Baby” and doesn’t see a thing wrong with it. Patrick Swayze dazzles with his portrayal of the sexy but determinedly sullen 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.
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.
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.
Dirty Dancing, with all the sensual and provocative dance scenes between Baby/Frances and Johnny, is really about innocence and growing up. Father and daughter gain a new understanding, and Baby begins the process of becoming the woman she was meant to be. The rousing finale, when Johnny makes a decision and pulls Baby out of her corner and into the spotlight, is downright thrilling to watch. In front of Housemans, Kellermans and everyone else, the two of them bring Dirty Dancing to its finest hour!
As it becomes clear that the movie’s title involves a few different but cohesive elements, the experience becomes even more enjoyable. The plot is simple, but the action is believable and in the case of the dance scenes, beautifully choreographed by (also then unknown) Kenny Ortega. “Dirty” is the farthest thing from the feeling you will get from this sensual but never sleazy display of youthful energy and abandon.
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!
