First Dance, First Love. (Dirty Dancing (DVD))

Member Name: albacookie

Product:	Dirty Dancing (DVD)
Date:	01/09/09 (104 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: The dancing, the soundtrack, Patrick Swayze

Disadvantages: None.

This film was a huge part of my teenage years, when I was a growing up my sister and I watched our VHS copy of this film so often that the first 10 minutes was worn out! Unfortunately I never saw it on the big screen as when it was released in 1987 it had a 15 certificate and I couldn't quite pass for that. Recently our local independent cinema had a charity screening of the film and my friends and I snapped up the tickets as soon as we could.


Dirty Dancing tells the story of the Houseman family's trip to Kellerman's Mountain Resort in the summer of 1963. Frances 'Baby' Houseman(Jennifer Grey) is the film's female lead. She is 17 and just about to go to college. Her father's pride and joy Baby is serious and idealistic, her sister Lisa the complete opposite - where Baby wants to join the Peace Corps Lisa is interested in boys, shoes and singing.

As soon as they arrive at Kellerman's Lisa attracts the attention of their waiter - medical student Robbie. Baby is trying to fend off Neil the grandson of the hotel's owner and finds her way to the staff quarters (helping Billy, one of the entertainment staff, by carrying a watermelon - giving the film one of its most famous quotes). This is her introduction to the world of 'dirty dancing' the complete opposite of the formal entertainment on offer to the hotel guests and also to bad boy dance instructor Johnny Castle (Patrick Swayze).

As she gets to know Johnny and his dance partner Penny Baby begins to shed her innocence and grow into an adult. She begins to realise that the world is not as black and white as she thought and that people - even her own father - can make mistakes. Baby mirrors the changes in society at around the same point - the film is set when America was on a post war high, before JFK was shot or the war in Vietnam escalated and before Beatlemania revolutionised youth culture.

Baby agrees to be Johnny's replacement dance partner when Penny is unable to do their usual Mambo routine at a local hotel and as she struggles to learn the routine over the next 10 days she and Johnny grow closer as Baby realises that Johnny 's tough persona is really just an act. Their relationship is brought into the open when Penny needs medical help from Dr Houseman and for the first time Baby is faced with her father's disapproval. Initially she carries on seeing Johnny in secret but when a jealous older woman tries to have him fired she speaks up to give him an alibi. Furious at the fact that he has been dating a guest Max Kellerman fires Johnny anyway. This sets the scene for the film's famous final dance sequence when Johnny stands up to Kellerman and Dr Houseman to do the final dance of the season with Baby because 'nobody puts Baby in the corner'.

Very few things let this film down - however some of the background dancers are dressed in quite 80's outfits which doesn't fit with the setting of the film in 1963.

Dirty Dancing is a great feel good coming of age movie. The soundtrack is fabulous - classic 60's numbers alongside original material including She's Like The Wind sung by Patrick Sawyze and The Time Of My Life which won an Oscar for best original song. It stands up to repeated viewings better than most teen movies because the storyline is a classic and the lead actors give great performances and have a great chemistry together - one of the practice scenes (where they crawl across the floor to each other) was actually them just warming up to shoot but it worked so well the director kept it in. As well as the obvious Baby/Johnny relationship the gradual closeness of the two sisters is touching - they understand that they have much more in common than they ever thought they did by the end of the film.

It now has a 12A rating - this is mainly for the sexual content, there is little violence or swearing. Run time is 96 minutes. The 2 disc 20th anniversary edition is available on Amazon for £5.98 with special features including deleted scenes and an interview with Jennifer Grey - I haven't seen these so can't comment on them.

A classic film with an amazing soundtrack.

Summary: The Time Of Your Life