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Thursday, October 21, 2010

Movie Review: DIRTY DANCING

DIRTY DANCING
1987
PG-13


You can watch the trailer here

At the risk of sounding like a total sap, I have to confess that I thoroughly enjoyed Dirty Dancing. The jokes and stabs at my sexuality may now commence. But at least hear me out!

Dirty Dancing was directed by Emile Ardolino and follows Frances "Baby" Houseman (Jennifer Grey) as she spends a summer vacation with her family at an upscale resort in the early 1960s. The 17-year-old soon finds herself infiltrating the workers' quarters, where she meets Johnny Castle (Patrick Swayze), who runs the resort's dance sessions. Through a series of events, Baby becomes Johnny's new dance partner, and a relationship begins to develop between the two.

The screenplay is a little conventional at times, but I still found myself thoroughly engrossed within the story. I may have known exactly where the film was going, but it didn't take me out of the film at all. Maybe I'm just a sucker for the occasional romance film, but the story in Dirty Dancing is just that good.

And what can I say about the acting? The supporting cast does a pleasant job filling in the space between our sightings of Baby and/or Johnny, but the movie really belongs to Grey and Swayze. At least one of them is in every scene of the film, and they simply demand the camera's presence. Although the story revolves around Grey's character, I couldn't help but think that Swayze truly stole the show. He seemed most in his element while he danced, as though he truly had become one with the music. Simply incredible performances by both of these actors.

Oh, and what can I say about the soundtrack? Obviously, the Oscar-winning "(I've Had) The Time of My Life" is probably the song most remembered from the film, but the entire soundtrack just goes to enhance each scene of the movie. You can check out the track listing here, and I strongly recommend that you do.

Sure, I may be a sucker for the occasional romance flick, but this is definitely one worth watching. If you're into this kind of movie, then don't hesitate to give it a chance!


Grade: A-
Current All-Time Rank: Best - #222
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