June 2025
The Film Review
My name is Hayley White, and this summer I recommend you watch the film Dirty Dancing.
The film is a romantic dance drama that was originally released in 1987 and starred Jennifer Grey and Patrick Swayze. It was a very successful film, which led to a television series in 1988, a prequel called Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights in 2004, as well as numerous reality television competitions and stage productions around the world. Before Dirty Dancing, one of the most well- known dance films was Grease from 1978. Both films are similar in that they are set in the past—Grease takes place in 1958, while Dirty Dancing is set in 1963. Both films also feature memorable soundtracks. In Grease, we all remember You’re the One That I Want, whereas Dirty Dancing gave us the iconic song “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life”, performed by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes. While both films tell coming-of-age stories, Dirty Dancing is not a comedy. It is actually based on the childhood experiences of Eleanor Bergstein, who wrote the screenplay. Bergstein recalled going on holiday as a child to the Catskills Mountains, a popular destination for well-off families from New York. While her parents played golf at the luxury resort, she spent all her time dancing. In the film, the character Baby played by Grey falls in love with the dance instructor Johnny played by Swayze at a luxury holiday resort. The title of the film refers to the secret ‘dirty dance’ competitions staged by the resort staff.
The plot of the film takes a more serious turn when Baby discovers Johnny’s dance partner Penny is pregnant. The father is Robbie, who is a waiter at the resort and abandons Penny to pursue another woman. Baby seeks to help Penny by borrowing money from her father under a false pretence. In Penny’s absence, Baby takes the place as Johnny’s dance partner and their romantic attraction develops from this point. Baby’s
father then discovers her daughter’s deception and assumes Johnny is the father and forbids their union.
By the end of the film, the true nature of the characters is revealed, and love conquers all with the famous climactic lift between Baby and Johnny in front of everyone at the resort’s main dance competition. I really like this film because the characters feel authentic, and their chemistry is believable. We are having the time of our lives!
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