Dirty Dancing, 1987
Despite a slew of pop culture saturated imagery and lines of dialogue, I've never had a strong interest in
Dirty Dancing. I think that part of that comes from being frequently let down by the 80s comedies I'm "supposed" to enjoy (things like
Sixteen Candles).
Then a few months ago I read a review of the film (
HERE) that really got me interested. In particular it was this quote from the woman who wrote the film's script:
"It’s a love story but it’s also about honor. If you reach out your hand and behave with honor, at some point the world will turn on its axis.”
I am quite happy to say that the film not only lived up to my interest, it exceeded it.
Baby (Jennifer Grey) is on vacation in the early 60s with her family (including her father, played by Jerry Orbach) to an upscale resort. On the eve of heading off to college, Baby wants to change the world but lacks much real world experience. Enter Johnny (Patrick Swayze), a dance instructor at the resort. As Baby gets to know not only Johnny but several of the other staff members, she begins to rethink her understanding of the world and the people she knows.
The best decision that the film makes is in choosing a single compelling dynamic: have and have-not. While the film delivers glancing lines and nods at other issues (the Civil Rights movement, women's rights), it centers the concept of power. And I liked this a lot because the nature of power shifts over time, but the way that those with power treat those who don't doesn't change. Those with more money and resources will always demand a degree of servility, compliance, and emotional labor from those with less. Making Baby a character who cares about doing the right thing (as opposed to having a single pet issue) gives the film a timeless element. This movie could, with very little difference, have taken place now.
I guess Gray and Swayze notoriously had a tumultuous relationship during filming, but this is one of those magical times that the energy translates into chemistry that easily trips into passion. Maybe it helps that for every dance lesson montage there is a deep conversation between the characters.
I was also very taken by the film's treatment of its female characters. A lesser film would have made Penny (Johnny's gorgeous dance partner) Baby's rival. Instead, the two fall into a cautious friendship when Baby learns that Penny needs an abortion. Baby's sister, Lisa, is a source of comedy, but she is not cruel and the film itself does not treat her cruelly. In fact, the film reserves its ire for those who would abuse or mistreat others: the wealthy woman who pressures Johnny into sex, the handsome waiter who refuses to help pay for Penny's abortion. (Sidenote: was there ever a better shorthand for a character than the moment when Robbie hands Baby a well-worn copy of [i]The Fountainhead[i] and tells her that he expects her to return after reading because he has notes in the margin?). And while the film is not focused on women's rights, it effortlessly nails the kind of patronizing attitude that some people take toward women, and especially young women.
(I should note that the portrayal of characters who are respectful extends beyond the female characters. For example, the way that Johnny's cousin Billy--who initially likes Baby--level-headedly accepts that she likes Johnny instead and he and Baby are able to stay friends. The way that the film shows the development of a friend group is really great. The film is able to show that not all relationships have to be about romance or sex. Likewise, despite having to do some growing of his own, Baby's father is seen as a caring father and man, including very kind treatment of Penny after her abortion goes wrong.)
And the dance scenes themselves? Yes, there is some cheese. But the filmmakers' decision to include footage of Swayze and Gray warming up (the notorious crawling toward each other moment), messing around, or messing up adds a playfulness and genuine sexiness that is often absent from overly-choreographed dance sequences. The film manages to make a compelling case for dancing as both a means of sexual awakening and self-expression. It is a real credit to Gray the way that she can make a single shoulder shrug or arm flutter convey so much inner emotion.
I have nothing critical to say about this film. I think that it both operates within and moves beyond the boundaries of a romantic comedy. Its IMDb score of 7/10 is absurd (and, ugh, of course a bunch of dudes are dragging its score down). Of all the 80s coming-of-age films that have been sold to me over the years, this one is definitely the keeper. If you haven't seen this film, get on it stat.
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