Dirty Dancing (4 Stars)

This was the fourth film at the 2014 Brindley Place Film Festival. It was a sunny Thursday evening, attracting the biggest crowd so far this week. Unlike last year, when all films were rated PG, this year they have decided to show films with higher ratings. For instance, yesterday "Top Gun" was shown, which has a 12A rating. However, the organisers of the film festival slipped up today. "Dirty Dancing" doesn't have a 12A rating, it has a 12 rating, which can be be verified on the BBFC website. There's a subtle but important distinction between the two ratings, which the organisers should pay attention to in future years.

The film is about a 17-year-old girl called Baby who goes on holiday with her family to a luxurious holiday resort in 1963. The activities are mind-numbingly boring to her, although her parents and her sister seem to enjoy them. She sneaks off to the place where the resort's staff, the common people, live, separate from the rich guests. She is amazed by the way they dance, and she begins to fall in love with the resort's dance instructor, Johnny Castle, played by Patrick Swayze. She's horrified when she finds out that he's slept with many of the hotel guests, but, as he says, "I don't use the rich women, the rich women use me". That's not much of an excuse, but Baby accepts it and forgives him. But it isn't just a love story, it's a film about dancing. It's a story about how Johnny teaches Baby how to dance.

To me the film seems very anachronistic. I don't believe that people danced that way in the 1960's. The dancing seems very much in the style of the 1980's, when the film was made (1987). Most of the songs are original 1960's hits, but there are new compositions that are in the style of 1980's disco music. This is the film's greatest weakness. It would have been better if the songs had all been 1960's hits, or at least if the new compositions had been in a 1960's style.

Nevertheless, it's a fun film. The poor-boy-rich-girl motif never gets boring.

In 1988 the film achieved the fame of being the first home video release to sell over a million copies. After being released on DVD in 1997 it was even more successful. Up until now over 10 million copies have been sold.

Half an hour before the film and everyone is waiting.

The film starts and everyone loves it.

Apart from "Dirty Dancing" I don't remember ever seeing Jennifer Grey, the actress who plays Baby, so I decided to check up on her. It's true, this is the only film in which she's ever played the leading role. It isn't for her lack of acting ability. If anything, she's even more talented than Patrick Swayze. I think the problem is that she doesn't fulfil the requirements for Hollywood beauty. She's a Plain Jane, which is what was required for "Dirty Dancing". Hollywood is so shallow when it comes to beauty. The best looking actresses -- or at least, the ones that the studio bosses consider most attractive -- get to play the biggest parts.

On the other hand, Jennifer Grey is the wife of Clark Gregg, the original Son of Cool. That's better than any number of film roles.