What's So Great About Dirty Dancing (1987)?
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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — Romance
RynoII — 5 years ago(October 21, 2020 04:16 AM)
It's such a classic in people's eyes, especially my friends. Three of my friends say it's one of their top favorite movies, of all time, if not their most favorite movie ever. But why exactly?
I mean it's not a bad movie by any means, but it's in no way perfect I don't think. I think it suffers from some structure problems.
SPOILERS
For one thing, I didn't buy who the two main characters would want to have sex right after witnessing their friend having to suffer through a botched abortion. But they decide to have sex literally like an hour later, which felt all wrong to me, pacing and mood wise, as if the filmmakers came back into the editing room and were not aware of how close the previous scenario still was. So I just wasn't feeling the love at all because it was so soon afterwards.
Another thing is, Johnny tells Baby's dad that he got his friend pregnant, so her friend would not be fired from her job.
But Johnny is constantly trying to seek Baby's dad's approval. He even tells Baby to tell her Dad about them but baby doesn't want to, afraid of disapproval.
However, Johnny is the one who caused the disapproval by lying to Baby's dad. So all Johnny has to do is tell her dad that he lied about getting the woman pregnant so she could keep her job.
Yet he never tells her dad this and Baby never tells him either. Even when her dad tells Johnny that's the reason why he doesn't approve of him, Johnny responds by saying "Yeah would think that wouldn't you".
Well duh, you told him you did! All you have to do is tell him you actually didn't and you just said you did so the friend could keep her job. But he doesn't! He keeps shooting himself in the foot, and expecting Baby to correct it by putting the weight on her shoulders.
Maybe it's better if Baby was the one to explain but she doesn't do it either! Her Dad has to find out from the actual guy who got her pregnant. But the fact that neither Baby or Johnny would tell him the truth is just not convincing to me.
Also the final song that Baby and Johnny are dancing too took me out of the movie. The movie is suppose to take place in the early 60s, but you can so tell that the song they are dancing too at the dance was a late 80s song, by the sound of it. So it came off as unintentionally anachronistic, and that took me out of it.
But overall, I just felt the movie was actually quite average really, and do not see why it's considered to be the 'Citizen Kane of the 80s', as my friends make it to be? What did I miss? -
SpringheelJack1837 — 5 years ago(October 21, 2020 04:39 AM)
I always assumed people liked it ironically because of its cheese and that it kind of grew on them, the same reason I love Bloodsport.
Never seen Dirty Dancing, just can’t imagine why I would.. but I guess I will eventually. -
Damien Thorn 666 — 5 years ago(October 21, 2020 05:28 PM)
It’s a great movie with solid characters who develop as the story progresses. It has awesome choreography, and it has the best musical numbers.
“There are no atheists in foxholes, eh?”-Keith Jennings from the Omen. -
RynoII — 5 years ago(October 22, 2020 04:13 AM)
Oh okay, I guess I just didn't see those things, and to me it wasn't a bad movie at all, but I just don't what makes it the best movie ever made, like three of my friends say. I think it's more like a movie of the week, tops, but best ever made?? Why is that more specifically?
Schrodinger's Cat walks into a bar, and doesn't. 