Thursday, October 11, 2007

Dirty Dancing!



Dirty Dancing is a very popular romance film of the 80's. Set in the summer of 1963, the film opens with a family traveling to a resort in New York. The main character, Frances Houseman, known as Baby, is a very mature teenager, planning to attend college and later join the peace corps. The resort is very active and holds many activities for it's guests.
While dancing with the owner's nephew, Neil, Baby sees the resort's dance instuctors and is immediately envious of their talent. Johnny is the typical bad-boy of the film. He is in a totally different class as Baby, however, she is still drawn to his good looks and amazing dance moves. While out for a walk, Baby comes across Johnny's cousin and he invites her to the staff cabin. Once she gets there she is exposed to a totally different type of dancing, "Dirty Dancing". While in the cabin she is shocked by this type of dancing, and is given a quick dance lesson by Johnny himself.
Baby is invited out on a date with Neil again, and discovers Johnny's dancing partner shivering and crying in the kitchen. Penny is impregnated by another staff member, Robbie, who is persuing Baby's sister, Lisa. Trying to do all she can to help, Baby offers money for Penny's abortion and is later Penny's fill-in for an important performance at a different resort. Johnny is left with the challenge to teach Baby how to dance. While rehearsing day after day, Baby and Johnny become very close and sparks start to fly. She soon improves her dancing wel enough to perform with Johnny. As they get out of the car, it is clear that love is in the air, until they learn about the botched abortion. Baby being the helper she is, goes to get her father to help Penny. This only turns out bad for Baby, when her father learns she had been lying to him, and spending time with Johnny, which he soon forbids. Again, going against her fathers wishes, Baby sneaks to Johnnys cabin, where they finally confess their feelings for eachother.
Baby is forced to keep everything a secret, and she is about to, until Johnny is accused of stealing. Baby knows he didn't do it, because she was with him. When she reveals this, her father is deeply disappointed, and Johnny is still fired for his relationship with Baby. As he leaves the resort, Baby is left in the dust by herself. What she doesn't know is that she had changed Johnny's outlook on life. In the final scene, Johnny returns to the resort and says the famous line, "Nobody puts baby in the courner." As he takes her hand to do the final dance, it is clear to her parents the true love between Baby ad Johnny. Her father finally accepts Johnny, and the last dance promotes the staff and guests to come together through dancing, forgetting about the difference in social class.

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