Dirty Dancing (20th Anniversary Edition) [Blu-ray]

Dirty Dancing (20th Anniversary Edition) [Blu-ray] Review

Fans of "Dirty Dancing" seem to get hooked on it, and if you're like me, there's no such thing as watching it too many times. There's a reason why this sleeper took off, and has remained a staple in the coming-of-age genre since its release.

This film remains my personal favorite, and the 20th Anniversary Edition has it all in terms of what was going on behind the scenes, screen tests, different versions of some of the scenes, some with additional footage that was edited out, as well as scenes that were not included in the film. The extra information on this edition highlights what it took to come up with the final version of the film, and watching the extra footage enhances our understanding of the characters we've loved, as well as the story, while showcasing the expertise of the editors in knowing what to leave out. It's an engaging, entertaining view of what gave us the final version of "Dirty Dancing" that has endured.

Dirty Dancing (20th Anniversary Edition) [Blu-ray] Overview

The summer of 1963 innocent 17-year-old Baby (Grey) vacations with her parents at a Catskill's resort. One evening she is drawn to the staff quarters by stirring music. There she meets Johnny, the hotel dance instructor, who is as experienced as Baby is naive. Baby soon becomes Johnny's pupil in dance and love.

Dirty Dancing (20th Anniversary Edition) [Blu-ray] Specifications

As with Grease (1978) and Footloose (1984) before it, Dirty Dancing was a cultural phenomenon that now plays more like camp. That very campiness, though, is part of its biggest charm. And if the dancing in the movie doesn't seem particularly "dirty" by today's standards--or 1987's--it does take place in an era (the early '60s) when it would have. Frances "Baby" Houseman (Jennifer Grey, daughter of ageless hoofer Joel Grey) has been vacationing in the Catskills with her family for many years. Uneventfully. One summer, she falls under the sway (as it were) of dance instructor Johnny Castle (Patrick Swayze). Baby is a pampered pup, but Johnny is a man of the world. Baby's father, Jake (Law and Order's Jerry Orbach), can't see the basic decency in greaser Johnny that she can. It should come as no surprise to find that Baby, who can be as immature as her name, learns more about love and life--and dancing--from free-spirited Johnny than traditionalist Jake.

Dirty Dancing spawned two successful soundtracks, a short-lived TV series, and a stage musical. It may be predictable, but Grey and Swayze have chemistry, charisma, and all the right moves. It's a sometimes silly movie with occasionally mind-boggling dialogue--"No one puts Baby in a corner!"--that nonetheless carries an underlying message about tolerance and is filled with the kind of exuberant spirit that's hard for even the most cynical to resist. Not that they'd ever admit it. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

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