Dirty Dancing

This is one of those rare rare films that needs a 30 year break between the time of production and the time of the review in order to appreciate it.

Since 1987 I have seen this film 7 or 8 times. Each time it just gets better. As a Prolific Review here on the IMDb, I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of films that improve with age like that.

This is literally the original "feel good" dance film -- which spawned dozens if not hundreds of imitations. The script is perfect. The acting is perfect. The casting is perfect. The direction is perfect. And the music score is to die for.

Nobody puts Baby in a corner? Well, nobody should ignore this film either! Also has an odd note of the "one hit wonder" label about it, which in my view only makes it more of a treat than it already is.

Swayze's career was unfortunately cut short. Jennifer Grey, who practically made this role a part of her DNA, had a nose job and (the cynics say) lost a lot of later roles because the casting directors were afraid no one would recognize her. And the brilliant writer/Producer Elenor Bergstein for whom this was a labor of love (there was a documentary on this) also seemed to hang up her spurs when production wrapped.

The IMDb rating is a joke. This is no less a classic in its genre than Maltese Falcon or the Matrix.

See it, rent it, buy it. But don't forget it.

((Designated "IMDb Top Reviewer." Please check out my list "167+ Nearly-Perfect Movies (with the occasional Anime or TV miniseries) you can/should see again and again (1932 to the present))