How old was patrick swayze and baby in dirty dancing
How Old Baby & Johnny Are In Dirty Dancing
By Quinn Hough
Updated
Dirty Dancing features an iconic pairing in Patrick Swayze's Johnny and Jennifer Grey's Baby, but their characters are far from the same age.
Dirty Dancing features an iconic pairing in Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey, but how old is Jennifer Grey, how big is their age gap, and does it make the movie problematic? Dirty Dancing is somewhat autobiographical for screenwriter Eleanor Bergstein, as it's based on her own teenage experiences. This fact only brings the question of Baby and Johnny's age difference further into the light. While the movie doesn't explicitly state the two protagonists' ages, there's enough evidence to suggest that the years between them borders on creepy.
Johnny and Baby's ages in Dirty Dancing (of which Patrick Swayze hates the best line) come into question simply by looking at Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Gray. The two don't even look like they're in the same age group, and the movie takes no strides to explain any part of it. While this could be a product of the time it was made, Dirty Dancing might not hold up well under today's magnifying glass in terms of its more problematic areas. So, how old is Jennifer Grey? Here's exactly how old Baby and Johnny are in Dirty Dancing, and whether their age is far too wide.
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How Old Are Baby And Johnny
How old is Jennifer Grey? Well, clues in Dirty Dancing place Johnny's age at 25 years old and Baby’s age at 17. At the beginning of Dirty Dancing on HBO, Baby's narration references the "summer of '63." Early dialogue reveals that she's planning to attend Mount Holyoke (an all-female private college in Massachusetts) to study the economics of underdeveloped countries. In the politically charged Dirty Dancing, Baby also states that she plans to join the Peace Corps shortly before laying eyes on Johnny for the first time.
Some reports have suggested that Baby is supposed to be 18 or even 19 years old. However, based on iMDB's trivia notes and a 2017 interview with Grey (via Closer Weekly), it seems that Baby was presumably born in 1946 and is supposed to be 17 years old. The character doesn't actually reveal her age in Dirty Dancing, nor does Johnny ask on-camera. If Baby is indeed a minor, that would explain her father's confrontational attitude toward Mr. Castle throughout most of the film.
In Dirty Dancing, Johnny's 1938 birthdate makes him 25 years old. The character initially questions why Baby gained access to a private dancing area, but then invites her to boogie and subsequently teaches her some moves. Johnny and Baby/Frances slowly become friends while dealing with Penny's medical procedures (Jake Houseman provides the appropriate assistance), and they eventually become romantic partners. Dirty Dancing on HBO never addresses the eight-year age difference between the two characters, which makes the film somewhat controversial – both then and now – because Baby is indeed a minor.
In 1963 America, though, it wasn't uncommon for men and women to commit at a young age. The focal Dirty Dancing relationship may not be appropriate, but the age gap isn't enough to make Baby's father concerned during the climactic performance. In fact, Jake Houseman essentially apologizes to Johnny.
How Old Were Patrick Swayze And Jennifer Grey During Dirty Dancing?
The late Swayze was approximately seven years older than Grey in real life. When Dirty Dancing premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May 1987, Roadhouse star Patrick Swayze was 34 years old and was best known for portraying Darrel "Darry" Curtis in The Outsiders and Jed Eckert in Red Dawn. As for Grey, she had just turned 27 and had previously portrayed Jeanie Bueller in Ferris Bueller's Day Off. She also appeared alongside Swayze in Red Dawn as Toni Mason. In 2010, Grey won Dancing with the Stars season 11, just over a year after her Dirty Dancing co-star, Swayze, passed away at age 57 from pancreatic cancer.
Johnny And Baby’s Age Gap In Dirty Dancing Is Questionable At Best
Johnny and Baby's ages in Dirty Dancing are certainly problematic. And worse still, if she was 17 years old, and he was 25, then New York state law would deem nothing wrong with their relationship. This is a problem, as the age gap is discomforting to think about, technically legal, and would definitely raise concerned discussions were a movie to feature it today. Despite this, age gaps like in Patrick Swayze's Dirty Dancing are unfortunately too common. Movies like Licorice Pizza can get away with extensive lovers' age differences, and people seem to be forgiving of its inclusion. After all, Dirty Dancing is still a beloved and critically acclaimed movie when it comes down to it. The film is so prolific that it got a (pretty terrible) TV remake in 2017. Dirty Dancing remains popular, but when put up to today's standards, the age gap between Johnny and Baby wouldn't fly unquestioned were a script to include it today.
Related: Why Road House Is Patrick Swayze's Most Misunderstood Movie
Dirty Dancing's Problematic Age Gap Isn't Alone
While the age gap in Dirty Dancing is certainly creepy, it's not the only movie to feature a problematic age gap between the two leads. Whether it's the ages of the actors themselves or the characters they play, Hollywood has pumped out plenty of iconic films that showcase uncomfortable age differences between romantic partners. Take, for example, any Woody Allen film. The romance between Colin Firth and Emma Stone in Allen's 2014 rom-com Magic in the Moonlight is a more modern example. The age gap between the two actors is 28 years, with Firth being 53 at the time and Stone being 25. While legal, the knowledge Firth was 28 when Stone was born made many viewers uncomfortable.
A more overt example of narrative enabling uncomfortable, and also illegal, age gaps is 90s classic American Beauty. American Beauty shows a 42-year-old Lester Burnham (Kevin Spacey, then 39) falling in love with his teenage daughter's 16-year-old friend Angela (Mena Suvari, then 19).
The 1980 Martin Scorsese drama Raging Bull shows an adult Robert de Niro fall for a 15-year-old character played by a 17-year-old actress. Finally, Entrapment, starring Catherine Zeta-Jones and Sean Connery, showed sparks fly between the two characters, but did nothing to explain Sean Connery and Zeta-Jones' nearly 40-year age gap. The age difference in Dirty Dancing may be problematic, but it doesn't exist in a vacuum. In the end, the movie isn't alone in its depiction, and it's far from the worst offender.
Next: What Happened To Dirty Dancing's Jennifer Grey
'Dirty Dancing:' Jennifer Grey Had 5 Minutes To Prove She Could Play a Character Who Was 8 Years Younger
Dirty Dancing is a classic romance movie with Patrick Swayze portraying one of the main characters. Jennifer Grey acted alongside him as Baby. However, getting the starring role took a surprising turn for the actor, who, reportedly had only 5 minutes to prove she could act Baby’s age.
Jennifer Grey and Patrick Swayze starred in ‘Dirty Dancing’
With only a few months left before joining the Peace Corps, Baby is looking for a summer to remember. She doesn’t think she’ll find it at a sleepy Catskills resort until a local dance instructor picks her as his partner.
A whirlwind romance ensues with plenty of drama and dancing, complete with the iconic lift at the end of the movie.
Dirty Dancing, starring Grey as Baby, premiered in the 1980s and remains a favorite film for many dancers and rom-com enthusiasts.
During one interview with News Hub, Grey shared what the filming and the audition project was like. She shared that she was sure another actor would star alongside her. That is, until she danced with Swayze.
“Billy [Zane] was one of my partners, and I thought he was going to get it because he was very like Marlon Brando and his dancing was pretty good,” Grey said of the audition process and finding her scene partner. “But then I remember Patrick and I dancing together, and all of a sudden it was very easy.”
American actors Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey in ‘Dirty Dancing’ | Getty ImagesRELATED: Netflix’s ‘The Movies That Made Us’ Tells the Story Behind Films Like ‘Home Alone’ and ‘Ghostbusters’
Jennifer Grey was quite a few years older than her character, Baby
Baby, fresh out of high school and looking forward to her new adventures as an adult, is still a teenager in Dirty Dancing.
With the movie being set in 1963, and Baby is 18 years old, while her love interest, Jonny, is 24 years old.
Grey, 27 years old at the time, was eight years older than the character of Baby. As a result, at her audition, she had only 5 minutes to prove she could play younger and rock the dance moves needed for the role. Swayze’s age at the time of filming Dirty Dancing, according to Closer Weekly, was 34 years old.
RELATED: ‘Dirty Dancing’: Patrick Swayze Hated Working With Jennifer Grey — ‘He Sort of Made Fun of Her’
Now, Grey will reprise the role for an upcoming ‘Dirty Dancing’ project
Aside from Dirty Dancing, Grey appeared in a few other iconic movies of the 1980s, including Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and Red Dawn.
Now, fans look forward to another Dirty Dancing related project, recently announced by the actor.
Most of the details are still foggy regarding this upcoming release, including its premiere date. However, due to the actor’s death from pancreatic cancer, Swayze will not appear in this sequel. Still, fans look forward to new adventures, filled with plenty of nostalgia.
In the meantime, fans can watch the original Dirty Dancing with a subscription to HBO or with a premium subscription to Hulu.
Jennifer Gray Biography, Wiki, Age, Height, Husband, Net Worth, Patrick Swayze
Famous Usa Actresses
Jennifer Gray is a famous American actress who rose to fame in 1986 with her role as Jeanie Bueller in the teen comedy Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Later, in 1987, she played Frances "Baby" Houseman in the romantic drama Dirty Dancing.
Some of her TV credits include Red Dawn (1984), The Cotton Club (1984), Bloodhounds of Broadway (1989), Bounce (2000), Redbelt (2008), The Wind Rises (2013), In Your Eyes (2014), Duck Duck Goose (2018) and Bittersweet Symphony (2019).
She currently portrayed Janelle in the ongoing ABC series The Conners.
Jennifer Gray Age and birthday, how old is Jennifer Gray?
Jennifer Gray is 60 years old as of 2020. She was born on March 26, 1960 in Manhattan, New York at United States s. She celebrates her birthday every year on March 26th. Her acquaintance with the world sign is Aries.
Jennifer Gray Height and Weight
Gray is a woman of average height, besides, in the photographs she seems quite tall. She stands at a height of 5 feet 3 inches (1.60 m). She also weighs 132 pounds (60 kg).
Jennifer Gray Education
Gray attended the Dalton School, a private school in Manhattan. There she studied dance and acting. She went to the same school as actress Tracy Pollan.
She graduated in 1978 and entered the Neighborhood Playhouse in Manhattan where she trained as an actress for two years.
Jennifer Gray's family
Gray is the daughter of Oscar-winning film actor Joel Gray and former actress and singer Jo Wilder. Her father is best known for playing the master of ceremonies in the musical cabaret Kander & Ebb.
Siblings
She has a brother named James Katz or cook James. He is the chef. However, little is known about him, as he kept his life out of the public eye.
Jennifer Gray Husband, Jennifer Gray still married?
Gray is married to actor and director Clark Gregg. They tied the knot on July 21, 2001. She once shared a screen with her husband in Road to Christmas in 2006. The couple have a daughter, Stella Gregg, who was born on December 3, 2001. Jennifer had a brief relationship with actor Michael J. Fox and journalist George Stephanopoulos. Unfortunately, Gray and Clark's marriage hit rock, with the duo announcing their divorce on July 3, 2020 as a result.
Jennifer Gray Net Worth
Jennifer has been in the film industry for over three decades. She has no doubt amassed a huge fortune, with most of her fortune coming from her acting career. Gray's net worth is estimated at $10 million.
Jennifer Gray photoJennifer Gray Measurements and Facts
Here are some interesting facts and body measurements you should know about Jennifer Grey.
Jennifer Gray Bio and Vicki
- Full names: Jennifer Eliza-Elis Gray
- Women's gender
- Classes / Profession : Actress
- Nationality : American raca : Unknown
- Sexual orientation: Straight
Jennifer Grey's birthday
- Age / how old? : 60 years old
- Zodiac sign : Aries.
- Date of Birth : March 26, 1960
- Place of Birth : Manhattan, New York, USA.
- Birthday : March 26
Jennifer Gray Measurements
- Measurements : 34-24-32
- Height / How Tall? : *** or unknown
- Weight : 132 lb (60 kg)
- Eye color : Light brown
- hair color : dark brown
- Shoe size : 7 (USA)
- Size : 34 inches
- waist : 24 inch 9000 9000 9000 9000 9000 Hip Size : 32 inches
Jennifer Gray Family & Relationships
- Father (Dad) : Joel Gray
- Mother : Joe Wilder Brower
- Siblings : Unknown
- Marital Status : Married
- Husband / Spouse : Married to Clark Gregg (married 2001, separated 2020).
- Children : Daughter (Stella Gregg, born December 3, 2001).
Jennifer Gray Networth and salary
- net worth : $10 million
- source of income : Acting
Gray house and cars
- Residence : Venice, California.
- Passenger cars: Car brand will be updated
Jennifer Gray Career
Gray debuted in a Dr. Pepper commercial at the age of 19. She later made her film debut in 1984 in a small role in Reckless. In the same year, she played a small role in Francis Ford Coppola's The Cotton Club and starred in the war film Red Dawn. At 18985 Gray appeared in American Flyers.
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In the 1986 comedy 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off' Gray played the role of jealous sister Jeanie Bueller. The following year, she played Frances "Baby" Houseman in Dirty Dancing opposite Patrick Swayze. For this role, she was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actress.
In September 2011, Gray appeared in The Bling Ring as Iris Garvey, Zach Garvey's mother. Later, on 5 and 6 November 2011, she replaced Chief Justice Len Goodman on the BBC One television show Dancing with the Stars.
She played Judy Meyers on Red Oaks from 2014 to 2017. In 2018, she starred in the film Unconfirmed; The film was released on February 8, 2019.
Jennifer Gray and Patrick Swayze
In 1987, Gray and Patrick shared the screen in the romantic drama Dirty Dancing, where Patrick played Francis "Baby" Houseman. It's a coming-of-age story: After spending a summer at the Catskills resort with his family, Francis "Baby" Houseman falls in love with dance instructor Johnny Castle. Her role in the film brought her fame, in addition, for this role she was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actress.
Jennifer Gray Dancing with the Stars
Gray was a contestant on the eleventh season of Dancing with the Stars. She partnered with professional dancer Derek Howe and the two won, making Derek Howe the first contestant to win the competition three times.
Jennifer Gray Accident
On August 5, 1987, Jennifer suffered a serious spinal injury in a car accident in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland, while on holiday with actor Matthew Broderick; whom she began dating semi-secretly during the filming of Ferris Bueller's Day Off.
Crash occurred when Broderick, driving a rental BMW, swerved into the wrong lane and collided head-on with a Volvo driven by a local mother and daughter, Margaret Doherty, 63, and Anna Gallagher, 28; who died instantly in the accident. Matthew Broderick was later convicted of reckless driving and fined $175. Jennifer's spinal cord was compressed and the surgeon inserted a titanium plate around her neck to stabilize her.
Jennifer Gray Johnny Depp
Johnny Depp was in a relationship with dirty dancing star Jennifer Gray around 1989. According to rumors, they were engaged. True or not, the couple did not last long.
Jennifer Gray Cancer
While recovering from her accident, her surgeon found a suspicious white spot on her thyroid using MRI. The nodule was malignant. She underwent two surgeries to cure the disease. Now she is cancer free.
Jennifer Gray Dirty Dancing
Dirty Dancing is an American romantic drama dance film 19'87, written by Eleanor Bergstein. Starring Patrick Swayze and Grey. Jennifer played the role of Frances "Baby" Houseman. Its sequels may come out before the end of 2020.
Jennifer Gray Ferris Bueller
Ferris Bueller's Day Off is a 1986 American teen comedy film written, co-produced and directed by John Hughes. On Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Jennifer played the role of Jeanie Bueller.
Jennifer Gray Red Dawn
Red Dawn is a film set in an alternate timeline in which the United States is being invaded by the Soviet Union and its Cuban and Nicaraguan allies.
However, the beginning of the Third World War is not fully worked out. Red Dawn follows a group of American high school students who resist occupation by guerrilla warfare, naming themselves "The Wolverines" after their school mascot.
Jennifer Gray House
House is a television medical drama that originally aired on the Fox network for eight seasons. November 16, 2004 to May 21, 2012
The show's protagonist is Dr. Gregory House Hugh Laurie, an unconventional, misanthropic medical genius who, despite his addiction to painkillers, leads a team of diagnosticians at the fictional Princeton Plainsboro Teaching Hospital in New Jersey. Jennifer plays the role of Abby.
Jennifer Gray Death
News of Jennifer's death quickly spread in 2016, causing concern among her fans. This news was later confirmed as a complete hoax.
Jennifer Gray Surgery
Gray underwent two rhinoplasty procedures, also known as rhinoplasty, in the early 1990s. The procedures led to major changes in her appearance, which negatively affected her career. Even her close friends might not recognize her due to the change in appearance.
Speaking of experience, she said; “I entered the operating room as a celebrity - and came out anonymous.
It was like being in a witness protection program or being invisible.”
Jennifer Gray Young
Young JenniferJennifer Gray Films and Series
2019: Sweet-Holy Symphony (Eleanor Roberts)
2018: DUKK DUKK GOOSE (Edna (Voice))
2018: 9000 incredible 2018: 9000 (Joyce)
2014: In your eyes
2013: The WIND RISES (Ms. Kurokava (Voice))
2008: Red Belt (Lucy Weiss)
2008 : Kate (Caroline)
2002: Ritual (Doctor Alice Dodgson)
2000: BOUNCE (Janice Herrero)
1997: Red meat (Candice)
thousand nine hundred and ninety -six: Portraits of the killer (Elaine Taylor)
thousand nine -ninety -fifth year: node of their lovers (Megan Forrester)
1992: Wind (Kate Bass)
1989: Brodwey Jeschanas (Lovey Lou)
1988: Gandar (Brusnika (Voice)
1987: Dirty dances (Francis "Baby" Hausman)
1986: Ferris Bueller's Day Off (Gini Bueller)
1985: American Airmen (Leslie)
1984: Reckless (Katie Bennario)
Red Dawn9 (Tony Mason)
Cotton Club0012 Jennifer Gray TV shows
2020
Conners (Janelle)
2019
Grey's Anatomy (Carol Dickinson)
2017 Who do you think you are
90022016
Lip sync battle
2014-2017
Red Oaks (Judy Meyers)
2011
Dancing with the Stars (Guest Judge)
Glitter Ring (Iris Garvey)
2010
Dancing with the Stars (Season 11 Winner)
House (abbey)
2009
New adventures of old Christina (Tracy)
2008-2014
Fines and FERB (Different Voices)
2007.
John from Cincinnati (Daphne, Bride Meyer)
2006
Road to Christmas (Claire Jameson)
1999-20038
This is like, you know, you know li ... (Jennifer Grey)
1998
Outrage (Sally Casey)
Since you left (Patty Reed)
1995
Friends (Mindy)
Fallen Angels (Ginger Allen)
Wesets Waltz (Robin Wizo)
1993: Murder case
1991: eyes of a witness
1990
Murder in Mississippi (Rita Schverner)
Criminal Justice (Liz Carter)
If Shoes Fit (Kelly Carter/Prudence)
1986: Equalizer (Valerie Jacobs)
1985: ABC Afterschool Special (Laura Eller)
1984: ABC Afterschool Special (Carol Durate)
Jennifer Gray FAQ
Who is Jennifer Grey?
Gray is a famous actress who gained wide recognition after starring in the movie "Dirty Dancing" as Frances "Baby" Houseman
how old is Winnie from Jersey Shore
How old is Jennifer Grey?
As of 2020 Gray is 60 years old.
She was born on March 26, 1960.
How old was Jennifer Gray in dirty dancing?
Gray was 27 years old when she played Baby in Dirty Dancing.
How tall is Jennifer Grey?
Celebrated actress 5'3".
Is Jennifer Gray married?
She was married to Clark Gregg. However, on July 3, 2020, they announced that they had separated amicably and were in the process of divorcing.
How much is Jennifer Grey?
Grey's net worth is approximately $10 million. This amount was received for her leading roles in the entertainment industry.
Where does Jennifer Gray live?
She is from Venice, California, USA, we will upload photos of her home as soon as we have them.
Is Jennifer Gray dead or alive?
Gray is alive and well. There were no reports of her illness or health problems.
Where is Gray now?
Gray is still active in the creative entertainment industry and is an actor in an ongoing sitcom.
Conners. Watch the trailer below.
Gray social media contacts
You can also read 9000, Career , Family , Relation, Body Dimensions , Pure cost , achievements, and another about:
- John Gudman
- Sarah Gilbert
Dirty Dancing is a feminist masterpiece. To the news about the continuation of the cult film, we explain why it is impossible.
Lisa Birger
Tags:
movie
film classics
Patrick Swayze
Dirty Dancing is one of the most unexpected film successes of the 1980s.
No one expected good things from a film with a budget of 6 million and a filming period of a rapid three months: the bosses of the Vestron Pictures studio, after looking at the footage, at first offered to burn it right away in order to recoup at least some insurance costs, and then insisted that the film should not dishonor the studio and went directly to the video store. And yet, it came out and in a few weeks grew into a giant hit: there was even a movement of viewers (to be fair, female viewers) who watched the film in cinemas a hundred times.
Those who attribute the film's success to erotic overtones have obviously never seen it - "dirty" in the context of these dances just means "wild", and in the only remotely erotic scene, the viewer is shown a Chinese red paper lamp. The film was not about dirt at all, and not even completely about dancing. He beckoned the viewer with a freedom that could not be repeated either before or later: that every girl can choose her fate and her sexuality for herself.
And if you are seventeen years old and you really want to fuck this handsome instructor, then nothing should stop you. This freedom of Dirty Dancing was ignored yesterday, it is often turned a blind eye today, but this is the main thing in the film and not at all the secret reason for its incredible success.
The story of Dirty Dancing begins with screenwriter Eleanor Bergstein and producer Linda Gottlieb having a dinner together. “I have a good idea for a film,” Bergstein said. “It is based on my life. True, there will be a lot of mamba dancing in it. “Tell me about your life,” Gottlieb asked. Bergstein said: In the 1960s, America, tickets to Europe still cost a little less than planes, and wealthy Jewish families went on vacation to the boarding houses of the so-called Borscht Belt, nicknamed so for its exclusively Jewish population - in Catskill, a mountain range in the Appalachian belt, where, according to Washington Irving, according to legend, Rip van Winkle fell asleep for 20 years.
It was here that the entertainment hotels were living their last days, where the rich from Brooklyn settled into expensive - very expensive - bungalows, and they were entertained nightly with dancers, magicians, comedians, musicians and artists. For many of these artists, performing on the "borscht stage" was the first step to a real career - for example, Woody Allen, Lenny Bruce and Jerry Lewis started here. But for decent Jewish girls, the hotels of the Borscht Belt were the only territory of freedom - many of them came here to part with their bored virginity or at least to dance passionately. So it was with Eleanor Bergstein, the daughter of a doctor whose family spent all summer at the Grossinger Hotel in Catskill. Here Eleanor learned to dance the mamba - so much so that she won several competitions - and secretly had an affair with the teacher. The film that Gottlieb and Bergstein came up with that evening was to be called I Was the Teenage Mamba Queen. We were lucky that in the end they decided to turn it into something more interesting: not just by chance, but into a fairy tale.
The main character of the film, seventeen-year-old Frances Houseman, nicknamed Baby, "baby", comes with her parents and her stupid older sister to relax for a week and immediately falls for the local dance instructor, a young boorish Irishman Johnny. While her parents watch performances and cut into bridge, she eats through the eyes of Johnny dancing with older women rich enough to let a fur coat casually fall from her shoulder to the floor. But then Baby gets a chance to prove herself - Johnny's dancing partner, Penny, flew into the air from one of the waiters who work part-time in a boarding house between studies at Yale. When Baby tries to withdraw money from the waiter for an abortion, he slips Ayn Rand's "Source" to her, saying that all means are good in achieving greatness. And, having borrowed money from dad "for a good cause", Baby goes to learn mamba from Johnny to perform on stage with him while Penny lies under the knife of a passing doctor. After the dance, and after having to once again call on dad to help the dying Penny, Baby will come to Johnny's room and make him dance with her again - her hand will stop on his ass as an unambiguous announcement of intent.
It won't break for a long time.
This is a woman's story, and not at all in the sense of the excessive romanticization that is usually considered feminine, although the kisses here are really tender. This is the story of a woman who herself wanted, chose, seduced, without limiting her sexual desires in any way. She, we recall, is 17, and she is a virgin. She not only chooses herself with whom and how she will lose this virginity, she also saves her chosen one twice, if not three times. The first time is when she dances with him instead of Penny. In the second, when she admits to the whole boarding house that she spent the night with him in order to clear charges of theft from him. And most importantly, when he convinces him that he is not just a boy to please customers, but an adult independent person. Unlike all romantic stories, which, as they say in large studios, women like, the woman here not only does not have a commercial relationship with a man, but also saves him from these commodity relations.
It is for this rescue that she gets her name: if at the beginning of the film she was a Baby girl who was going to Harvard to learn how to help starving children in third countries, then at the end she becomes Francis (“in honor of the first woman in the office”), who proved to everyone and daddy, that she is no longer a baby.
Daddy there, by the way, is practically a metaphor for relations with society. At the beginning of the film, Frances says that she came to the boarding house without imagining that there is a man in the world equal to her father - so for her this is a story of getting rid of parental influence. And poor Johnny, who is very burdened by his social status and poverty and is ready to make a coherent speech only about her, literally raves about Dr. Houseman, he wants so much that he notices him and considers him his equal: he goes to talk with dad, tells the girl in bed, that he saw at night how her dad hugged him by the shoulder. In the finale, it was proved to dad, and this is perhaps the most important thing, because it is obvious to everyone that the love of heroes is one-time, like summer, time of my life happens only once in a lifetime and does not stretch for a lifetime.
It is important to prove that you have a right to it.
So Dirty Dancing is also about acceptance. When in the finale Johnny comes to the most boring of parties and pulls Francis on stage with the phrase "Nobody puts Baby in the corner" (Nobody puts Baby in the corner), which later became iconic (however, in this film everything is iconic), this is also about the soft power of women and other empowerment: she changed him, he supported her, also in the air, so much so that she didn’t crash. Unlike many who later tried to repeat this scene of support in the air, how many of them ended up trying in the emergency room.
Another thing is that, discharging its feminist clip completely, the film does not solve the social conflict at its core. It is obvious to everyone that Johnny will continue to be a poor Irishman, and Baby, having enjoyed his embrace, will go to lead a rich life in the Ivy League. In numerous interviews, the screenwriter said that she specifically chose the summer of 1963, the last summer of liberalism - Martin Luther King had already said his famous speech, Kennedy had not yet been killed.
Soon there will be Beatles, hippies, protests, changes that our hearts did not demand. Patrick Swayze, in a late interview, said a completely amazing thing: that for a long time he resisted saying the phrase about Baby and the corner, argued with the producers, and only when he grew up did he understand what it really means: Johnny continues to serve. Only earlier he served rich aunts for money, and now young maidens for human relations. If you think about it, that's the way most worldly philanthropy works.
It is much more offensive that of all the revolutionary ideas of Dirty Dancing, only the sexual “folk” dance invented by the choreographers, hip to hip, migrated to the people. However, the last dance of Frances and Johnny is still customarily repeated as the first dance of the newlyweds, and the song they dance to, written specifically for the film, (I've Had) The Time of My Life has become one of the three most popular in America funeral songs. We can say that the film is behind the times in only one thing: among the many couples on the dance floor, only one is racial and not a single same-sex.
Or almost none: pay attention to how in the finale two respectable Jewish old women start dancing with each other and how people around are scandalized by this.
In "Dirty Dancing", of course, everything is a bit from the realm of fantasy, both love and dance. So, Patrick Swayze insisted on doing all the stunts on his own - and as a result, he fell from the very log on which he so easily balanced in the frame, and injured the very knee, due to the injury of which he had ten years before I had to leave my dancing career. And repeating the famous support in the final is completely dangerous for health. It is no less dangerous to repeat the actions of heroes: I would not advise an underage Jewish girl to try to explain to her doctor father that she does not want to go to Harvard, but wants to sleep with a poor Irish dance instructor. A modern person can have only one reaction to this: is this even legal? No insipid partisan feminism of films of recent years can replicate the success of Dirty Dancing, because it requires acknowledging too many living human feelings - attraction, desire, pride.
One of the main myths of Dirty Dancing is that the actors really couldn't stand each other. Their dislike was obviously overblown: if it were so obvious, we would not have, for example, the famous scene where the characters crawl towards each other on the floor to the song Love is Strange Micky & Sylvia, one of several in the film shot without scenario, when the camera was rolling during the warm-up of the actors. In his autobiography, The Time of My Life, Swayze walked over Gray without malice, saying that she giggled a lot and sometimes fell into a stupid mood, because of which the scenes had to be re-shot several times. One of these giggles turned into another canon scene of the film - the director decided to include failed takes in the editing, where Jennifer cannot help laughing when Patrick runs his hand over her armpit. After Patrick's death, Jennifer Gray told The Hollywood Reporter: "He smelled so good, he had such soft skin, he was so strong, so caring.
" It looks more like a hidden love than an obvious hatred.
But life, unfortunately, does not look like a feminist fairy tale. It rarely happens in it that a weak girl falls for a guy and drags him into her life by the ass with an unwavering hand. And it often happens that a young actress with a bright Jewish appearance does a nose job to adjust to Hollywood standards - and flies out of the film industry with a whistle, because no one needs her like that, with an ordinary nose - and the actor at this time with rides horses with his wife and earns millions on his Texas ranch. Both actors were not too lucky with their careers: Swayze was slowly forgotten after "Ghost", Gray was immediately forgotten after rhinoplasty. Both made an attempt to return to the 2000s - she participated in "Dancing with the Stars", he played his last, truly great role in the TV series "The Beast", filming 12 hours a day, despite the wild pains from an aggressive form of cancer, and almost literally died under the spotlight.
All his life, Patrick Swayze refused to participate in the remake of Dirty Dancing, no matter how much money he was offered for them. He believed that it was impossible to repeat their success, just as it was impossible to revive the chemical attraction between the characters. For a fee of four million dollars, he starred in the film Dirty Dancing 2: Havana Nights, playing a cameo role as a dance teacher, and clearly showed how he sees the fate of the dancer Johnny: a lonely dancer in a foreign land. Announced in 2020, plans for a sequel in which Jennifer Gray will co-star and produce are not needed for anything other than a last-ditch attempt to save her career.
But, for God's sake, don't improve and modernize Dirty Dancing. It is impossible to shoot anything more modern than them today - even in TV shows they are afraid to talk openly about abortion, show female sexual desire, give teenage girls the right to have sex with whom and how they want, so clearly expose the social system or demonstrate how rich mature women buy themselves for money young male flesh.
