Modern classics: Dirty Dancing

Nobody puts Baby in the corner, quips Paula Fleri-Soler, as she reminisces about the film that made women’s hearts across the globe melt. This summer one of the most popular films in modern cinema history celebrated its 25th anni-versary. Dirty Dancing, which launched the late Patrick Swayze to super-stardom was released in August 1987, went on to become a box-office smash both on the big screen and on home video and is now considered a cult classic in the annals of the romantic drama. Dirty Dancing started life as a low-budget, no-stars summer flick. At a glance, its plotline looked as thin as the paper it was written on: the coming-of-age story of 17-year-old Frances ‘Baby’ Houseman (Jennifer Grey) who embarks on an affair with a dancer (Swayze) while on holiday with her affluent family at the Kellerman Holiday Resort, notwithstanding the objections of her father, Dr Jake Houseman (Jerry Orbach). Dirty Dancing was a favourite of mine on release. Looking back at it now that I am older and possibly more cynical, it admittedly comes across as coy, corny and clichéd, but that it has oodles of charm remains undeniable. This is thanks to the sparkling chemistry between...