Why This is Good

As a tribute to the great Patrick Swayze, I thought my first film analysis should be on the classic that he helped make so popular. Dirty Dancing won an Academy Award and a Golden Globe for Best Original Song, and was nominated for other Golden Globes. Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey had undeniable chemistry that helped launch the film to the success it was and has continued to be for the past 22 years. But what made this film good besides the sexy dancing, the steamy romance, and the great music? What can screenwriters learn from this film and how the script made it good?

Baby Houseman is introduced via voiceover, driving to the Kellerman resort with her family. It’s clear from the short car ride that Baby is an intellectual, idealistic Daddy’s girl, contrasted with her sister Lisa, who is prissy and conceited.  While Baby is instantly likeable, she has a lot of room to grow, she’s immature, shown both by her idealism and the very odd nickname she lets everyone call her. What normal 17 year olds would put up with being called Baby?

But we still like her, not only is she smart, she is sweet and caring, and doesn’t look down on people or think she’s better than them because her family has money. While the rest of her family stands around admiring the resort, Baby goes to help the valet unload their luggage.

The next scene shows Baby in a dance class led by vivacious Penny. She’s out of place among the middle aged and up vacationers, and worse than that, is out of step and can’t get into the rhythm. We further identify with her for being out of place, not fitting in, and being embarrassed.

Baby goes to investigate the main house and overhears Mr. Kellerman telling his “college boys” that they are to flirt with and take out the daughters of the guests. Just then Patrick Swayze, as  Johnny Castle, swaggers in with the entertainment crew, who Mr. Kellerman warns to stay away from the guests.

After a dull dinner, Baby is stuck dancing with Neil, Mr. Kelerman’s snobby grandson, the self-proclaimed “catch of the county.” He’s dull and irritating, baby is bored out of her mind until  Johnny enters, dancing with Penny-they’re amazing and Baby is mesmerized-this is the at 10%, and is the start of Baby’s adventure.

Bored, Baby wanders off to the staff headquarters, where she bumps into Johnny’s cousin, Billy juggling huge watermelons up a long staircase. She offers to help and he takes her to the raucous staff dance party, where everyone is dancing dirtily. Johnny and Penny dance with intensity, but Billy assures Baby they’re not dating. When Johnny asks what Baby is doing there, she offers up a lame “I carried a watermelon” and then dies of embarrassment at how stupid she sounded in front of sexy Johnny. Again her awkwardness makes us like her, feel sorry for, but also relate to her. We’ve all said dumb things in front of someone we liked.

Johnny pulls her onto the dance floor and they dance together, intense chemistry ignites Baby’s rhythm and she is left wanting more.

The next day Baby finds Penny sobbing, she gets Johnny and Billy to help.  At 25% we learn that Penny is knocked up by “college boy” waiter Robbie Gould, who is also pursuing Baby’s sister Lisa. Penny can’t afford the $250 abortion, Baby begs Robbie to do something and when he refuses, she throws water in his face and tells him off and gets the money from her dad. Penny tells Baby she can’t get the abortion anyway because she and Johnny are slated to perform a mambo at a neighboring resort. Baby volunteers to be Johnny’s partner so Penny can get her little problem taken care of. This is the start of Act 2, where Baby will learn to dance, and to love. She will stop being a Baby and start living as an adult.

A montage shows Baby growing into a great dancer, and chemistry building between the two. Their performance is okay, Baby makes a few mistakes and can’t do the lift they practiced.

At 50% Penny is in trouble and in pain, the doctor was a hack and hurt her. Baby gets her dad who saves Penny, mistakenly pegging Johnny as the father “who got his partner in trouble and sent her off to some butcher, while he moved on to an innocent young girl.”

Dr. Houseman warns Baby that she should have nothing to do with those people. Baby goes to see Johnny the next day and apologizes for the way her dad treated him.

Baby and Johnny spend more and more time together, growing more and more in love. But Baby still hides Johnny from her father. This shows that she has not completed her character arc yet, as she is still a child, more worried about what her father thinks than what she wants and who she really is.

At 75%, Mr. Kellerman is convinced that Johnny is responsible for a missing wallet, and is about to fire him, when Baby speaks up, Johnny couldn’t have stolen the wallet, she was with him all night. Baby has finally become a mature adult here, caring more about her love and doing what is right than her father’s approval. She has chosen Johnny and true love over family. Later it’s discovered that an older couple is responsible for the stolen wallets, as Baby suspected, but Johnny is still fired.

At the talent show, Dr. Houseman finds out that Robbie is the one who knocked up Penny. As everyone dies of boredom watching the lame talent show, Johnny enters, utters those famous words: “Nobody puts Baby in a corner” and sweeps Baby off her feet and into a fabulous dance routine. She finally does the lift, representing her growth into a woman, and her embracing her new life and love. She is comfortable being herself now that Johnny has awakened her to living a life with passion and love.  Their energetic dance gets the whole camp off their feet and dancing. Dr. Houseman apologizes to Johnny and they all dance off happily ever after.