Dirty Dancing

Seventeen-year-old Frances "Baby" Houseman goes to a summer resort in the Catskills expecting another quiet season with her family, but things change when she slips into the resort's dance world. After meeting the charismatic dance instructor Johnny Castle, she starts helping cover for the staff and learns the physical demands of professional partnering. As she trains, Baby grows more confident, questions the assumptions of her upbringing, and forms a bond with Johnny that challenges social boundaries and personal limits. The story follows her learning to dance and the ways that music, movement, and intimacy push her toward decisions that will redefine who she is, without revealing how those choices resolve.

Released in 1987, the film was directed by Emile Ardolino from a story by Eleanor Bergstein, and stars Jennifer Grey and Patrick Swayze among its principal cast.

The movie's signature song, "I've Had The Time of My Life," won the Academy Award for Best Original Song, giving the soundtrack a major boost and helping the film reach a wider audience.

Lines, gestures, and one rooftop lift turned this movie into a touchstone for popular culture. The phrase "Nobody puts Baby in a corner" is often quoted, the final lift scene is routinely referenced and parodied, and the soundtrack has remained a familiar party staple decades after release.

Critics were divided at first, but audiences embraced the film, which now holds a positive fan reputation and a 7.329/10 vote average from viewers. Major themes include coming of age, class friction between staff and guests, sexual awakening, and the way dance serves as a vehicle for self-expression and personal change.