Dirty Dancing

Originally published on social media on August 19th, 2022

In honor of its 35th anniversary, Fathom Events recently brought "Dirty Dancing'' back to theaters. My wonderful mom and sister surprised me with tickets and the three of us got to enjoy the film the way it was meant to be seen.

Somewhere in the back of my mind, I recognized that "Dirty Dancing" always had really great lighting and cinematography. This thought was not entirely developed until seeing this film in theaters and watching the behind the scenes special fathom events showed afterwards that shared stories from all those departments. Even if you have seen this classic before, I recommend watching it again and paying attention to how the camera tells the story and how the lighting creates the tone. It's poetry. You know what else is poetry, the dancing! Being a terrible dancer myself, I was in awe of all the incredible things these dancers were able to do.

Every time I watch this film, I feel different about Johnny and Baby as individuals and as a couple. Perhaps my feelings towards their characters entirely depends on the season of life I am in. Until a few days ago though, it never really dawned on me how different they really were and how their lives were going in completely opposite directions. No matter how much either of them wished for it, they would have never worked beyond Kellerman's...I kind of hate that no matter how true it is. I've always struggled with the idea of summer romances or romances in general that are intensely passionate but cannot last. Seriously, films like Titanic, Moulin Rouge, and Roman Holiday are wonderful but also drive me crazy. Now that I'm older, I recognize the beauty in it all and can appreciate the bittersweet things. My mom made a really valid point though when she mentioned to me how yes they would have never worked out, but how great is it that they got to share in those experiences together and ultimately help each other become better people. How great is that?