| Dirty Dancing | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Emile Ardolino |
| Written by | Eleanor Bergstein |
| Produced by | Linda Gottlieb |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Jeffrey Jur |
| Edited by | Peter C. Frank |
| Music by |
|
Production company | Great American Films Limited Partnership |
| Distributed by | Vestron Pictures |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 100 minutes[1] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $4.5 million |
| Box office | $214 million |
Dirty Dancing is a 1987 American romantic drama dance film written by Eleanor Bergstein, produced by Linda Gottlieb, and directed by Emile Ardolino. Starring Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey, it tells the story of Frances "Baby" Houseman (Grey), a young woman who falls in love with dance instructor Johnny Castle (Swayze) at a vacation resort.
The film was based on screenwriter Bergstein's own childhood. She originally wrote a screenplay for the Michael Douglas film It's My Turn, but she ultimately ended up conceiving a story for a film which became Dirty Dancing. She finished the script in 1985, but management changes at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer put the film in development hell. The production company was changed to Vestron Pictures with Emile Ardolino as director and Linda Gottlieb as producer. Filming took place in Lake Lure, North Carolina, and Mountain Lake, Virginia, with the film's score composed by John Morris and dance choreography by Kenny Ortega.
Dirty Dancing premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on May 12, 1987 and was released on August 21 in the United States, earning over $214 million worldwide—$64 million in the US and Canada and $150 million in other territories.[2] It earned positive reviews from critics, who particularly praised the performances of Grey and Swayze, and its soundtrack, created by Jimmy Ienner, generated two multi-platinum albums and multiple singles. "(I've Had) The Time of My Life", performed by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes, won the Academy Award for Best Original Song, the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song, and the Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.[3]
The film's popularity successfully launched its titular franchise, including a 1988 television series, multiple reality competition shows, a 2004 prequel titled Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights, a stage production which has had sellout performances in multiple countries, a made-for-television musical adaptation in 2017, and an untitled sequel scheduled to be released in 2025, with Grey reprising her role.[4]
- ^ "Dirty Dancing (15)". British Board of Film Classification. July 20, 1987. Archived from the original on July 9, 2015. Retrieved July 8, 2015.
- ^ "Dirty Dancing". Box Office Mojo.
- ^ Craughwell, Kathleen (August 18, 1997). "Save the Last Dirty Dance for the Revival". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
- ^ Robbins, Caryn (January 10, 2017). "ABC Announces May Premiere Date for Dirty Dancing Event Movie". BroadwayWorld. Archived from the original on February 23, 2017. Retrieved March 11, 2017.