This blog discusses the movie Dirty Dancing, which was released in 1987 and starred Jennifer Grey and Patrick Swayze. The articles discuss:
* literary aspects, such as characterization, motivation, interactions;
* the music and dances;
* the production of the movie;
* critical reactions.
When Lisa Houseman was 15 years old in October 1959, she and her mother Marjorie visited the new Guggenheim Museum while shopping together in Manhattan. This visit sparked in Lisa a fascination with Modern architecture, design and art.
Lisa admired artists for their special personal qualities -- creativity, independence and entrepreneurship.
As a high-school girl, however, she naturally felt attracted to the guys who were handsome, tall and athletic. A few of her male classmates were somewhat artistic, and she wanted to be friends with them, but they lacked the physical attributes to attract her romantically.
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In 1963, Lisa's younger sister Baby became angry that Republicans seemed to be favoring the nomination of Barry Goldwater as their party's candidate in the 1964 Presidential election. Goldwater opposed some Civil Rights proposals by arguing that citizens had a Constitutional right to free association. Baby perceived that Goldwater and his Republican supporters were allowing the continuation of racial discrimination.
Baby's anger about the Republicans moved her toward more critical attitudes on other issues. For example, Baby felt that Americans should do much more to alleviate poverty in the Third World. The US Government should send much more aid, and individuals should donate much more to charities.
In her younger years, Baby had been satisfied by collecting money for UNICEF while trick-or-treating.
Now, Baby felt increasingly dissatisfied and critical that her prosperous family seemed to donate little to charity. Her parents responded that the Houseman family donated plenty just by paying their taxes. Furthermore, the family donated to some medical charities, such as the March of Dimes.
Baby pointed out that much of the family's money was being spent extravagantly on new furniture and art. In this regard, Baby complained that many such items seemed to be purchased mainly to please selfish Lisa, who obviously had very expensive tastes.
"Children are starving!", complained Baby. "We don't need all this Modern Art stuff. Instead of buying more, just to please Lisa, we should donate a lot more to UNICEF."
In the following video, video essayist Leena Norms reviews the movie Dirty Dancing. The video is about 19 minutes long and is quite intelligent. Norms' YouTube channel provides almost 300 of her video essays. It seems that the largest portion is reviews of literary works.
In this video essay, Norms lists six elements of Dirty Dancing that make the movie "radical".
1) The illegal abortion
2) Baby's "female gaze" toward Johnny
3) The critical treatment of Baby's altruism
4) The "soft masculinity" of several male characters
5) The female characters' respectful treatment of each other
6) The critical but healthy father-daughter relationship
When Lisa Houseman was 15 years old in October 1959, she and her mother Marjorie visited the new Guggenheim Museum while shopping together in Manhattan. This visit sparked in Lisa a fascination with modern architecture, design and art.
Every teenage girl should have a personal style, and Lisa decided that her own personal style was Modern. She would decorate her own body and her surroundings with her Modern style.
Although she still was a teenager, Lisa felt that her Modern style made her appear more adult. Her style distinguished herself even more from little sister, Baby, who still dressed and acted like a little girl.
Lisa was delighted whenever her Mother agreed with a suggestion to select something Modern when buying some object for their home. For this reason, Lisa loved to go shopping with her Mother.
Lisa decided she would study visual arts in college. Later, after she raised her family, she would use her college degree to get hired into a career where she would employ her artistic taste, talents and education.
When Lisa Houseman was 15 years old in October 1959, she and her mother Marjorie visited the new Guggenheim Museum while shopping together in Manhattan. This visit sparked in Lisa a fascination with modern architecture, design and art. She thought she should study such subjects when she would attend college.
Even while still in high school, Lisa spend much of her free time developing her awareness and appreciation. When she watched television, she watched documentaries about those subjects and she generally paid attention to modern design of objects. .
As Jake Houseman prospered in his medical profession, the family's household budget grew, and Marge was able to replace their home's old furniture with new furniture. Lisa loved to accompany her mother while shopping for new furniture and urged her mother to buy modern-design furniture and also modern art.
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Lisa did not pay much attention to politics, but in 1960 she became fascinated with the Democrats' candidate John Kennedy, who seemed modern, fashion-conscious and glamorous in comparison President Eisenhower. On one shopping trip, Lisa asked her mother why she always favored the Democrats.
Marjorie explained that she had grown up during the Depression, when many people -- including her own close relatives -- could not jobs. In those circumstances, the Democrats had established many government programs to provide support to the unemployed and to create jobs. In general, the Democrats helped disadvantaged people, whereas the Republicans demanded that such people "pull themselves up by their bootstraps".
Lisa reflexively adopted her mother's political thinking. Lisa too thought that the government should generously support disadvantaged people, who often could not help themselves.
Lisa, however, was growing up in a booming economy, which was very different from the Depression economy in which her mother had grown up. During Marjorie's teenage years, the unemployment rate was above 15%, whereas during Lisa's teenage years the unemployment rate was around 5% -- a rate that economists call "full employment".
US Unemployment Rate
(Click on image to enlarge it)
Lisa did not know anybody who was unemployed. All her uncles, all the men in her family's social circle, and all her classmates' fathers were prospering in professional occupations and enjoyed excellent job security. All her friends received generous allowances. Some of her friends also worked in summer jobs to earn some extra spending money. It was easy for a teenager to get a summer job.
Lisa agreed with her mother that the government should provide support to the disadvantaged -- for example, to people who were unemployed. That was a reason why Lisa hoped that John Kennedy and his Democrats would win the 1960 election. However, Lisa also had an impression that anyone who wanted a job could get a job in a rather short time.
Lisa Houseman was born in 1944 and grew up in the Brooklyn Borough of New York City. Lisa loved to go on shopping trips with her mother, especially to Manhattan.
In October 1959, when Lisa was 15 years old, the Guggenheim Museum opened on Fifth Avenue, the best shopping street in Manhattan. For sure, Lisa and her mother visited the museum soon after it opened.
Lisa was delighted by the museum, the architecture and art of which are classified as Postwar Modernism. The museum was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, the USA's most famous modernist architect.
Lisa's visit to the Guggenheim Museum when she was 15 years old gave her a young appreciation for "decorating the world". As she continued through high school and thought about her future college studies, she decided that she wanted to study art. She wanted to understand design, art and architecture intellectually.
Lisa's mother wanted Lisa to attend a women's college. As Lisa thought about which women's college she preferred to attend, she paid special attention to the art programs offered by the various women's colleges.
Lisa thought that majoring in art was quite feminine, which pleased her. Lisa foresaw that after she raised her children, she might begin a professional career in the arts.
Lisa Houseman changed her political opinions because she fell in love with Robbie Gould. Lisa abandoned her mother's liberal opinions and adopted Robbie's libertarian opinions. Lisa abandoned her mother's belief that our government should be empowered to raise taxes in order to pay for generous support programs for disadvantaged people. Instead, Lisa adopted Robbie's belief that our government should minimize meddling in the economy so that innovative entrepreneurs could develop the entire society's prosperity.
This is the political rebellion of Lisa that I am discussing in this series of articles.
I know that Lisa adopted Robbie's political opinions because:
Lisa's decision "to go all the way" was the proof that she read Robbie's book, fell in love with him, adopted his politics and decided that he was "Mr. Right". The entire sequence of events -- in particular, her political change -- can be deduced from her ultimate decision "to go all the way".
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However, Lisa's political rebellion was brief. Soon, Lisa found Robbie in bed with Vivian Pressman and realized that he was not Mr. Right after all. She fell out of love with him and abandoned the libertarianism that she had just begun to appreciate.
Baby never realized that her sister Lisa briefly fell in love with Robbie and his politics. Although Lisa confided in Baby that she had decided "to go all the way" with Robbie, Baby misinterpreted Lisa's confession. Baby responded:
No, no, not with someone like him. ....
It's just wrong this way. It should be with someone -- with someone that you sort of love.
But Lisa did love Robbie!
Baby thought mistakenly that Lisa decided "to go all the way" merely because Lisa was sexually aroused so chronically that she wanted to have sex with any attractive man -- even with a "creep" like Robbie.
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In the July 1986 script, in the first scene, Lisa declares her sexual desires. The circumstances are that the Housemans are riding in their car. Jake is driving, Marjorie is reading a teenage-girl magazine, Baby is reading an economics textbook, and Lisa is primping her hair and makeup. Lisa also is doing dance moves in time to the the car's radio music. Lisa grabs Baby's hand to join in Lisa's dance moves, but Baby yanks her hand away.
Lisa whispers to Baby -- their parent are not supposed to hear -- that during the Cuban Missile Crisis in October 1962, Lisa had feared that a nuclear war might begin and so she might die without ever experiencing sexual intercourse. This fear had struck Lisa while she was shopping with her mother and while Baby and Jake were at home watching the news on television.
Lisa's remark about desiring sexual intercourse disgusts Baby. In response, Baby leans forward from the car's back seat and puts her arms affectionately around her father's neck.
Marjorie, sitting in the front passenger seat, remarks:
Maybe this is the right place our Lisa will find Mr. Right.
We do not know whether Marjorie overheard Lisa's remark about desiring sexual intercourse.
(Click on the below images to enlarge them.)
Script Page 2
Script Page 3
Marjorie does understand that 19-year-old Lisa has been looking for Mr. Right -- is looking for a husband.
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In 1963, the median age of first marriage for American women was 20½ years old. Since the average engagement period is a year or so, 19-year-old Lisa was near the median engagement age but apparently did not even have a steady boyfriend.
Baby's perception about Lisa's situation was cynical. Baby perceived that Lisa's primary desire was to experience sexual intercourse and that finding a wonderful husband was secondary. That is why Baby's response to Lisa's sexual remark was to embrace her father, who was Baby's model for a wonderful husband.
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Baby mocks her mother for reading a teenage-girl magazine when she could be reading instead Madame Bovary. A moment after making this suggestion, Baby embraces her doctor father as her model of a wonderful husband.
That novel"s title character is a woman who marries a medical doctor and becomes bored and sexually unsatisfied with him. Therefore she gets into an extra-marital affair with another man. After four years of this affair, she wants to run away with her lover, who responds by dumping her.
After a while, this doctor's wife begins another sexual affair, with another man. When he obviously becomes bored with her, she buys herself lots of personal luxuries, thus accumulating huge debts for her doctor husband.
Eventually, Madame Bovary commits suicide. Afterwards, her doctor husband discovers her written correspondence with her two lovers. The doctor husband dies of a broken heart. The daughter of the doctor husband and his wife becomes an impoverished orphan, working in a cotton mill.
Obviously, Baby does not know anything about the novel Madame Bovary beyond its notoriety. Baby's suggestion that her mother, a doctor's wife, read Madame Bovary is inappropriate and stupid.
Fortunately, this dialogue was not included in the 1987 movie.
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The movie does mention another recommended novel -- The Fountainhead, written by Ayn Rand. In this case, the recommendation was addressed by Robbie Gould to Baby Houseman. She refused to even consider his recommendation to read the novel.
Robbie then recommended the novel to Lisa, who did read it. The novel significantly changed Lisa's political opinions and also motivated her "to go all the way" with Robbie sexually.
Lisa Houseman (Observing that someone else's large pile of shoe boxes is being taken into the hotel)
Oh, my God. Look at that! Mom, I should've brought the coral shoes. You said I was taking too much.
Marjorie Houseman
Well, sweetheart, you brought ten pairs.
Lisa Houseman
But the coral shoes matched that dress.
This concern is important to Lisa, and she is not inhibited in expressing it to her Mom, who will treat the concern seriously. Marjorie does not dismiss or mock Lisa's concern.
However, Majorie has suggested to Lisa that she should limit her vacation wardrobe for practical reasons. Marjorie surely argued to Lisa that the baggage space in the car and in the hotel room would be limited.
Marjorie indulges Lisa's desire to optimize her appearance at great expense. When Lisa becomes upset about a trivial flaw -- the imperfection of a color match between shoes and a dress -- Marjorie gently calms Lisa.
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In contrast, Lisa's concern is mocked immediately by her father and sister.
Jake Houseman
This is not a tragedy. A tragedy is three men trapped in a mine or police dogs used in Birmingham.
Baby Houseman
Monks burning themselves in protest.
Lisa Houseman
Butt out, Baby.
Although her father started the mockery, Lisa does not dare to tell him to "butt out".
The three tragedies are irrelevant to Lisa's concern about her vacation wardrobe. The tragedies happened no matter which shoes Lisa did or did not bring. Apparently, though Lisa's father and sister perceive that Lisa is generally too ignorant and unconcerned about current events.
Doctor Houseman saves sick people's lives, and Baby is planning to save the world. Meanwhile, Lisa seems to care only about her wardrobe. And Marjorie indulges Lisa!
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Does Marjorie herself care about the world's tragedies? At dinner, Marjorie starts the family's mocking of Baby.
Marjorie Houseman
Look at all this leftover food. Are there still starving children in Europe?
Baby Houseman
Try Southeast Asia, Ma.
Marjorie Houseman
Right.
Jake Houseman (Addressing Robbie)
Robbie, Baby wants to send her leftover pot roast to Southeast Asia, so anything we don't finish, wrap it up.
(Addressing Max)
Max, our Baby's gonna change the world.
Max Kellerman (Addressing Lisa)
And what are you gonna do, Missy?
Baby Houseman
Lisa's gonna decorate it.
Baby, with her remark Try Southeast Asia, Ma, suggests that her "Ma" stopped caring about starving children long ago. In the 1940s children were starving in Europe, but now in 1963 the starving-children problem is in Southeast Asia. Marjorie, like Lisa, seems to be ignorant and unconcerned about current events.
Marjorie and Jake both have mocked Baby. Baby retaliates by mocking Lisa, who has not said anything. Evidently, there is plenty of resentment in the Houseman family.
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Baby insinuates that her mother cares too little about starving children in Southeast Asia. Baby herself intends to help those children directly, by joining the Peace Corps. Indeed, Baby might actually join the Peace Corps right after she graduates from college, four years in the future.
For Marjorie and Jake, however, aspiring to join the Peace Corp and thus to directly help starving children in Southeast Asia it is not practical. They are middle-aged, married parents with various professional, financial and social obligations. They both have come to resent Baby's insinuations about their supposed lack of concern, and so they both mock Baby.
Of course, Marjorie does care about starving children abroad, but she cannot help them directly. What she can do is to vote for liberal politicians who will raise taxes to pay for generous foreign aid to help starving children abroad. For example, Marjorie voted for Adlai Stevenson for President in the 1950s and for John Kennedy for President in 1960. She always votes for Democrats, because she expects them to raise taxes in order provide various government benefits to disadvantaged people
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Lisa respects her mother and generally follows her mother's example. Like her mother, Lisa intends to marry a doctor or some such successful professional. Lisa intends to give birth and stay at home and raise her family's children. Lisa intends to create and maintain a beautiful home and to support her husband. Lisa will socialize with the other doctors' wives and thus support her husband socially.
Like her mother, Lisa will donate some of her family's money to various charities. Lisa will likewise vote for liberal Democrats who will generously vote for generous government programs.
Lisa does not think much about politics, because she intuitively understands correct political principles and conduct. Lisa intends to follow in her mother's footsteps and thus she will live a good life.
The following videos were on my blog, but they were deleted from YouTube. Now they have reappeared on YouTube on a channel titled Movie Bonus Convert to UHD.
The following videos were on my blog, but they were deleted from YouTube. Now they have reappeared on YouTube on a channel titled Movie Bonus Convert to UHD.
