A Private War
The Favourite
Crazy Rich Asians
Homecoming
Log in with Facebook
OR
By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies, and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and Fandango.
Please enter your email address and we will email you a new password.
Critics Consensus: Like its winsome characters, Dirty Dancing uses impressive choreography and the power of song to surmount a series of formidable obstacles.
Critic Consensus: Like its winsome characters, Dirty Dancing uses impressive choreography and the power of song to surmount a series of formidable obstacles.
View All Dirty Dancing News
All Critics (61) | Top Critics (12) | Fresh (43) | Rotten (18) | DVD (12)
I loved this movie. It seems to dream itself, as it tells the story of a young girl who comes alive in the summer of 1963.
The dancing here brings out the sensual dreaminess of the songs. Dirty Dancing -- what a great title! -- is such a bubbleheaded, retro vision of growing up in the sixties (or any other time) that you go out of the theatre giggling happily.
If the ending of Eleanor Bergstein's script is too neat and inspirational, the rough energy of the film's song and dance does carry one along, past the whispered doubts of better judgment.
Although the plot is sometimes implausible, the movie's music, dancing and romantic spirit carry a lot of it. In addition, Dirty Dancing has the virtues of a female main character (a bit unusual in a coming-of-age movie) and an interesting setting.
Smart and funny, touching and unabashedly sensual.
This is a shapely film, considered and concise. And if its rhetorical slickness eventually covers up its emotional core, that slickness has a pleasure of its own.
Dirty Dancing may just be one of the most seminal garbage movies ever. But, garbage it is.
Packs in drama, comedy, and an iconic finale that's still quite riveting.
It's a sweet, lyrical movie with plenty of musical nostalgia. But more importantly, Dirty Dancing has an uplifting message of hope that can be found only in the dreams of the young.
It's a movie best seen through the hazy amber filter of '80s nostalgia, and if you're watching it without those rose-colored glasses on, God help you.
What seems an enjoyable piece of fluff about a summer camp romance is, in its own quiet way, a powerful morality tale.
These are not characters, but objects of choreography used to push a thoughtless agenda of sound and movement.
My wife makes me watch DD. Too bad that this was Jennifer Grey's defining role as an actor. It is a movie I don't mind watching over. I like the music, and the story is uplifting. Interesting comment by Mr Kellerman that this style of holidays is losing popularity.
Super Reviewer
Original rating of 2 upped half a star. That still isn't saying much. An average movie for me is usually a 3. Decided I would re watch this movie. I last watched it when I was 13 and that was under duress as my nan and auntie were drooling over Patrick Swayze in a quite disturbing manner. I couldn't see it, and I still can't, really. It's a nice enough little story and the leads are good, although they don't necessarily look good together. The many dance scenes are pretty cheesy. I found most of it pretty embarrassing (for them) in all honesty, rather than hot. Patrick in that black top thing with his hair slicked back. Oh please! Still, it was watchable and my original rating may have been harsh and due to the dubbing of Patrick as "next year's man" (as my 13 year old self was clearly not old enough to appreciate his hotness). No, didn't happen, but I did come to appreciate him as an actor in his later years and he did seem to be a nice person too). Inoffensive quite sweet story that I don't think I will watch a 3rd time.
Completely anachronistic boilerplate dance film: young person - man this time, played by Patrick Swayze - of lower social class wins heart of upper-class young person (woman, Jennifer Grey) through the power of dance... or something. What made this movie watchable for me was the particularity of its setting; I don't know of any other films set in the Catskills in the 1960s, and buried within it is a story of (Jewish) identity and coming of age, told nostalgically and enjoyably. The bubble bursts when a 1980s song drives the film's finale - selling the soundtrack more than the story, to say the least - but, (along with Saturday Night Fever), it cast the mold for a certain kind of film: the summer sing-and-dance blockbuster. Essential viewing, unfortunately - even for guys like me who don't want to admit it,
Classic dance movie. Baby and her sister Lisa spend the summer at a holiday camp where they meet guys and fall in love. Baby learns to dance and helps Penny a dancer who gets into trouble. Fab soundtrack. Patrick's best role ever. Amazing!
View All Quotes
200 Essential Movies
Chosen by RT staff!
200 Freshest Movies
The best-reviewed since 1998
30 Great Scenes
30 great scenes in Rotten movies
Best of Netflix
Movies and shows to binge now
More News & Features
View All