“Dirty Dancing”: A Summer Rom-Com that Tackled Big Issues
Dirty Dancing had it all: star-crossed love, familial drama, sweaty, pretty people dancing, and a wildly popular soundtrack—all set against the backdrop of the serene Catskill Mountains of upstate New York. The film was based on screenwriter Eleanor Bergstein's own childhood, and the premise was simple: in the summer of 1963, do-gooder Frances "Baby" Houseman (Jennifer Grey) is vacationing with her superficial family, including her judgmental father, played by Jerry Orbach, at an upscale, mostly-Jewish resort.