I remember watching Dirty Dancing when it first came out–and when I was definitely too young to see it. There are worse things for a young girl to see, however, than Frances coming into her own–even if her awakening is facilitated by an older man. There are worse things to be reminded of than the horror of illegal abortion that Penny endures. I caught the movie on TV last year, and enjoyed it all over again as an adult.
Of all his movies, though, I hold a spot in my heart for To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar. Though not a stellar film, the campiness, the humor, and the sheer audacity makes it a pleasure to watch. Despite critiques–including that the film is a rip-off of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert–Swayze (and company) did a fine job. I watched it again and again in the ’90s.
What are your favorite Swayze movies and moments?
I’ve written briefly about the importance of Dirty Dancing to teenage girls on my blog. I saw it in an open air theatre in Sweden but the projector broke so we didn’t get to see the whole thing.
I remember that Ghost was the first 12 rated film I saw at the cinema which was thrilling at the time; the milestone more than the movie. My main interest in Swayze though was with Point Break. I watched it as part of a course on female directors and was interested in how the male bodies in the film (Patrick Swayze’s and Keanu Reeves’) were consumed by female viewers. I still think that Bodhi is one of his most memorable characters.