- Actors: Abigail Breslin, Colt Prattes, Sarah Hyland, Nicole Scherzinger, Tony Roberts
- Director: Wayne Blair
- Disc Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
- Language: English
- Subtitles: English, Spanish
- Region: Region 1
- Studio: LIONSGATE
- DVD Release Date: June 27, 2017
- Run Time: 135 minutes
Dirty Dancing is a film which has had
lasting success, despite being of questionable quality. It is the type of film
that has a dedicated fanbase willing to ignore any critical shortcomings, and
we have seen this taken advantage of with countless anniversary releases, a
sequel (by name only), a stage version, and now an ABC original TV movie
adaptation of the original. Wholly unnecessary, horrendously miscast, and
torturously overlong, fans of the original were quick to denounce this remake
when it aired on television just over a month ago. Rather than extending the
embarrassment any longer than necessary, the film has quickly been released on
DVD for suckers mistaking the similar cover art for the original campy cult
classic.
The classic
story involves the coming-of-age story set in the summer of 1963 at a Catskills
resort visited by Frances “Baby” Houseman (Abigail Breslin), her older sister
(Sarah Hyland), and her parents (Bruce Greenwood and Debra Messing). The
nickname Baby is telling, as our protagonist starts the film as a fairly naïve
(albeit book smart) teenage on her way to college. During this final summer
vacation with her family, Baby learns independence by finding a hidden talent
for dancing, which is really just born out of her lust for the resort dance
teacher, Johnny Castle (Colt Prattes). All of the familiar elements of the
story are present, though there are many unnecessary ones also added.
I don’t know if
it is a reaction to the stage adaptation of the film, but this TV movie
inexplicably turns Dirty Dancing into
a full-on musical, complete with a number of newly added songs. Some of this
seems to be a way for the film to incorporate more material for the ensemble
cast of name actors, even when it detracts from the main storyline. Hyland,
Messing, Houseman, and Katey Sagal are each given their own moment in the
spotlight, despite the film clearly being narrated by Baby, who isn’t even
present in many of these moments. As if it were not enough to add in unnecessary
musical numbers, the film also inserts additional drama with marital problems
between Baby’s parents and an underdeveloped interracial relationship between
Baby’s sister and one of the resort’s band members. None of this is likely to
be as irritating to fans as the film’s added epilogue, jumping decades forward
in the story to show a stage version of Dirty
Dancing and resolution to the film’s central relationship.
The story may
have been added to in ways that frustrated fans, but not nearly as much as the
material which was kept exactly the same. The reason this is even more
upsetting is the ease with which it is compared to the original, starting with
the casting. Let’s be clear; nobody was going to live up to the performance
from Patrick Swayze, but Colt Prattes doesn’t come close in any regard. Though
an adequate dancer, Prattes lacks the charisma that the Swayze filled the role
with. Even worse than Prattes is Breslin, who is never convincing as a dancer
and seems to be losing all subtlety as an actress with age. As poorly as these
two fill their roles, it is only made worse by the fact that they have
absolutely no chemistry together. Not for a moment is the romance between them
believable, and it somehow compounds the creepier elements of their relationship
from the original film.
In the end, this
Dirty Dancing remake is only good for
those who have never seen the original film. And even those people would be
better off finding the original on TV or streaming services rather than watch
this pointless remake. The DVD includes two featurettes, focusing on the
dancing and the decision to adapt the original. They are self-praising
promotional featurettes, about as unneeded as the film itself.
Entertainment Value:
3/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 3/10
Historical
Significance: 1/10
Special Features: 2/10
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