Critics say "leave Baby in the corner" over 'Dirty Dancing' reboot
Well the results are in, and it's safe to say that even Australia hates the remake of classic film 'Dirty Dancing'. Unfortunately for the cast and crew, this film was going to be terrible even if it tried hard to be good. Because of the love people have for the original film, it was always going to be hard to recreate something that would be loved and accepted by viewers in is own right. 'Dirty Dancing' (1987) was the romantic drama film that saw audiences fall in love with Patrick Swayze. It’s a tale about young, innocent Frances "Baby" Houseman (Jennifer Grey) falling in love with older 'bad boy' Johnny Castle (Swayze) while on holiday with her family. Baby is sweet and sheltered, until she’s introduced to the world of late night “dirty dancing”.
The film saw Swayze in his breakthrough Hollywood role. Since 'Dirty Dancing', the world embraced Swayze, his dance moves and noted the film itself as an all-time classic. The film's prominent dance scene featuring the two leads has become something of a pop culture staple - the pair dancing to '(I've Had) The Time Of My Life' by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes, sparking many re-enacts and parodies in film, and a gamut of performances by brides and grooms on the wedding dancefoor.
Fast forward 30 years, and this iconic film gets an unnecessary remake. Originally released on America's ABC channel in May this year, the film had fallen short according to critics, with most saying that Baby actually should have been left in the corner.
It was released in Australia last week, and if you haven't yet seen it, do yourself a favour and listen to the soundtrack first (available on iTunes, and most tracks on YouTube). The music will give you a fair idea of what to expect when watching the film.
The track list remains the same, but sung by the cast, which isn't a novelty that's pulled off with grace. And unlike its predecessor, this version is a musical. Abigail Breslin, Colt Prattes, Debra Messing and Sarah Hyland make up part of the cast, and as talented as they are, they just don't live up to that of the original cast.
It is hard to pinpoint exactly where the film goes wrong. If this wasn’t a remake, it may not be getting such harsh reviews, but the saying “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” really suits the situation. Why did they need to tamper with something that worked so well for so many years? Perhaps it was in part paying homage to the 1987 classic, but somethings just need to be left untouched. Notably, 'Baywatch' and 'CHiPs' are 1980s television series that recently received film reboots this year, but both payed homage to their original programs, and featured guest appearances from the original cast. So, could this new 'Dirty Dancing' have been better if Swayze was still with us? Unfortunately, we will never know. But according to some, Swayze would be rolling in his grave right now.
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