10 Best Dirty Dancing Moments
2. “Nobody Puts Baby in the Corner.”
It would be dishonest to write a list of the 10 best moments from Dirty Dancing without including the film’s most iconic, oft-quoted line.
This moment belongs just underneath the number one spot simply because of how famous it is. It’s a line that general audiences have never forgotten and one that, even if you’ve never seen this film, you know by heart.
Johnny makes this declaration just before he pulls Baby up onto the stage with him. It’s a simple line, said casually but firmly by Patrick Swayze. It could almost be considered a throwaway line if it wasn’t for the meaning behind it. Obviously Johnny means it literally – in this moment Baby is actually sitting in the corner, slightly obscured by shadows – but the line is also metaphorical because Johnny has seen Baby for all that she is and believes that she should be in the spotlight, not sitting on the sidelines.
In that way, “Nobody puts Baby in the corner,” might be one of the most romantic lines in all of cinema.
1. The Lift
There was no world in which Baby and Johnny’s final dance together would be anywhere but at number one in this list. Aside from the iconic lift, which symbolizes all that the two of them have worked to accomplish for the entire film, Johnny and Baby’s final dance is arguably one of the most satisfying sequences ever put to film.
This moment was only possible because of the artistry put into the rest of Dirty Dancing, from the editing to the choreography. It wouldn’t have worked at all if the filmmakers didn’t make it a point to chart Baby’s evolution as a dancer across the film’s entire runtime. Ortega smartly uses the same routine over and over again so that the audience is familiar with it. We know what it looks like when it doesn’t work. We can almost anticipate their steps, and so we know when the lift is coming. Seeing Baby finally accomplish it is exhilarating.
This moment isn’t just for Baby and Johnny, though. It’s for the whole resort; especially the entertainment staff who felt for too long like they were outsiders. It’s moving to see Johnny bring the other dancers into the mix. This moment bridges the gap between the young and the old, the rich and the poor, showing a perfect world in which everyone might get along in spite of their differences. It might not be reality, but it’s a damn good dream.
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The many vacation resorts of the Catskill Mountains are gone now. Only remnants remain. But movies like Dirty Dancing keep that world alive in some way. Like young love, summertime is fleeting, but the way it changes you remains forever. Dirty Dancing is a musical romance that captures that in a way few movies are able to, showing how important it is to be kind to others and, above all, to be true to yourself.
Which Dirty Dancing bring tears to your eyes or cause you to bite your lips? Let everyone know in the comments below, and be sure to follow @thefilmagazine across social media – particularly Facebook and X (Twitter) – for updates on more insightful movie lists.
