Dirty Dancing
Updated: 12/11/2025, 1:20:11 PM Wikipedia source
Dirty Dancing is a 1987 American romantic drama dance film written by Eleanor Bergstein, produced by Linda Gottlieb, and directed by Emile Ardolino. Starring Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey, it tells the story of Frances "Baby" Houseman (Grey), a young woman who falls in love with dance instructor Johnny Castle (Swayze) while vacationing at a resort in the 1963 Borscht Belt. The film was based on screenwriter Bergstein's own childhood. She originally wrote a screenplay for the Michael Douglas 1980 film It's My Turn, but she ultimately ended up conceiving a story for a film which became Dirty Dancing. She finished the script in 1985, but management changes at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer put the film in development hell. The production company was changed to Vestron Pictures with Emile Ardolino as director and Linda Gottlieb as producer. Filming took place in Lake Lure, North Carolina, and Mountain Lake, Virginia, with the film's score composed by John Morris and dance choreography by Kenny Ortega. Dirty Dancing premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on May 12, 1987 and was released on August 21 in the United States, earning over $214 million worldwide—$64 million in the US and Canada and $150 million in other territories. It earned positive reviews from critics, who particularly praised the performances of Grey and Swayze, and its soundtrack, created by Jimmy Ienner, generated two multi-platinum albums, and multiple singles. "(I've Had) The Time of My Life", performed by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes, won the Academy Award for Best Original Song, the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song, and the Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. In 2024, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". The film's popularity successfully launched its titular franchise, including a 1988 television series, multiple reality competition shows, a 2004 prequel titled Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights, a stage production which has had sellout performances in multiple countries, a made-for-television musical adaptation in 2017, and an untitled sequel scheduled to be released in 2025, with Grey reprising her role.
Infobox
Directed by
Emile Ardolino
Written by
Eleanor Bergstein
Produced by
Linda Gottlieb
Starring
mw- Patrick Swayze Jennifer Grey Jerry Orbach Cynthia Rhodes
Cinematography
Jeffrey Jur
Edited by
Peter C. Frank
Music by
John Morris Erich Bulling Jon Barns
Productioncompany
Great American Films Limited Partnership
Distributed by
Vestron Pictures
Release dates
May 12, 1987 (1987-05-12) (Cannes) August 21, 1987 (1987-08-21) (United States)
Running time
100 minutes
Country
United States
Language
English
Budget
$4.5 million
Box office
$214 million
Tables
· Reception › Accolades
Academy Awards
Academy Awards
Award
Academy Awards
Category
Best Original Song
Nominee(s)
"(I've Had) The Time of My Life" Music by Franke Previte, John DeNicola, and Donald Markowitz; Lyrics by Franke Previte
Result
Won
Amanda Awards
Amanda Awards
Award
Amanda Awards
Category
Best Foreign Feature Film
Nominee(s)
Emile Ardolino
Result
Won
ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards
ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards
Award
ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards
Category
Most Performed Songs from Motion Pictures
Nominee(s)
"Hungry Eyes" Music and Lyrics by Franke Previte and John DeNicola
Result
Won
"(I've Had) The Time of My Life" Music by Franke Previte, John DeNicola, and Donald Markowitz; Lyrics by Franke Previte
"(I've Had) The Time of My Life" Music by Franke Previte, John DeNicola, and Donald Markowitz; Lyrics by Franke Previte
Award
"(I've Had) The Time of My Life" Music by Franke Previte, John DeNicola, and Donald Markowitz; Lyrics by Franke Previte
Category
Won
BMI Film & TV Awards
BMI Film & TV Awards
Award
BMI Film & TV Awards
Category
Most Performed Song from a Film
Nominee(s)
"She's Like the Wind" Music and Lyrics by Patrick Swayze and Stacy Widelitz
Result
Won
Deauville American Film Festival
Deauville American Film Festival
Award
Deauville American Film Festival
Category
International Critics Awards
Nominee(s)
Emile Ardolino
Result
Nominated
Golden Globe Awards
Golden Globe Awards
Award
Golden Globe Awards
Category
Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
Nominee(s)
Nominated
Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
Award
Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
Category
Patrick Swayze
Nominee(s)
Nominated
Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
Award
Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
Category
Jennifer Grey
Nominee(s)
Nominated
Best Original Song – Motion Picture
Best Original Song – Motion Picture
Award
Best Original Song – Motion Picture
Category
"(I've Had) The Time of My Life" Music by Franke Previte, John DeNicola, and Donald Markowitz; Lyrics by Franke Previte
Nominee(s)
Won
Golden Screen Awards
Golden Screen Awards
Award
Golden Screen Awards
Category
Won
Grammy Awards
Grammy Awards
Award
Grammy Awards
Category
Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals
Nominee(s)
"(I've Had) The Time of My Life" – Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes
Result
Won
Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or Television
Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or Television
Award
Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or Television
Category
"(I've Had) The Time of My Life" Music by Franke Previte, John DeNicola, and Donald Markowitz; Lyrics by Franke Previte
Nominee(s)
Nominated
Independent Spirit Awards
Independent Spirit Awards
Award
Independent Spirit Awards
Category
Best First Feature
Nominee(s)
Emile Ardolino
Result
Won
Jupiter Awards
Jupiter Awards
Award
Jupiter Awards
Category
Best International Film
Nominee(s)
Nominated
Kids' Choice Awards
Kids' Choice Awards
Award
Kids' Choice Awards
Category
Favorite Movie Actor
Nominee(s)
Patrick Swayze
Result
Nominated
TV Land Awards
TV Land Awards
Award
TV Land Awards
Category
Movie Dance Sequence You Reenacted in Your Living Room
Nominee(s)
"(I've Had) The Time of My Life"
Result
Won
| Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
| Academy Awards | Best Original Song | "(I've Had) The Time of My Life" Music by Franke Previte, John DeNicola, and Donald Markowitz; Lyrics by Franke Previte | Won | |
| Amanda Awards | Best Foreign Feature Film | Emile Ardolino | Won | |
| ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards | Most Performed Songs from Motion Pictures | "Hungry Eyes" Music and Lyrics by Franke Previte and John DeNicola | Won | |
| "(I've Had) The Time of My Life" Music by Franke Previte, John DeNicola, and Donald Markowitz; Lyrics by Franke Previte | Won | |||
| BMI Film & TV Awards | Most Performed Song from a Film | "She's Like the Wind" Music and Lyrics by Patrick Swayze and Stacy Widelitz | Won | |
| Deauville American Film Festival | International Critics Awards | Emile Ardolino | Nominated | |
| Golden Globe Awards | Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy | Nominated | ||
| Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy | Patrick Swayze | Nominated | ||
| Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy | Jennifer Grey | Nominated | ||
| Best Original Song – Motion Picture | "(I've Had) The Time of My Life" Music by Franke Previte, John DeNicola, and Donald Markowitz; Lyrics by Franke Previte | Won | ||
| Golden Screen Awards | Won | |||
| Grammy Awards | Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals | "(I've Had) The Time of My Life" – Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes | Won | |
| Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or Television | "(I've Had) The Time of My Life" Music by Franke Previte, John DeNicola, and Donald Markowitz; Lyrics by Franke Previte | Nominated | ||
| Independent Spirit Awards | Best First Feature | Emile Ardolino | Won | |
| Jupiter Awards | Best International Film | Nominated | ||
| Kids' Choice Awards | Favorite Movie Actor | Patrick Swayze | Nominated | |
| TV Land Awards | Movie Dance Sequence You Reenacted in Your Living Room | "(I've Had) The Time of My Life" | Won | |
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