Dirty Dancing: The Musical Remake

By starrymag | May 28, 2017

By: Nicole Dintelman

 

Wednesday night ABC aired it’s musically inspired remake of the 1987 classic film Dirty Dancing. If you’re like us and huge fans of the original, approaching a remake with an open mind is difficult. However, that’s exactly what we’re going to do! Dirty Dancing is a coming of age story of Francis ‘Baby’ Houseman (Abigail Breslin). She comes to Kellerman’s in the Catskills with her family in the summer of 1963 before she goes off to college and finds much more than she bargains for.

 

The movie opens with Baby going to the Dirty Dancing show on Broadway in 1975, which causes her to recall her summer of ‘63 that changed her life. The Houseman family is driving to Kellerman’s for their summer vacation and, let’s be honest, the singing is very cheesy. Baby’s sister Lisa (Sarah Hyland) is in college and looking for a husband, her father Jake (Bruce Greenwood) is a doctor that works too hard and her mother Marjorie (Debra Messing) is a too happy housewife. Why shouldn’t they sing?

 

Max Kellerman (Tony Roberts) greets the Houseman’s when they arrive and Baby has her first run in with Billy (Beau Casper Smart) when he takes their bags in. The ladies jump right in taking in a dance lesson with instructor Penny (Nicole Scherzinger) and Baby is anything but coordinated. At dinner that evening the family meets waitor Robbie (Shane Harper) and the owner’s grandson Neil Kellerman (Trevor Einhorn). Robbie takes a liking to Lisa and Neil asks Baby to go ballroom dancing with him after dinner.

 

During dinner Penny and dance partner Johnny (Colt Prattes) performed and Baby is mesmerized. Neil tells Baby that Johnny has a real attitude problem, but the guests love him. Baby excuses herself to go back to the cabin to read, but runs into Billy on the way. He’s carrying three watermelons and she offers to help. Originally, he declines but then accepts. He tells her that she can’t tell anyone what she sees because it’s for staff only. Baby sees Johnny and Penny arrive and once again can’t take her eyes off Johnny.

 

It doesn’t take long for Johnny to break out into song, singing “Do You Love Me.” Billy tells Baby that Johnny is his cousin and he got him the job at Kellerman’s. Baby asks Billy if Penny is Johnny’s girlfriend and Billy tells her that Penny is just Johnny’s dance partner. Johnny comes over and asks Billy what Baby is doing there. Baby tells Johnny that she carried Billy’s watermelon. Johnny tells Baby that the bunkhouse is for staff only. When Baby is leaving, Johnny grabs her and dances with her until Penny steals him away. Baby; however, is on cloud nine dancing all the way back to her own cabin.

 

Johnny seems to be providing extra services for certain guests. On his way home he stops at Mrs. Pressman’s (Katey Sagal) cabin and it isn’t for a dance lesson. The next morning at breakfast Robbie is harassing Penny by asking about private lessons. He’s implying that he heard she was cheap and easy. This doesn’t sit well with Johnny, but before things get too out of hand, Marco (J. Quinton Johnson) is able to talk Johnny down. He tells Johnny that Robbie is just trying to rile him up and to not let it work. We’re betting there’s more to this Penny and Robbie story.

 

Lisa goes to the dining room looking for Robbie. She’s letting him know that she’s interested. Baby is trying on wigs with Penny. She tells Penny that she’s a wonderful dancer. That evening while dancing, Marjorie tells Jake she wants to take a trip and he tells her sure they can. He will schedule one in a year and the girls can come. Okay, Jake, get a clue. She wants to take a romantic trip. Penny runs from the ballroom and is throwing up outside. Baby runs after her to check on her and Penny lets it slip that she’s pregnant. Johnny is busy doing a provocative dance with Mrs. Pressman. Jake leaves telling Marjorie it’s vulgar, but Marjorie tells him she wants to stay.

 

When the performance is finished Baby gets Johnny and takes him to Penny. Penny tells Johnny that she’s in trouble. Johnny asks Penny who’s it is and she won’t tell him. She tells him they need money to take care of it. Baby asks if they can ask Mr. Kellerman for an advance or she can help. Johnny tells her that she’s done her good deed for the day and she needs to waltz on back to the ballroom.

 

Lisa sneaks out to see Robbie, but gets caught by Baby first. Baby tells her that she should be focused on something more than getting married and Lisa asks her why she can’t just let her get married. Lisa tells Baby that if they weren’t sisters they wouldn’t even be friends because they have nothing in common. Ouch! Robbie tells Lisa that she is the type of girl that he can see himself marrying someday. She asks him when someday is for him and he tells her to tell him. Robbie is saying all the right things, but when he tries to take things a little too far Lisa fights him off. Lisa gets a glimpse at the real Robbie and tells him that she never wants to see him again.

 

On the golf course Baby asks her father for $250. She tells him that it’s for a friend and it’s really important. Baby tells him that she can’t tell him what it’s for and she just needs him to trust her. Jake tells her that he does trust her and she can have the money. Baby takes the money to Johnny and Penny that night at the bunkhouse. Johnny doesn’t want to accept the money, but Penny tells him that she needs it. Baby tells him that it’s not charity, she wants to hire him for dance lessons. Johnny tells her that it’s too much, but Baby tells him that she wants to dance in the end of summer talent show.

 

Her first lesson is the next morning and Johnny quickly learns he really has his work cut out for him. Remember earlier in the movie we learned that Baby has two left feet. He tells her to imagine she has more rhythm. When Baby goes to dinner she’s walking visibly sore and her parents have questions. She tells them that she took a really long hike.

 

Penny finds a doctor to do the procedure, but it has to be on her day off. The problem with that is she and Johnny have picked up an extra gig at another resort on that day. She’s checked with everyone to fill in and can’t find anyone to cover. Penny asks Johnny why Baby can’t do it. She tells him that he’s a good teacher and he can teach anyone. Baby says that she’s in if he is. He says he’ll do it.

 

Baby does seem to be improving as time goes on so maybe Johnny can teach anyone to dance. Once they have the routine down, Johnny tells Baby it’s time to learn the lift. Before they get to that he takes her to a log that is across a stream and tells her first they need to work on her balance. Johnny tells her if she can dance there she can dance anywhere. Once they’re finished log dancing they head to the water to practice the lift. Johnny is shirtless telling Baby that lifts are all about trust and all we can say is holy abs! I think we have found the best thing about this movie. He should have just been shirtless for the entire thing.

 

Back at Kellerman’s, Marjorie tries to get Jake to have a little sexy time when she goes in their room in a fancy nightgown. He’s not in the mood. She tells him that he hasn’t touched her in almost a year. A year? Wow, I’d say they need a little help. She finally leaves the room and leaves him to his own devices. Marjorie has a drink with Mrs. Pressman who is telling her all about her divorce. Vivian tells her that there is an upside to divorce: “You’re free.”

 

When Baby shows for her lesson the next day, it’s Penny that’s there and not Johnny. Penny tells Baby that Johnny had a private lesson so he sent her. Penny is going to teach her how not to lead. Baby has to let the man lead. This obviously calls for a song! Penny not only is going to teach Baby not to lead, she’s going to teach her to shake it. No matter what Baby does, she just looks incredibly awkward doing it. Johnny was right; she has no rhythm.

 

It’s time for the big dance at the Sheldrake. Penny is helping Baby get ready and thanks her for what she’s doing for her. She tells her that she doesn’t sleep around, she thought he loved her. Baby walks out and Johnny is the one speechless for once. Lisa finds Marco playing guitar on the stage and she tells him that he plays beautifully. He asks her if she plays and she tells him that she’s not musical and she has small fingers. Marco tells Lisa that he has just the thing for her and shows her a ukulele. He’s showing her how to play when his boss, Tito (Billy Dee Williams) comes in and tells him to get back to work. Tito also tells him if he wants to have a job next year to stay away from Lisa.

 

Baby and Johnny do their dance at the Sheldrake and it goes pretty well considering she just started dancing. She didn’t do the lift, but other than that the rest of the dance went great. When they get back to Kellerman’s, Billy is waiting for them. Something went wrong with Penny’s procedure. Baby immediately goes to get her father. Jake tells Penny that she really needs to go to the hospital, but Penny refuses. He tells Johnny that he should be ashamed of himself, but it wasn’t Johnny that got Penny in trouble.

 

Baby asks Johnny why he told her father that he was responsible for Penny and Johnny says that he doesn’t care what he thought of him as long as he helps Penny. Jake tells Johnny that he gave Penny antibiotics and will check on her in the morning. He also tells him that he should have been there with Penny and he wasn’t. Jake tells Johnny to stay away from Baby and then orders her to come with him. He asks Baby if that’s what his money went to pay for and she tells him that she didn’t think he would understand. He tells her that she’s not who he thought she was. Baby tells Jake to stop treating her like a kid and to stop calling her Baby.

 

Johnny is alone in his room drinking when Baby finds him. He tells her that she shouldn’t be there, but she insists on coming in. He’s again shirtless and again holy abs! Johnny tells Baby that her dad is right and he’s not good enough for her. She’s going to go off to college and what’s he going to do? Nothing. She tells him that’s not true. He’s going to have dancing. Johnny asks her to please get out of his life and Baby asks him to dance with her one final time. Baby has more than dancing on her mind though and she gets what she came there for. We, on the other hand, are wishing these two had more chemistry.  

 

Jake goes to check on Penny and tells her that she should be able to go back to work in a couple of days. He also tells her that this medical scare should help her reevaluate her life and help her make better choices. Johnny and Baby both come to see Penny after Jake leaves and Penny can see the vibe between them. When Baby leaves Penny asks Johnny what he’s doing and he tells her Baby is different. Penny tells him he has to end it. When he leaves Baby is outside waiting to talk to him and he blows her off.

 

At dinner that night, Marjorie has a song to sing to Jake. It was playing when they first met. Baby goes to Johnny’s room and pounds on the door, yelling that she knows that she meant something to him and he can’t just ignore her. He finally opens the door, kisses her and drags her inside. When Jake gets back to their cabin, Marjorie is packing. He tells her they can stay, she can unpack. Marjorie tells him that he’s never home and she’s lonely. She called a lawyer. She wants a divorce. Lisa is outside their door and hears their conversation. Marjorie tells Jake she’d rather be alone than lonely.

 

Lisa frantically tries to find Baby. She finds Marco in the ballroom and asks him to help her. He takes her to the dance studio, but Baby isn’t there. Lisa confides in Marco about her parents. Marco offers to walk Lisa back to her cabin because he’s a gentleman. Baby is still in Johnny’s cabin so she’s probably not going to be found anytime soon. She asks Johnny why he’s at Kellerman’s and not on Broadway. Mrs. Pressman starts banging on the door and Johnny tells Baby that she’s just a bungalow bunny – a woman that gives him money or gifts and it feels good to be wanted.

 

The next morning Baby skips home and finds Lisa waiting up in bed still hysterical. Lisa tells Baby that their mother said she wants a divorce. Lisa shares that Marjorie already called a lawyer. Baby tells Lisa they’ll figure it out. Lisa tells Baby that her dress is undone and her hair is disheveled. Lisa figures out that Baby slept with someone and asks her who it was. Baby tells her sister it was Johnny and she’s in love with him.

 

Johnny and Baby’s dance lessons have become a lot riskier. Neil sees them making out through a window and next thing Johnny knows Mr. Kellerman is searching his room. They find the watch that Vivian Pressman gave him and he’s accused of stealing it. Johnny is arrested and fired from Kellerman’s. Max is telling the Houseman Family about what happened. He tells them that Johnny’s alibi is he was in his room alone all night. Baby tells them that he was in his room all night and she was there with him.

 

Jake finds himself in the dance studio at the piano. He begins to play and sing the song that Marjorie played the night before. Baby comes in and apologizes to her dad. She tells him that she didn’t mean to disappoint him and she’s not perfect. Baby tells him that she wants him to be her father all of the time, not just when she’s making the choices that he approves of. Baby tries to tell Jake that Johnny isn’t the one that got Penny pregnant and that she wishes that he would just talk to him. Jake says that he can’t even look at Johnny because he took the one thing that meant the most to him. Baby says that she’s standing right there.

 

Johnny tries to talk to Jake when he’s playing golf the next morning. He’s come to tell him that he’s leaving and repay the money that baby borrowed. Johnny also thanks him for what he did for Penny. When saying goodbye, Baby tells Johnny that she loves him and she always will. It’s Penny that comforts Baby as Johnny rides away on his motorcycle. Baby finds solace at the dance studio once he’s gone, remembering their time together there.

 

Lisa is painting Baby’s nails and she asks her if she really misses Johnny. Baby doesn’t answer, but it’s written all over her face. Jake goes down for lunch and Robbie asks him if he’s ready to order. Jake says he wants to wait for his family, but Robbie tells him that his family won’t be joining him. Jake finds Marjorie at a card game and asks her to come out on a boat with him. He wants to apologize to her and tell her that he still loves her. Jake says that he stopped trying and would still give anything to be with someone like her. He tells her that he can’t lose her. Marjorie is willing to try again. The girls catch their parents making up and are delighted.

 

Marjorie surprises Baby with a new dress for the final show. She tells her that she thought it was time for her to have a grown up dress. Marjorie tells Baby that she’s sorry about the way her dad acted and she’s not the same girl that she was three weeks ago. When Baby tries to apologize her mom tells her not to be sorry, she didn’t commit a crime. She fell in love. At the show, Baby is reading and her mom tells her to put the book away, it’s a party.

 

When Robbie walks by Jake stops him to give him a summer bonus and Robbie also thanks him for his help with the “Penny situation.” Jake is dumbfounded. He takes the envelope back and tells Robbie to pay Penny back or he will make sure he never practices medicine – in not so many words. So, it was Robbie who got Penny in trouble. Not surprising, that guy is a creep!

 

Lisa performs a really sweet song and has Marco join her. He plays the guitar and she plays the ukulele. We’d like to call this one of the major highlights of the movie. Their voices compliment each other so well and this is an absolutely beautiful performance. While giving the end of summer speech Max is interrupted by Johnny. He’s come back to do the final dance. He goes over the Houseman’s table and says: “Nobody puts Baby in a corner.”

 

They head up to the stage and Johnny professes his love to Baby and asks her to dance with him one more time. Mrs. Pressman, of course, is furious and storms out. It wouldn’t be a musical without Johnny and Baby singing “I’ve Had the Time of My Life.” We’re hearing the words, but we’re still not buying it. These two just do not have the chemistry that a couple should have. Baby does the lift, finally. Jake does apologize to Johnny, which is nice to see.

 

Cut back to 1975 to Baby watching “Dirty Dancing” on Broadway. She’s alone in the theater getting ready to leave when she hears a familiar voice from behind. It’s Johnny. She tells him the show is amazing. He tells her that it was inspired by her book. Johnny tells her that he never thought he’d have a career on Broadway until he met her and she told him that that summer changed everything for her. Baby’s daughter and husband come in and she introduces them to Johnny. When she’s leaving Johnny says: “Keep on dancin.”