Dirty Dancing

Summary

foul Dancingfeatures an iconic pairing in Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey , but how old was Jennifer Grey , how grownup is their age gap , and does it make the movie problematic?Dirty Dancingis somewhat autobiographic for screenwriter Eleanor Bergstein , as it ’s based on her own teenage experience . This fact only brings the question of Baby and Johnny ’s historic period difference of opinion further into the light . While the moving picture does n’t explicitly tell the two protagonists ' eld , there ’s enough evidence to suggest a huge gap .

Johnny and Baby ’s ages inDirty Dancingcome into question simply by looking at Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey . Indeed , Baby does n’t even look like she ’s in the same age chemical group asPatrick Swayze ’s Johnny inDirty Dancing , and the pic train no pace to explain any part of it . While this could be a merchandise of the time it was made , Dirty Dancingmight not book up well under today ’s magnifying glass in terms of its more problematic area . However , it ’s all hooked on how old Jennifer Grey is inDirty Dancing .

2022 is a spectacular twelvemonth for HBO Max Original content . Here ’s a leaning of every known release engagement for HBO Max Original series and movies .

Article image

How Old Are Baby And Johnny?

Johnny Is 25 Years Old & Baby Is 17 Years Old

clue inDirty DancingplaceJohnny ’s age at 25 year former and Baby ’s age at 17 . At the origin ofDirty Dancing , Baby ’s narration references the"summer of ' 63.“Early dialogue reveals that she ’s plan to attend Mount Holyoke ( an all - female individual college in Massachusetts ) to study the economic science of underdeveloped country . In thepolitically chargedDirty Dancing , Baby also states that she plan to join the Peace Corps soon before pose eyes on Johnny for the first prison term .

Some reports have suggested that Baby is supposed to be 18 or even 19 years old . However , based on a 2017 interview with Grey ( viaCloser Weekly ) , itseems that Baby was presumptively born in 1946 and is hypothecate to be 17 year previous . The grapheme does n’t actually bring out her age inDirty Dancing , nor does Johnny involve on - tv camera . If Baby is indeed a minor , that would explain her father ’s confrontational attitude toward Mr. Castle throughout most of the picture show .

InDirty Dancing , Johnny ’s 1938 birthdate makes him 25 years honest-to-goodness . The fiber ab initio questions why Baby gained access to a private dancing region , but then invite her to boogie-woogie and subsequently teaches her some moves . Swayze ’s Johnny andJennifer Grey ’s Baby / Francesslowly become friends while dealing with Penny ’s aesculapian procedures ( Jake Houseman allow for the appropriate assistance ) , and they finally become amorous partner .

Collage of Johnny and Baby in Dirty Dancing

Custom Image by SR Image Editor

The focalDirty Dancingrelationship may not be appropriate , but the age crack is n’t enough to make Baby ’s father concerned

Dirty Dancingon HBO never addresses the eight - class years divergence between the two characters , which makes the film somewhat controversial – both then and now – because Baby is indeed a nestling . In 1963 America , though , it was n’t uncommon for mankind and women to be in a kinship or marry at a young age . The focalDirty Dancingrelationship may not be appropriate , butthe age gap is n’t enough to make Baby ’s Fatherhood concernedduring the climactic functioning . In fact , Jake Houseman essentially apologize to Johnny .

How Old Were Patrick Swayze And Jennifer Grey During Dirty Dancing?

Swayze Was 34 Years Old & Grey Was 27 Years Old

The late Swayze was approximately seven years sure-enough than Grey in substantial lifespan . WhenDirty Dancingpremiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May 1987,Roadhousestar Patrick Swayze was 34 yr oldand was best get laid for present Darrel"Darry"Curtis inThe Outsiders .

Jennifer Grey had just turned 27and had previously portrayed Jeanie Bueller inFerris Bueller ’s Day Off . She also appeared alongside Swayze inRed Dawnas Toni Mason . In 2010 , Grey wonDancing with the Starsseason 11 , just over a yr after herDirty Dancingco - star , Swayze , go past away at age 57 from pancreatic malignant neoplastic disease .

Johnny And Baby’s Age Gap In Dirty Dancing Is Questionable At Best

There’s Nothing Wrong With The Relationship According To New York State Law

Johnny and Baby ’s old age opening inDirty Dancingis certainly problematic for many . But if she was 17 years onetime and he was 25,New York state law would take for nothing incorrect with their human relationship . This means that the age gap is technically legal but still baffling , and would definitely evoke concern were a movie to sport such a relationship dynamic today . Despite this , somecreepy geezerhood col are quite common in film .

Movies likeLicorice Pizzacan get away with extensive lovers ' eld differences , and hoi polloi seem to be forgive of its inclusion body . After all , Dirty Dancingis still a dear and critically herald moviewhen it get along down to it . The film is so prolific that it got a TV remake in 2017.Dirty Dancingremains popular , but when put up to today ’s standards , the age spread between Johnny and Baby would n’t fly unquestioned were a script to let in it today .

Jennifer Grey landed her most iconic role opposite Patrick Swayze as Dirty Dancing ’s Baby from an unplanned and completely perfect audition moment .

All HBO Max Original shows and movies releasing in 2022, House of the Dragon, The Flight Attendant, Raised by Wolves.

Custom Image by SR Image Editor

Dirty Dancing’s Problematic Age Gap Isn’t Alone

American Beauty, Raging Bull, & Many Others Are Guilty Of It

Jennifer Grey and Patrick Swayze ’s age gap inDirty Dancingis certainly creepy , but it ’s not the only pic to feature a knotty age crack between the two lead . Whether it ’s the ages of the doer themselves or the characters they fiddle , Hollywood has pump outplenty of iconic films that showcase uncomfortable historic period differences between romantic partners . Take , for instance , any Woody Allen film .

The romance betweenColin Firth and Emma Stone in Allen ’s 2014 rom - comMagic in the Moonlightis a more modern example . The age gap between the two role player is 28 long time , with Firth being 53 at the time and Stone being 25 . While legal , the noesis that Firth was 28 when Stone was born made many viewers uncomfortable .

A moreovert example is picture in the ' 90s classicAmerican Beauty . American Beautyshows a 42 - twelvemonth - old Lester Burnham ( Kevin Spacey , then 39 ) flow in love with his teen girl ’s 16 - year - former friend , Angela ( Mena Suvari , then 19 ) . The 1980 Martin Scorsese dramaRaging Bullshows an adult Robert de Niro light for a 15 - year - old character played by a 17 - yr - old actress . Finally , Entrapment , starring Catherine Zeta - Jones and Sean Connery , bear witness electric discharge vanish between the two character , but did nothing to explainactor Sean Conneryand Zeta - Jones ' nigh 40 - class age interruption .

Baby and Johnny practicing dancing together in Dirty Dancing

So , the age difference inDirty Dancingmay be baffling , but it is n’t alone in its word-painting , and it ’s far from being the sorry offender . Not to refer , the Johnny - Baby age col is n’t the only problematic matter about this iconic film .

The Age Of Baby & Johnny Wasn’t The Only Dirty Dancing Lie

The Was On-Set Tension Between Grey & Swayze

How old Patrick Swayze was inDirty Dancingand his geezerhood col with Jennifer Grey , unfortunately , is n’t the only Trygve Lie in the movie . Now in her LX , Grey open up about their tense family relationship on solidification .

" The same direction Baby and Johnny were not suppose to be together … a natural mate , right ? And we were n’t a lifelike match . And the fact that we needed to be a innate match create a tautness . Because normally when someone ’s not a instinctive , you … both the great unwashed move on , but we were force to be together . And our being forced to be together created a kind of a synergy , or like a rubbing . I actually just had a thought process about Patrick . I feel like if I could say anything to him now I would say , ' I ’m so regretful that I could n’t just take account and luxuriate in who you were , instead of me wishing you were more like what I wanted you to be . “(viaPeople ) .

What We Know About The Dirty Dancing Sequel

Dirty Dancing 2 Will Be Released In Summer 2025

Despite the eld opening contention , Dirty Dancingremains a democratic and iconic ' fourscore picture even decades afterward . Its success spawn a 2004 prequel and a made - for - video adaptation in 2017 but the enceinte newsworthiness is that anofficial continuation , Dirty Dancing 2 , is on the horizon . It was confirmed that Jennifer Grey will be repeat her role as Baby and that Jonathan Levine is slate to be the film director , though not much else is known about the picture show . The release date for theDirty Dancingsequel has been pushed back to 2025 due to the SAG - AFTRA strike and hopefully , the ruined merchandise involve no confutable age gap .

Your Rating

Your gossip has not been save

Cast

Starring Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey , Dirty Dancing follows Frances " Baby " Houseman , a young woman on vacation at a summertime hangout with her family who becomes the unwitting competition better half of one of the resort ’s saltation instructors , Johnny . As Baby and Johnny ’s relationship heighten over the course of instruction of the summertime , the disapproval of Baby ’s syndicate , specially her father , jeopardise to tear them aside .

A composite image of Johnny looking on stoically with Baby pouting against a wall in Dirty Dancing

Custom Image by SR Image Editor

Dirty Dancing Baby Audition

Dirty dancing 2 patrick swayze jennifer grey

Headshot Of Jennifer Grey

Headshot Of Patrick swayze

Movies

Dirty Dancing