The Time of My Life: Dirty Dancing (13)

by Andrea Warner

An engaging exploration into the enduring popularity of Dirty Dancing and its lasting themes of feminism, activism, and reproductive rights When Dirty Dancing was released in 1987, it had already been rejected by producers and distributors several times over, and expectations for the summer romance were low. But then the film, written by former dancer Eleanor Bergstein and starring Jennifer Grey and Patrick Swayze as a couple from two different worlds, exploded. Since then, Dirty Dancing ’s popularity has never waned. The truth has always been that Dirty Dancing was never just a teen romance or a dance movie ― it also explored abortion rights, class, and political activism, with a smattering of light crime-solving. In The Time of My Life , celebrated music journalist Andrea Warner excavates the layers of Dirty Dancing , from its anachronistic, chart-topping soundtrack, to Baby and Johnny’s chemistry, to Bergstein’s political intentions, to the abortion subplot that is more relevant today than ever. The film’s remarkable longevity would never have been possible if it was just a throwaway summer fling story. It is precisely because of its themes ― deeply feminist, sensitively written ― that we, over 30 years later, are still holding our breath during that last, exhilarating lift.

Genres: Nonfiction, Pop Culture, Feminism, Audiobook, Essays, Canada

136 pages, Paperback

First published April 9, 2024

Reviews

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC received in exchange for an honest review.

Dirty Dancing holds such a nostalgic place in my heart. It was my cousins favourite film, and I use to watch it constantly at my aunts house growing up. So it was nice to revisit the film through a more critical eye, as Andrea Warner examines what has made it such a cult classic. From feminism, women's rights, political opinion and classis Warner shows how Dirty Dancing isn't just a summer romance, but a film that resonates with so many still to this day.

I do think at times this got a little self indulgent at times, and I wasn't the biggest fan of the music section on a personal level. However I thought overall this was a well thought out piece, and a quick read that opened my eyes to a lot of social commentary, especially regarding white privilege and the lack of diversity in the film (especially when you consider how much of the music and dancing is inspired by Black and Latinex culture).

[CaseyTheCanadianLesbrarian · Rating 2 out of 5]

Overall this just wasn't as intellectually rigorous (I know, I know, I sound like a pretentious academic) as I wanted it to be. I was expecting sharp analysis and unique insights, and I got a lot of plot summary and opinions without details or evidence to back them up. The last two chapters, focusing on the music/soundtrack and Dirty Dancing as an abortion movie, were the best. The contextual details about abortion rights and pro-choice movements were helpful in understanding the movie and its cultural and political significance.

I enjoyed her ranking of the 12 songs from the original soundtrack, and agreed with a lot of what she said (Yes, Otis Redding's Love Man and Solomon Burke's Cry to Me should have been on the album in place of other songs, yes Bill Medley should have let Jennifer Warnes take up the majority of the space on "Time of the My Life", yes "Hungry Eyes" has predatory lyrics) but I still felt like she didn't convince me. Like, I had to look up "Hungry Eyes" to see, oh yeah, these words are creepy. Why didn't she give an example? And I wanted more investigation into the film's use of music by Black artists without any representation of Black characters.

The first few chapters are disorganized and repetitive. At least this book is a quick short read! And it did get me excited to rewatch and appreciate the movie again. I haven't seen it in like a decade!

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I could have read this in one sitting if I had not started it right before bed. I'm torn with this one. I loved it as a fan of the movie but it seemed like the author was writing a college essay maybe. The author is a liberal activist so down with capitalism, the patriarchy, and abortion for all. I always love people who write books and hate capitalism. Ummm...you want consumers to buy your product so you get money, but down with capitalism. So the majority of this book is a love letter for abortions. The author says Dirty Dancing is an abortion movie. I disagree. I understand the movie only happens because of Penny's abortion, but it is a coming of age story and a romance. The author also rates the songs and of course the popular songs are at the bottom of her list. She actually says that Bill Medley's voice takes up too much space and he should have been more of a supporting figure to Jennifer Warnes. What?! It is a duet. They are both amazing. Then she trashes She's Like the Wind. Patrick Swayze is singing how he is not good enough for her. He is vulnerable and believes he is not worth anything. That he is a nothing. It is a beautiful song. One of the things I love about the movie is how they fall in love and don't just jump into bed like so many other romances nowadays. I love Patrick Swayze in it. I also love the coming of age of Baby. One of my favorite scenes, besides the finale, is when Baby confronts her dad and says how he lied to her too. She has been living in a bubble and finally sees how the world really is. And why did the author have to bring up the 2017 version of Dirty Dancing that was an abomination? I had forgotten about it for good reason! So I did not watch the film a million times and become a feminist or activist like the author did but I will continue to watch it over and over for the love story, the music, and the dancing.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dirty Dancing fans like myself won't want to miss this incredible cultural critique of the lasting impact and before its time feminism that was involved in the making of and wide audience appeal that was this movie and its iconic actors!! This was so great on audio and I learned a lot to make me appreciate one of my favorite movies even MORE!! Job well done to Canadian author, Andrea Warner!!

[Siobhan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Time of My Life is a love letter to the film Dirty Dancing, exploring its production, plot, and lasting effect, particularly upon the author. Part of the 'Pop Classics' series that explores different pop culture phenomena often through a personal lens, the book focuses on the feminist ideals of the film and the importance of the abortion plot line, as well as the complexities of cultural appropriation through the use of music and dance in the film.

This kind of book that blends personal memoir with a focus on some kind of pop culture has become quite prevalent recently and it can be a great way to explore a piece of media through someone else's eyes. In this case, I do really like the film Dirty Dancing and I liked how this book takes it seriously as a film, appreciating the soundtrack and acting but also social commentary elements of it. Warner delves deep into the film and the result is a book that makes it clear why so many people love the film and why it hasn't aged as badly as a lot of other 80s films.

[Elle D’Arcy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dirty dancing is my fav film error so when I saw this book I absolutely had to pick it up!! I loved the nostalgia and the links to abortion rights in the US today (disgusteng). Maybe the itemised critique of every song was a lil overboard. Now time to make Jack watch the film with me 🥰

[Britta Böhler · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5*

[Dessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love pop classics as an introduction to a beloved thing. This one was especially fun because I haven’t actually seen dirty dancing, which just jumped to the top of the to-watch list let me tell ya, but there’s something really fun and interesting to me about getting to see a cultural object through someone else’s eyes before you see the object itself, which is why I specifically didn’t watch dirty dancing before starting this book.

PCs are always a lovely combo of personal passion for and critical thinking about a cultural object, and maybe academia has ruined me but I wanted, I think, that balance to be more towards the critical here and less towards the effusive. Lots to chew on here about abortion narratives and female-led movies, and I really liked the acknowledgment of how the dance and music choices lean heavily on Black culture without the movie really owning up to that. All in all, I absolutely crushed this book and had a very nice time doing so. Thanks to ECW for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

[Beth Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

Loved the idea, sadly poor execution

[Sharondblk · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book might have the most boring cover in the history of books! This book is part of a series where authors explain the profound meaning of movies they love. It reminded me of the equally interesting Object Lesson' series. Warner explores Dirty Dancing, both from a feminist, class and coming of age point of view. She explains the movie and the impact it had on her, on others and it's legacy, both good and bad. the author is deeply invested in the movie, as well as the social justice messages she extracts from it, and is simultaneously not blind to the limitations of the movie. While this is an interesting read, it did become a little repetitious.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dirty Dancing was my mom's favorite movie, so I can't be objective, but I have seen it at least a hundred times. This book didn't say anything I had never thought of (except the recap of the 2017 TV remake, which sounds WILD) but it was such a comforting afternoon to spend time with a writer emphasizing the political heart of the movie.

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wanna rewatch the movie now!
Thank you to ECW Press for my gifted review copy!

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

|| THE TIME OF MY LIFE: DIRTY DANCING ||
#gifted @ecwpress
Publishes April 9th
✍🏻
"Dirty Dancing is an Abortion movie".
The Time of my Life is a smart, and honest exploration of the cult classic. A film the remains relevant 30 years later. Centered on feminism, political activism and reproductive rights. I thoroughly enjoyed Warner's tribute to one of my favorite films. This movie stands out in my childhood like no others. The opening scenes of dirty dancing are forever etched in my mind. Men and women grinding, sweaty, sexual and captivating, my young eyes couldn't look away, regardless that I didn't fully understand what I was watching. Since then I have come to appreciate everything that this film is and acknowledge a few things it neglects. Warner calls out the lack of acknowledgment from the writer Eleanor Bergstein about the Black and Hispanic cultures that play a huge part in the movie and the predominantly white cast as well. Warner covers the origins and production as well as breaks down the storyline, characters, and major themes like privilege and class and of course the iconic music! A lot of Warner's love and appreciation for the film mirror my own. I underlined so many passages. Highly reccomend this one!
•
Pop Classics is a series from @ecwpress they are short books that pack a big punch, Pop Classics offer intelligent, fun, and accessible arguments about why a particular pop phenomenon matters.


For more of my book content check out instagram.com/bookalong

[Joanne Hattersley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Andrea Warner for your words and to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

While I enjoyed this book, and the movie (I distinctly remember my parents telling me…watch this ….you'll like this) this book comes across a bit like an extended critical analysis essay that you might submit to a college or English class. The author I feel has written this for herself, as if to remind herself of what the movie meant to her as opposed to anything else.

When I saw DD I did not view it as an abortion movie. I still do not. It’s a coming of age movie as Baby grows due to circumstance, the abortion backstory being one of those circumstances. Others may and do view it differently. The coming of age is the bigger story. A woman learning truth, lies, love, family dynamics and more. Most of all learning how to become the woman she wants to be.

Enjoyable but not what I expected.

[Louise Gray · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you are a fan of this movie, you will likely enjoy the detailed analysis offered in this book. The soundtrack is an important aspect of the movie’s success and the author includes this as a major consideration. Some time is spent on the cultural appropriation rife in the film, which is an important observation often overlooked by the privileged viewer. Similarly, the importance of the abortion sub-plot of the movie is highlighted. As a reader, I could not help but think the author has written this book with one reader in mind - herself. It comes across as self indulgent to the point of being almost exclusive to any other reader.

[Gab · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the section of the book discussing the abortion plot of the movie and how significant it was and still is. Genuinely worth reading.
I liked the part that analyses the importance of a young woman led movie that tells a story of sexual awakening and discovery through her perspective. It didn't say anything new but it does argue the value of Dirty Dancing as a movie in its time.


The rest of the book though, not so much.
I didn't expect this book to be so much about the author's personal life. For such a short book, a lot of it felt like it wasn't relevant or important to the points being made but rather, told the personal story of the author's relationship with the movie which wasn't as interesting to me.
I would have preferred a more in depth look at the cultural context of the times in which the film was released rather than the familial context of the author, for example.

I also would have liked more attention given to the flaws of the movie (the appropriation of Black culture and the lack of fat characters, as examples) that the author mentions but goes over quickly. They are very important and would be essential to discuss where we to talk about the relevance of the movie today, which I thought was an aim for the book that falls short of its goal.
A lot of space in this book is lost to bashing the musical adaptation as well as the other movies (which, they deserve, but takes attention away from the main movie discussed in the book) that could have been used for more important topics.



I would still recommend it to fans of the movie as I think it makes interesting points, but don't expect too much.


Thank you NetGalley and ECW Press for the opportunity to read this ARC.

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to #NetGalley, the publisher and the author for this ARC.

I have no idea how many times I've seen Dirty Dancing or listened to the sound track because I can't tell you but it's a lot so I knew I had to read this book.

As it started out it summarized the movie and I'm like don't tell me the whole book was going to be summarized like this but I knew it couldn't be. It analyzed not only the movie and the scenes but also about feminism, the characters, etc. I also learned a lot about the author and how she related to it, her views, her opinion especially about abortion and the abortion scene.

I was sort of surprised that in print, it was only 120 pages but even though it was such a small book, it really was a lot of information including the 2 sequels (one film and the other for tv both panned) and the traveling show too that the author didn't like either.

I really enjoyed it though and did learn things I never knew about the movie, music, etc. though I did know some things being a big fan of the movie, Jennifer Grey, Patrick Swayze (r.i.p.), etc.

Nobody Puts Baby In A Corner is my favorite line and it always will be.

[Niki Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a big Dirty Dancing fan, and I loved this book. Warner points out something I've never really thought about, the political importance of Dirty Dancing. She goes deeply into the storyline and the songs, and it's a great analysis of the film. I collect Dirty Dancing items and have visited both filming locations which I wrote a book about. There can never be too many Dirty Dancing books. On the surface, Dirty Dancing looks like fluff, but Warner has pointed out the deeper meaning of it. You can have the time of your life and be educated.

Niki Taylor
author of I've Had the Time of My Life and I Owe it All to Me available in ebook on amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/Ive-Had-Time-L...

[AnnieM · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recently watched the film "Dirty Dancing" for a film class and we compared it to "Flashdance" (which I absolutely loved). But watching them both again, I could see that the female characters in "Dirty Dancing" have so much more agency and don't depend on the men in their lives to complete them. Andrea Warner brings a feminist lens to the film and I found myself appreciating the messages and framing of the film even more now. The film is about summer romance (the romance that changes you and gives you confidence but ends when Fall comes). But it is also has a clear statement about women's right to choose and a reminder of what life was like before "Roe vs. Wade.." She talks about the music which is so incredibly memorable and other insights into the filming of the movie. Subsequent remakes sound terrible in that they tried to change up the formula too much. This movie is a classic and is relatable to me as a coming of age story.

Thank you to Netgalley and ECW Press for an ARC, and I voluntarily left this review.

[Elisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s surprising to see how many women have been influenced by this movie. I personally blame it for my attraction to older men since I was a teenager, but I was surprised by how differently it influenced the author’s politics. This is not a history of the film itself. There is a lot of information about its creator, as well as the authors, the music and the big plot points. It also discusses the sequel(s), a theatrical version and a TV series. But this is mostly the author’s own interpretation of the movie and how it molded the person she has become. Despite being on the opposite end of the spectrum (as a Catholic, my views on abortion have never changed), I still found her opinions illuminating. Still, I wasn’t expecting such combative prochoice content. As a book about one of my favorite childhood movies, I enjoyed it, but it was too political and not what I was expecting.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, #NetGalley/#ECW Press.

[Steph Connor · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up

Dirty Dancing is one of my all-time favorite movies that I can watch on repeat without ever tiring of it. I was so excited when I saw this title, assuming it was going to be a fun, nostalgic look at the behind-the-scenes and lesser known details of the film. However, that is certainly not what this is. Delving into the political and social aspects of the film, my listening experience felt a lot like I was a participant in a college elective on the patriarchy, racism, abortion, social status, and cultural appropriation. It was an interesting read, but the author's own very liberal views will not be for everyone. I also completely disagreed with the chapter where she rates the songs featured in the film. "She's Like the Wind" should have been much higher on that list :)

[Sarahlovesbooks76 · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Time Of My Life is a discussion of the movie Dirty Dancing. The book reads like a long essay/dissertation, with very political content - it really wasn't what I was expecting.

The narrative reads in a very dictatorial fashion, almost as if the author's view is the right one - although I totally disagreed with the music discussion! It was interesting to read another view on the movie, but at times it felt like the author's strong views were imposed on the film, I didn't (and still don't) see it in the same way at all. It also felt to me like it needed a further edit, to reorganise and sort repetition.

Worth a read of you are a fan of the film, but be prepared to potentially disagree with the contents!

[Andrea · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book, which really isn't a book, isn't exactly what I thought it would be. I thought it would be more of a behind-the-scenes look at the movie Dirty Dancing, but it's really a long-ish personal essay about the author's thoughts and feelings about the movie. I appreciated the insights from the screenwriter and producer of Dirty Dancing, Eleanor Bergstein, because I've never read any interviews with her, but otherwise I found it to be over explanatory (any fan of the movie who would read this doesn't need a line-by-line summary of various scenes) and repetitive, especially for something that's only novella-length.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[K. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Dirty Dancing. Having watched the movie to the point of memorization, I welcome hearing fellow fans discuss the impact the movie had on them. This book wanders the line between fan account and critical analysis. Sometimes that works, sometimes not, making for an uneven read. I do appreciate looking at the movie's abortion theme in one chapter, as I have not seen many analyses do so, but the cohesion of the book suffers. If you are a fan of the movie, you will enjoy this as a one time read.

[lucy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting, I read it before ever watching dirty dancing sooooo that was interesting but then I watched it that night and I think it was better having read it first. Idk. U can probably read this book in one sitting, I read a couple pages at the library and then read it while I was walking home (NERD) and somehow didn’t get hit by a car🍀 if the library was still in Home Depot or whatever that store was it probably would have been enough time to read it j on the walk home which I LOVE I LOVE A SHORT BOOK yum

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

How the film impacted on the author's life. The musical inspiring lyrics that had a second chance to hit the charts. The number of inspirational themes. The female roles that are at the heart of the movie and how they interact and impact on each other.
All things I had not taken into account when watching a favourite and beloved movie.
Enjoy the book

[Florence ✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Then she witnesses the arrival of dance instructor Johnny Castle (Patrick Swayze, wearing the hell out of a perfectly fitted pair of black pants), undulating across the crowded floor in a way that seems inclusive and welcoming, never predacious. When they're introduced, Grey's delivery is perfect. Baby blurts, "I carried a watermelon" instead of "Can I climb you?"”🍉🍉🍉

[Amy Freeman]

I really liked the first 3/4, but didn’t love the parts about Dirty Dancing spin-offs, mostly because I don’t care about Dirty Dancing spin-offs.

Here’s a confession: I’ve never even seen Dirty Dancing. I just wanted a really short book & this was recommended to me on Spotify! I’m glad I listened to it & will likely watch the movie now.

[Kelly Pramberger · Rating 4 out of 5]

I could relate so much to this book! I was a huge Dirty Dancing fan and watching it on repeat growing up. Finding this title was a dream. Warner's writing did not disappoint. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. Five stars. Loved it.

[Andrea · Rating 1 out of 5]

This short, five chapter analysis of the film “Dirty Dancing” was a disappointment. Analyzing the main character of Baby, the music, and the topic of abortion, this book is limited, uninteresting, and disengaging.