Citizen Kane, The Godfather, Once Upon A Time in the West, Dirty Dancing. There are some films that sear themselves into history like no others, that demand repeat viewings to peel away the layers of subtlety and subtext. Last night we joined hundreds of like-minded cinephiles in SF's Union Square for an outdoor showing of the greatest of these.
Dirty Dancing tells the seemingly banal story of a girl on holiday with her parents who finds love through dance. But it is so much more than that. Or maybe it isn't. But how could you not be moved by the cheers that greeted Patrick Swayze's appearance, or at every memorable line ("I carried a watermelon", etc.), or the soundtrack of Hannah's teenage years before she met me and I introduced her to real music? As the fog rolled in we retired to the Cheesecake Factory at the top of Macy's for further post-film deconstruction.
An expectant crowd waits.
Pre-show entertainment. Quite clean, actually.
Here we go! The film that once so shocked Hannah's Granny that she made her granddaughters turn it off.
Someone's happy.
Wasn't Jennifer Grey Oscar-nominated for her role?
The tension and emotion on-screen gets to all involved.
One to try in the swimming pool tomorrow.
What happens if you indulge in dirty dancing.
