A Conservative Generation
Dirty Dancing was filmed during the time when American society was still very conservative – it was shot during the 1980’s after all, during the time when Ronald Reagan was still President. One thing that made the film seem problematic to one of the sponsors was the fact that Penny, one of the film’s characters, got an abortion. The said sponsor pulled out their support as the management had a pro-life conviction. What made it even more controversial was the way abortion was negatively portrayed in the movie.
A Conservative Generation
Not Exactly An Instant Hit
Dirty Dancing was not an immediate hit in the box office. In fact, there was even a time when it wasn’t – at least to its producers, it wasn’t. After the director, Emile Ardolino, and the other movie editors showed the first cut to the producers, they didn’t like it. They hated it so much that they wanted to put an end to it. One sponsor even told the director to “burn the negative and collect the insurance.” Those words may seem harsh, but they obviously gave him another chance and he obviously nailed it.
Not Exactly An Instant Hit