I cannot tell a lie: when I was 16 years old, I liked DIRTY DANCING. Went to see it with a bunch of my high school friends and thoroughly enjoyed it. What's not to like in a movie about an idealistic young woman who spends the summer falling in love, learning how to dance (vertical- and horizontal-style), saving the world, and struggling with her family? I can't be the only person who fell for the unabashed shlock of DD, because guess what? It's back!

I don't know why DIRTY DANCING has been re-released. Yeah, it is the 10th anniversary of the original release, but what next? The 15th anniversary of GOONIES? DD was a massive success in 1987, and 10 years later it still works as a guilty pleasure. This flick is 100 percent cheese, no doubt about it. But it does have all the right elements for a summer smash: a love story; a fun soundtrack of oldies; a class struggle; a working man with a heart, ass, and package of gold; a scenic setting; and plenty of horizontal and vertical lambada-ing.

Frances "Baby" Houseman (Jennifer Grey) and her family are upper-class Jewish liberals vacationing in the Catskills. From the moment they arrive, it is clear that Baby yearns to hang out with the staff of Kellerman's, the borscht-belt resort. Baby spies on the staff as they spend their off-hours bumping and grinding to soul music. Sigh. They are so funky and sweaty and sexy and ethnic, and she is so white-bread and her hair is so frizzy.

Before you know it, Baby is deeply involved in their world. She helps save the tough-but-sweet Penny (Cynthia Rhodes) from a back-alley abortion and jumps into the arms of Johnny Castle (Patrick Swayze), the dance instructor from the wrong side of the tracks.

The plot of DIRTY DANCING is insanely goofy. It is a blend of traditional fairy tale and "The Love Boat." Baby argues with her father (Jerry Orbach). She bickers with her sister (Jane Brucker). Lessons are learned about the Ivy League waiters (assholes) and the hard-working resort staff (nice people, good dancers). There are also really weird little subplots about kleptomaniacal old people and sleazy middle-aged resort women looking for "love." The stories may be lame, but at least you're getting a lot of bang for your buck.

The re-release does force a question: what happened to Jennifer Grey and Patrick Swayze? "Not much" would be the best answer. Grey was so great as the bitchy sister in FERRIS BUELLER'S DAY OFF, and she's perfectly acceptable as Baby. But that's it. I think her career tanked because she is similar to, but not quite as attractive as, Sarah Jessica Parker.

As for Swayze, well his *acting* in DD is kind of an indication for the direction of his career--it ain't good. Then there's his dancing. When I was 16, I thought he was a good dancer. That guy may be stiff (his big selling point?), but a good dancer? No. Swayze is so bad. It's reason enough to see the movie. He can bump and grind, but that's about it. And, poor guy, what a terrible, terrible hair style--kind of a bouffant, but short in front and long in back.

Two bit players from DIRTY DANCING have done okay. Jerry Orbach is a regular on "Law & Order," and Wayne Knight, who plays the irritating event organizer at Kellerman's, now plays the irritating Newman on "Seinfeld."

DIRTY DANCING is good clean fun. I tapped my feet to the beat. Laughed at Baby's whiny older sister (particularly when she wants to sing "I Feel Pretty" at the resort talent show). Also, despite everything, there is something vaguely sexy about DD. Part of it is just the dancing. Dancing is often sexy--even if it's that cheesy, "Dance Fever" kind of stuff. And there is something sweet about the summer-romance/first-love story.