A coming-of-age story that’s refreshing in its focus on a female lead, “Baby” Houseman’s (Jennifer Grey) visit with her family to a resort in the Catskills gets complicated when she tries to balance her parents’ expectations and a budding romance with dance instructor Johnny Castle (Patrick Swayze). It has iconic moments and deals with touchy issues. Featuring a memorable but sometimes anachronistic soundtrack and excellent choreography by Kenny Ortega, who went on to direct several films, it was a huge box-office success it its initial release and has continued to be a fan favorite in the years since. — Lisa Elliott
