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Dirty Dancing

1987 · directed by Emile Ardolino · 100 min
26,504 feet · Prominence
162nd of 15,261 films scored
Not coveredThe 162nd highest film on the mountain, and The Rewatchables has never done it.

How this film scores

Draw73

$215m worldwide in 1987 — $623m in today's money.

As released$215mIn 2026 money$623mRank434 of 8,589In 19874 of 130

How Draw works

Inflation-adjusted worldwide box office, on one global curve, and nothing else. It does not know whether a film was good.

Praise72

Critics 69, awards 17. Half each, so Praise lands at 72.

Critics69 → 35Awards17 → 9

Oscars1 won Original Song
Golden Globes1 won Original Song
How Praise works

Half critics, half a tiered award record where Picture and Directing carry most of the weight. Praise is the verdict at the time; Legacy is the verdict since.

Legacy85

Judged directly: Nobody puts Baby in a corner; the lift.

Verdict85 of 100IMDb7.1 from 278kWikipedia59k views a monthAge39 years

On the listsNational Film Registryevidence, not an input to the score
Scored beside it · 70 of 3,430 films judged

If it does not belong in this company, the number is wrong.

How Legacy works

Legacy is a judgment, not a formula. A film can be adored by critics and culturally quiet, or lightly reviewed and permanently lodged in the culture, and no arithmetic over IMDb numbers tells the difference. Every signal behind it keeps updating.

draw 73 praise 72 legacy 85averages 77, which places it at26,504 ft
How the three become one number

Added, not multiplied, so a film transcendent on one pillar and weak on another is not zeroed out. A compression curve then squeezes the top, because the seven greatest films ever made should not be four thousand feet apart.

In these careers — elevation for this film

No scored career runs through this film yet. The people-side engine currently covers 108careers, and this film’s cast sits outside them. Top billing: Jennifer Grey, Patrick Swayze, Jerry Orbach, Cynthia Rhodes.