The best of Patrick Swayze

January 8, 2:13 PMSF TV & Movie ExaminerGreg Archer

Previous Next

Comment Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the SF TV & Movie Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

Swayze speaks to Barabars Walters

More than 12 million viewers tuned into Barbara Walter's captivating interview with Patrick Swayze Wednesday evening, where pop culture's reigning "dirty dancer" discussed his medical condition. Swayze is undergoing extensive treatment for Stage 4 pancreatic cancer, one of the most dire forms of the illness. "I'd say five years is pretty wishful thinking," the 56-year-old actor told Walters of his prognosis. The emotional interchange generated mondo buzz online and quite a bit of compassion for Swayze. It also forced us to reflect on how this creative beast still manages to leave a culturally imprint. Looking back over Swayze's career, I pinpointed 10 of his most impressionable outings.

Dirty Dancing (1987)
Swayze Meter: 10
Pop Footprint: "Nobody puts Baby in the corner!" Other than becoming one of the most popular films of the late-’80s and embedding itself into the pop culture stew—we had the time of our lives, after all—Swayze's dancing, dirty as it was, certainly rose to the occasion.

Ghost (1990)
Swayze Meter: 10
Pop Footprint: The Righteous Brothers' "Unchained Melody." The shirtless scene with the messy clay, the sudden offing of Swayze's Sam, Demi Moore's constant stream of tears, Whoopi's channeling the dead, the bright lights at the end ... and all that redemption. Pass the tissue!

To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything Julie Newmar (1995)
Swayze Meter: 9.
Pop Footprint: There can be a disco-happy Thelma and Louisa—in pumps—plus one. Swayze did more than turn heads as drag diva Vida Boheme. He managed to evoke compassion. That, along with all the lip gloss, Wesley Snipes and John Leguizamo, and a save-me-from-my-hick-of-a-hubby Stockard Channing, made this outing a Swayze classic.

The Beast (2009)
Swayze Meter: 9
Pop Footprint: Gruff is enough. Swayze headlines A&E's promising new Chicago cop drama. Nice to see the man back in form, even amidst his health crisis. The show debuts Jan. 15.

The Outsiders (1983)
Swayze Meter: 8
Pop Footprint: Sleeveless shirts, tough guys—and big biceps—rule.  Few in the ’80s managed to deliver as much sex appeal and swagger as Swayze could. (OK, Matt Dillon, too.) But this classic Frances Ford Coppola film delivered.

Point Break (1991)
Swayze Meter: 8
Pop Footprint: Surf dudes rule. Try making it sense of the film—we dare you. Still, even with befuddled Keanu Reeves along for the ride, this adventurous foray into all things mega surf-related, oddly, held our interest.

11:14 (2003)
Swayze Meter: 7
Pop Footprint: Even pop icons age.  This twisted caper about being in the wrong place at the wrong time—or was it the right time?—had a field day with time and showcasing different points of view. But seeing Swayze back up on the big screen after a noticeable absence simply fascinated us.

Roadhouse (1989)
Swayze Meter: 7
Pop Footprint: "The dancing is over. Now it gets dirty!" A silly romp, sure, but, oh, those choreographed fight scenes. 

Red Dawn (1984)
Swayze Meter:  6
Pop Footprint: Mullets have power. That's all you need to know about a film about the ... "dawn of World War III?"

Donnie Darko (2001)
Swayze Meter:  6
Pop Footprint: Get your "weird" on. A motivational speaker and closet pedophile? Say it isn't so. But Swayze's great take on a dark character added even more nuance to the cult classic.