“I carried a watermelon.”

Celebrate ANDREA WARNER‘s new book, The Time of My Life, on Wednesday, August 7 with a special DIRTY DANCING screening and costume contest! Keep it Crayze for Swayze and stick around for a double bill screening with DONNIE DARKO. Have the time of your life and feel free to sing-along, we know you know the words!

The special event also features a short, live recording of the 10th anniversary of the feminist pop culture podcast, Pop This!, co-hosted by Lisa Christiansen, Andrea Gin, and the author herself, with a special guest.

In ‘The Time of My Life,’ celebrated music journalist Andrea Warner excavates the layers of Dirty Dancing, from its anachronistic, chart-topping soundtrack, to Baby and Johnny’s chemistry, to Bergstein’s political intentions, to the abortion subplot that is more relevant today than ever. The film’s remarkable longevity would never have been possible if it was just a throwaway summer fling story. It is precisely because of its themes — deeply feminist, sensitively written — that we, over 30 years later, are still holding our breath during that last, exhilarating lift.

“Andrea Warner is a gift to pop culture commentary, and The Time of My Life is even more proof. Through her rich and thoughtful analysis, Warner reminds us that Dirty Dancing is more than a love story, it’s an absolute triumph, just like this book.” (Anne T. Donahue)

“What Andrea Warner has achieved here is masterful: taking an iconic cultural touchstone and inviting readers into a timeless conversation on how it marked not only her own life, but also our collective hearts. The Time of My Life is heartbreaking and sweet, thoughtful and radical.” (Niko Stratis)

Books will be available for sale via Iron Dog Books.

Baby (Jennifer Grey) is one listless summer away from the Peace Corps. Hoping to enjoy her youth while it lasts, she’s disappointed when her summer plans deposit her at a sleepy resort in the Catskills with her parents. Her luck turns around, however, when the resort’s dance instructor, Johnny (Patrick Swayze), enlists Baby as his new partner, and the two fall in love. Baby’s father forbids her from seeing Johnny, but she’s determined to help him perform the last big dance of the summer. Also starring Jerry Orbach, Cynthia Rhodes, Kelly Bishop.

“Endlessly quotable, strangely fascinating and immensely charming, there’s a reason that this retains an evergreen appeal. And it takes a hard heart not to grin at the final, euphoric dance number.” (Empire Magazine)

Wednesday, August 7
Doors 6:00 pm | Event 6:30 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.
Advance single film tickets on sale HERE

Why not make it a Patrick Swayze Double Bill with DONNIE DARKO at 9:30 pm for one sweet price HERE?

DIRTY DANCING (Emile Ardolino / 1987 / 100 mins / PG) Expecting the usual tedium that accompanies a summer in the Catskills with her family, 17-year-old Frances ‘Baby’ Houseman is surprised to find herself stepping into the shoes of a professional hoofer – and unexpectedly falling in love.

*Minors OK. Must be 19+ w/ID for bar service.
*Rio Theatre Groupons and passes OK for any single film only. Please redeem at the door.
*We recommend purchasing your tickets in advance at www.riotheatretickets.ca. If a screening or live event is not sold out, the remaining tickets will be available for in-person purchase at the Rio Theatre’s Box Office prior to showtime (subject to availability).
*Our box office is typically open 30 minutes before showtime. All seating is General Admission; please arrive 20-30 minutes prior to showtime to ensure great seats, and time for treats at concession.
*If you are looking to redeem either a Rio Theatre gift certificate or Groupon to any regular Rio Theatre screening: You can either email us in advance <[email protected]> and give us a “heads up,” or do it at the box office prior to showtime.

*All Rio Theatre tickets are final sale.