Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights (2004)

In November 1958, the American teenager Katey Miller moves with her parents and her younger sister to Havana. Her father is an executive of Ford expatriated to Cuba, and Katey is an ... See full summary »

Director:

Guy Ferland

Writers:

Kate Gunzinger (story), Peter Sagal (story),

Stars:

Diego Luna, Romola Garai, Sela Ward

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Diego Luna	...	Javier Suarez
Romola Garai	...	Katey Miller
Sela Ward	...	Jeannie Miller
John Slattery	...	Bert Miller
Jonathan Jackson	...	James Phelps
January Jones	...	Eve
Mika Boorem	...	Susie Miller
René Lavan	...	Carlos Suarez
Mya	...	Lola Martinez (as Mya Harrison)
Polly Cole	...	Polly (as Polly Cusumano)
Chris Engen	...	Steph
Tommy Kavelin	...	Señor Alonso
Wilmer Cordero	...	Teacher
Charlie Rodriguez	...	Grandpa Suarez
Donato Poveda	...	Troubador (as Donato)

Storyline

In November 1958, the American teenager Katey Miller moves with her parents and her younger sister to Havana. Her father is an executive of Ford expatriated to Cuba, and Katey is an excellent high school senior student that misses her friends. The family is lodged in a fancy hotel, where Katey accidentally meets the local teenage waiter Javier Suarez. Later she sees Javier dancing in a public square and they become friends, but he is fired from the hotel because her acquaintances have seen them together. Katey invites Javier to participate of a Latin Ballroom Contest in the local Palace club to help him to raise some money, and she secretly meets him in the La Rosa Negra nightclub for rehearsals. Later they fall in love for each other in times of revolution.

---

Plot Keywords:

dancing | revolution | cuba | nightclub | love | 

---

Taglines:

Have the time of your life... all over again.

---

Genres:

Romance | Drama

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for sensuality

Details

Official Sites:

Official Site Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

27 February 2004 (USA)

Also Known As:

Havana Nights: Dirty Dancing 2

Filming Locations:

Puerto Rico

Box Office

Budget:

$25,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$87,392 (South Africa) (22 October 2004)

Gross:

$131,416 (South Africa) (29 October 2004)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Lions Gate Films, Miramax Films, Lawrence Bender Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

86 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Neither Romola Garai nor Diego Luna (Katey and Javier) had any professional dance training. Before production began, the actors spent ten weeks in Puerto Rico, training for eight hours a day with producer JoAnn Fregalette Jansen and four additional dancer/choreographers.

---

Goofs

When Javier is getting ready to go to the dance-off, he puts on his brother's suit coat twice.

---

Quotes

Eve: [about Katey's skin-tight dress] God, what'd she do? Paint it on?

---

Connections

References Leave It to Beaver (1957)

---

Soundtracks

"Lamento Cubano"
Written by Eliseo Grenet
Performed by Donato Poveda (as Donato) & The Troubadours: Felix Escobar Ramos,
Alfredo Copello, Victor Copello and Eduardo Saborit
Published by Southern Music Publishing Co. Inc.
Produced by Manny Benito and Donato Poveda (as Donato)

User Reviews

I enjoyed it

When I went in to see Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights, I expected it to be really bad with all the bad reviews labelling it as corny and ridiculous etc. So I was surprised when it turned out to be a better film that I expected. The acting was good and the dancing was hot. And even though the plot may have been unoriginal and predictable, nothing these days is really that new.

I thought Romola Garai (as Katey Miller) did a good job of keeping up an American accent. And Diego Luna (as Javier Suarez) does a great job of dancing and being a charismatic character, not to mention that he's pretty hot!

I haven't seen the original Dirty Dancing, but I think you should let this film stand on its own. Just because it uses the name, it doesn't mean they're linked.

On the whole, if you want to see a nice movie with lots of hot dancing, Havana Nights is for you. But if you're looking for something equal to the original, you may not like this one as much.