How we cite our quotes: All quotations are from Dirty Dancing.
Quote #1
BABY: That was the summer of 1963, when everybody called me "Baby" and it didn't occur to me to mind.
What this amazing first line implies is that at some point during the course of this movie, Baby is going to mind being called Baby. It also sets the stage for us to realize that as the younger sister, she's probably been pretty pampered all her life.
Quote #2
BABY: Where'd they learn to do that?
BILLY: Where? I dunno. Kids are doing it in their basements back home. Wanna try it?
Baby's shocked when she sees the dancers, because they are nothing like she has ever seen before. From her reaction, we can see that she's led a relatively sheltered lifestyle but she's not scared of trying something new.
Quote #3
BABY: I carried a watermelon.
We've all been in an uncomfortable situation and said something incredibly stupid because we didn't know what else to say. That's where Baby is here. At least she didn't drop the watermelon.
Quote #4
PENNY: Go back to your playpen, Baby.
Here's the moment where Baby minds being called Baby. Her nickname and her innocence are turned against her as an insult by Penny. Who asked for your two cents, Penny?
Quote #5
BABY: Daddy, I'm sorry. I never meant to lie to you.
JAKE: You're not the person I thought you were, Baby. I'm not sure who you are.
Baby's Dad has his own conflict when he must come to terms with his little girl growing up. He thinks she's making bad decisions, but soon he'll see that she's more like him than he initially thought. Maybe he was called Baby back in the day?
Quote #6
BABY: Dance with me.
Some movies are about situations forcing their protagonists to grow up before they are ready. Not Baby. She chooses to grow up by asking Johnny to "dance" with her. She knows what she's asking him.
Quote #7
JOHNNY: Frances, that's a real grown-up name.
Baby says she was named for the first woman in the cabinet, Frances Perkins, the Secretary of Labor under Franklin D. Roosevelt. She also graduated from Mount Holyoke, where Baby plans to attend. Do you think Baby will go by Frances from now on, or will we someday see President Baby Houseman?
Quote #8
LISA: I've decided to go all the way with Robbie.
BABY: Lisa, no, not with somebody like him. […] It's just wrong this way. It should be with someone… it should be with someone that… that you sort of love.
Baby's response says a lot about how much she's matured. She's giving her big sister wise advice, but she's also being realistic. Note the "sort of" she adds before love. Baby isn't expecting an ideal situation.
Quote #9
JAKE: You looked wonderful out there.
Jake realizes that Baby has gone from baby to young woman when she does the dance at the end of the movie. It's a loss of innocence for him, in a way too. And he chooses to accept it with the same grace that Baby does. He knows that even as she grows up, he'll still be Baby's Daddy. Although he should never use the phrase "Baby's Daddy."