▁woman ▁seeking ▁an ▁abort ion ▁was ▁not ▁demon ized ▁with ▁the ▁primary ▁concerns ▁being ▁her ▁health ▁and ▁pres erving ▁her ▁capacity ▁to ▁bear ▁children ▁at ▁a ▁future ▁time ▁rather ▁than ▁the ▁eth ical ▁d ile m ma ▁that ▁might ▁or ▁might ▁not ▁inform ▁her ▁decision , ▁a ▁port ray al ▁that ▁is ▁not ▁necessarily ▁available ▁in ▁current ▁films ." ▁ ▁The ▁ ▁film ▁drew ▁adult ▁aud ien ces ▁instead ▁of ▁the ▁expected ▁te ens , ▁with ▁view ers ▁rating ▁the ▁film ▁highly . ▁Many ▁film go ers , ▁after ▁seeing ▁the ▁film ▁once , ▁went ▁back ▁into ▁the ▁the ater ▁to ▁watch ▁it ▁a ▁second ▁time . ▁Word - of - mouth ▁promotion ▁took ▁the ▁film ▁to ▁the ▁number ▁one ▁position ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 0 ▁days ▁it ▁had ▁broken ▁the ▁$ 1 0   mill ion ▁mark . ▁By ▁November , ▁it ▁was ▁also ▁ach ieving ▁international ▁fame . ▁Within ▁seven ▁months ▁of ▁release , ▁it ▁had ▁brought ▁in ▁$ 6 3 ▁million ▁in ▁the ▁US ▁and ▁boost ed ▁attend ance ▁in ▁dance ▁classes ▁across ▁America . ▁It ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁highest - g ross ing ▁films ▁of ▁ 1 9 8 7 , ▁ear ning ▁$ 1 7 0   mill ion ▁world wide . ▁ ▁The ▁film ' s ▁popular ity ▁continued ▁to ▁grow ▁after ▁its ▁initial ▁release . ▁It ▁was ▁the ▁number ▁one ▁video ▁r ental ▁of ▁ 1 9 8 8 ▁and ▁became ▁the ▁first ▁film ▁to ▁sell ▁a ▁million ▁copies ▁on