The Outsiders (1983)

The rivalry between two gangs, the poor Greasers and the rich Socs, only heats up when one gang member kills a member of the other.

Director:

Francis Ford Coppola (as Francis Coppola)

Writers:

Kathleen Rowell (screenplay) (as Kathleen Knutsen Rowell), S.E. Hinton (novel)

Stars:

C. Thomas Howell, Matt Dillon, Ralph Macchio

1 win & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
C. Thomas Howell	...	Ponyboy Curtis
Matt Dillon	...	Dallas Winston
Ralph Macchio	...	Johnny Cade
Patrick Swayze	...	Darrel Curtis
Rob Lowe	...	Sodapop Curtis
Emilio Estevez	...	Two-Bit Matthews
Tom Cruise	...	Steve Randle
Glenn Withrow	...	Tim Shepard
Diane Lane	...	Cherry Valance
Leif Garrett	...	Bob Sheldon
Darren Dalton	...	Randy Anderson
Michelle Meyrink	...	Marcia
Tom Waits	...	Buck Merrill
Gailard Sartain	...	Jerry
William Smith	...	Store Clerk

Storyline

Tulsa, Oklahoma, 1965. Fourteen-year-old Ponyboy Curtis is the youngest of three orphaned brothers who live on the north side of town, the "wrong side" of the tracks. Sensitive Ponyboy used to have a good relationship with his oldest brother Darrel, but since Darrel became the household caregiver, he is always on Ponyboy's case. Caught in the middle is third brother Sodapop, who dropped out of school to work full time. They all belong to The Greasers, a gang of boys from the north side also from working class families, often broken. Ponyboy's main concern is that any problem they may encounter, especially in their Greaser activities, will lead to the authorities splitting up their family. He also believes Darrel would have outgrown them and become something in his life if it wasn't for his loyalty to the gang, and the need to take care of the family. The rest of the world sees the Greasers as all the same, the face being Dallas Winston, the most volatile one who has just been released...

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Plot Keywords:

dysfunctional family | gang | male objectification | rivalry | 1960s | 

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Taglines:

S.E. Hinton's classic novel about youth.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama

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Certificate:

PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

In the film, Dallas harasses Cherry and the two have an altercation. The scene was shot early in filming, and Matt Dillon and Diane Lane recalled years later that it got them off on the wrong foot and created real tension between them off set, which is why their irritability with each other in the scene seems very real. When the cast reunited in 2003 for the 20th Anniversary, the men laughed when Lane told them about this, all agreeing that they remembered the ongoing feud between her and Dillon. Lane blames her adolescent insecurities for being so sensitive to Dillon's teasing. She also admitted that she remembers fondly how protective he and the other boys were of her. Dillon and Lane ended up shooting two other films together, both of which they are each other's love interest, and became good friends.

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Goofs

Dallas, Pony Boy and Johnny go to a drive-in restaurant in a '66 T-Bird when the story takes place in '63.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Ponyboy: [voicecover] When I stepped out into the bright sunlight, from the darkness of the movie house, I had only two things on my mind: Paul Newman, and a ride home.

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Crazy Credits

Closing dedication: This film is dedicated to the people who first suggested that it be made... Librarian Jo Ellen Misakian and the students of the Lone Star School in Fresno, California.

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Alternate Versions

The Uncut PG version is, as its title suggests, uncut and runs 121min (the original version runs 91min).

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Connections

Referenced in Youth of Patriots

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Soundtracks

When It Rains It Really Pours
Written by William Emerson
Performed by Elvis Presley

User Reviews

A good transfer of story from book to screen

I might not get the highest possible rating for my comments on this movie but I'm going to be totally honest. First, I read the book and then shortly afterward saw the movie. In my opinion the movie did a good job of getting the whole story from book to screen. A lot of the scenes caught the mood I felt when I read the book, or even shed some light on them for me. C. Thomas Howell played his part very well and showed acting skill, but he just seemed too nice, too sensitive to enjoy fighting for its own sake the way his brothers did. I could believe Darry and Soda looking forward to a fight with the Socs but I just did not get the feeling from PonyBoy that he was a fighter. Even Johnny Cade seemed more on edge, more 'ready to fight' than PonyBoy, who played all his scenes really well - he just didn't convince me he was someone who enjoyed a fight.

Of all the actors cast for the film, and really all were done well, I think Ralph Macchio as Johnny Cade was the most perfectly cast based on how I perceived him to be from reading the book.

To be honest, when reading the book I could tell it was written by a woman. I enjoyed it very much, and would say if you have a few hours, the book is not too long to read and I'd recommend it even more highly than the film.

The Outsiders is a very good film in any case and worth watching.

Details

Country:

USA France

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 March 1983 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Outsiders: The Complete Novel

Filming Locations:

Admiral Twin Drive-In, Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$10,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$5,068,165, 27 March 1983

Gross USA:

$25,697,647

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$25,697,647

Company Credits

Production Co:

Zoetrope Studios, AMLF

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min 114 min (2005 edition)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1