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 & 3 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:

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

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Taglines:

They grew up on the outside of society. They weren't looking for a fight. They were looking to belong.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama

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Certificate:

PG

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, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$25,600,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Zoetrope Studios,AMLF

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min 114 min (2005 edition)

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Brooke Shields turned down the role of Cherry, in order to play Dale in Sahara (1983).

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Goofs

As Ponyboy, Johnny and Dally are walking to the movies, when you see them walking in front of the store, the boom mic (and its operator) are reflected on the windows (04:47 to 04:53 in 91 m.).

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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 television edit of the film has several additions that are not featured on the theatrical version

• Courtroom scene where Ponyboy is acquitted of the murder charges
• Family argument between the brothers causing Sodapop to runaway but the three of them reconcile and talk about taking care of one another.
• Alternate extended scene with Cherry and Ponyboy at the park.

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Connections

Referenced in Splash (1984)

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Soundtracks

Mystery Train
Written by Junior Parker (as Herman Parker Jr.) and Sam Phillips (as Sam C. Phillips)
Performed by Elvis Presley
Sun Studios, rereleased by RCA Victor

User Reviews

Brilliant!

The Outsiders is a great adaptation of S.E Hinton's wonderful (and heart-breaking) novel. The film is a piece of art. It's got a good, solid story, beautiful photography, convincing acting by the leading actors and a nice score.

It's a star-packed film with appearances by Tom Cruise, Rob Lowe, Patrick Swayze among others. (Not to mention it was directed by Francis Ford Coppola!) But I was most amazed by C. Thomas Howell's portrayal of Ponyboy Curtis, the central character of the novel and film, who did a great job carrying the story.

There are many scenes in the film that are exactly like the book, even following the same dialogue. Usually I don't think that's a good thing since I like to see someone else's interpretation, another one's point of view instead of a copy of the book. But Coppola masters everything beautifully anyway so it never gets boring and C. Thomas Howell's interpretation of his role is what makes the film stand on its own.

Thanks to Howell there are many memorable Ponyboy moments. One of those is Ponyboy's recital of Robert Frost's 'Nothing Gold can stay', which is a scene that stays with you forever. Another actor who caught my attention in this film was Emilio Estevez who plays Two-Bit Mathews, friend of the Curtis brothers and a greaser. Estevez lights up every scene he's in and the film wouldn't be as great without him.

There are only two things I don't like about the film: The greasers are too well-groomed and clean and the socs are a too one-dimensional.