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

The movie details a town split between the wealthy South Zone gang called "The Socs" and the poor North Zone gang called "The Greasers". Dallas Winston, Ponyboy Curtis, and Johnny Cade from "The Greasers" befriend the rich Cherry Valance and Marcia at a drive-in. Later that night, a group of "The Socs" chase and beat up Johnny, and attempt to drown Ponyboy in a fountain. However, Johnny stabs one Soc and kills him, saving Ponyboy. The desperate boys seek Dallas who finds a hide-out for them in a nearby town. One week later, Johnny and Ponyboy decide to return to their hometown, with Dallas, to claim the murder as self-defense. But on their way back, they see the church on fire and Ponyboy and Johnny help the children trapped in the church and become heroes. However, Johnny is badly wounded and confined to the hospital. Meanwhile, The Socs and The Greasers prepare to fight.

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Plot Keywords:

gang | rivalry | holding someone's head underwater | dysfunctional family | male objectification | 

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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

Francis Ford Coppola had the boys spend a night in the Curtis house used in the movie. He wanted the three "brothers" (Patrick Swayze, Rob Lowe, and C. Thomas Howell) to cook a meal together (none of them cooked) and get them to be as close as brothers. All the boys were in character for hours on end.

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Goofs

Johnny's newspaper photo has him with short hair, but he didn't have his hair cut until just before the fire- from which he got severe burns. In his photo he is fresh faced.

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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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Connections

Referenced in Life Unexpected: Honeymoon Interrupted (2010)

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Soundtracks

Real Wild Child
Written by Johnny O'Keefe, Johnny Greenan, and Dave Owen (as Dave Owens)
Performed by Jerry Lee Lewis

User Reviews

I loved the Book and Movie

When I first read the book, I thought it was excellent. Then after reading the book, I decided to watch the movie. The first time I watched it I thought it was horrible, but then I watched it a second time and started realizing what the director was trying to point out. I thought that Coppola left out ALOT of VERY important details, like the first chapter, which wasn't really important but more then some scenes he put in. I also think he could have picked the actors better, not by how they acted (they acted great, but by how they looked, in the book it said Dally was towheaded (blonde) and he had dark brown hair in the movie, and it also said he was ugly and frightening, but I found him pretty good looking, BUT it was played by Matt Dillon.

Now I have the movie and have watched it a hundred times, and liking it more every time I see it. I have also read the book over and over, and find it better then the movie. If you are to watch the movie, read the book first because then the film will be easier to understand. I would recommend, both the movie and book to young adults. It was done wonderfully and the actors were great, especially Matt Dillon and Rob Lowe, even though he only had a few lines.