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:

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

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:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The camera shot of Johnny at the fountain, which starts almost upside-down and turns (with Ponyboy's point-of-view as he is getting up) is Francis Ford Coppola "stealing from himself" in a sort of homage to the shot of Captain Willard in Apocalypse Now (1979), where the natives turn him upside-down, and the camera follows in his point-of-view.

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Goofs

Just before the rumble, Darry says to Ponyboy and Johnny, "You two will get the boys' home, you know what I'm saying?" The subtitle reads, "You two will get the boys' home, understand?"

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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 Ted (2012)

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Soundtracks

Lend Me Your Comb
Written by Kay Twomey, Ben Weisman (as Benjamin Weisman), and Fred Wise
Performed by Carl Perkins

User Reviews

early display of great talent

Most of the cast of The Outsiders went on to bigger and better things, except Leiff Garret. The Outsiders are a group of troublemaking greasers who all have strong bonds with each other. When C. Thomas Howell starts falling for Diane lane, the preppy gang starts messing with him. Soon there is a rumble and Ponyboy and Ralph Macchio are on the run. Has a great cast and a great director. The Outsiders is a good movie. ***