The Outsiders Review

MPAA Rating: PG
Released: 1983

Francis Ford Coppola (The Godfather, Apocalypse Now) was inspired by an actual high school class to adapt S.E. Hinton's classic book The Outsiders to the big screen. This character-driven drama tells the story of life in the 60's where a band of teenagers from the wrong side of the track, dubbed the "Greasers," struggle to learn about life and themselves, all the while fighting for respect against a gang of privileged rich kids called the "Socials."

Life in the 60's was undoubtedly a simpler time, though issues such as teenage gangs and the perpetual struggle for respect all teens face existed then as now. The difference of course is that disagreements were solved by fists rather than guns, making the gang problem far more noticeable in the 90's and on. Regardless of the day and age, the youth gang issue has always been ripe for absorbing novels and/or cinematic appearances, and The Outsiders is one of the best.

Dallas Winston (Matt Dillon), Johnny Cade (Ralph Macchio) and Ponyboy Curtis (C. Thomas Howell), three members of a street gang called the Greasers, are enjoying a night on the town when they meet up with a pair of girls who happen to belong to an opposing gang of rich kids called the Socials, or Socs for short. Both of the girls are charmed by Johnny and Ponyboy's affable nature, but their boyfriends don't share that sentiment, which leads to a brief confrontation that would later have serious repercussions.

Later that night while Ponyboy and Johnny are at a park trying to let the stresses of family and life dissipate away, a car full of Socs pull up and pick a fight with the outnumbered boys. During the scuffle Johnny, who fears for his friend's life, pulls a knife and kills one of the attackers. Neither Johnny or Ponyboy wanted anyone to die, and both are horrified at how things escalated out of control.

I'm going to end the plot summary at this point (which is still relatively early in the film) because if you haven't seen or read The Outsiders yourself yet, you owe it to yourself to without the plot being spoiled.

Due to Coppola's masterful direction and the time period in which the movie takes place, The Outsiders is just as powerful today as it was in the 80's; this is a movie that isn't dated or marked with the decade's stylistic stamp. Film adaptations of popular novels are often difficult to produce accurately, but this movie does a great job in honoring the source material from which it is based. Approximately half of the original filmed material was cut out of the final film at the insistence of the studios, which believed audiences would become bored with a three hour film, so unfortunately the adaptation doesn't include all the events or character building of the book. Nevertheless, it's about as close as a film could hope to come.

Part of the story's success comes from the likeability of its characters. Although the Greasers are a gang, as we get to know them we can see most are truly nice kids cursed with being born in poverty and terrible families. We start to care for the characters, and it's at that point that we're drawn into the movie.

There is no doubt that the cast of young actors that would later move on to become major stars is responsible for lending the likeability to the characters. The Outsiders proved to be a springboard for many careers, including Tom Cruise, C. Thomas Howell, Patrick Swayze, Matt Dillon, Ralph Macchio, Rob Lowe and Emilio Estevez, and while some of the acting is a little bit unpolished compared to what the future would bring for this impressive cast due to their youth and inexperience, they all did a bang-up job that would have put most adult actors to shame.

The Outsiders does possess a couple scenes of shocking violence (though not so graphically as to get an R-rating), but this is by no means an action flick. It's a sincere and powerful tale of teenagers struggling to find a place for themselves in the world, and serves as a remarkable film for both young and old.

Movie rating: 9 stars

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Dallas Winston, Johnny Cade and Ponyboy Curtis

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