The Outsiders movie, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, is an adaption of the novel written by S.E. Hinton. Released in 1983, the film launched the careers of some of the biggest actors of the 1980s.
The story is based around a street gang called the Greasers. The Greasers are made up of Darrel, Sodapop, Ponyboy, Johnny, Dallas, Two-Bit and Steve. Darrel and his men have a rival gang known as the Social or Socs. The Socs are a lot wealthier then the Greasers and the plot develops as the confrontations between the two gangs grow more and more fierce.
Throughout the film you get to see a different side to these young men and exactly how heroic as well as vulnerable they can be.
Mickey Rourke, Nicholas Cage and Val Kilmer are all said to have been considered for role in The Outsiders but didn’t quite get past the audition process for one reason or another. Rourke would later appear in Rumble Fish, another S.E. Hinton novel directed by Coppola. Matt Dillon and Diane Lane who were in The Outsiders would also star in Rumble Fish.
While a little dark and depressing in parts, The Outsiders is a realistic portrayal of teenage gangs from that era and deservedly received four Young Artist Awards nominations.
The Outsiders Rating
An instant classic, Francis Ford Coppola’s telling of this story is dramatic with a number of convincing performances from a very young cast. A rock solid Brat Pack rating of 8 out of 10.
The Outsiders Characters
Ponyboy Curtis – Played by C. Thomas Howell
Johnny Cade – Played by Ralph Macchio
Sodapop Curtis – Played by Rob Lowe
Two-Bit Matthews – Played by Emilio Estevez
The Outsiders Trivia
Dallas falling out of his car at the drive-in was not a planned stunt. If you look closely, you can see Ponyboy looking at the camera and laughing.
Anthony Michael Hall auditioned unsuccessfully for the part of Ponyboy Curtis.
Rob Lowe did not get to see his cut scenes until “The Outsiders – The Complete Novel” was released 23 years after filming them.
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