The Outsiders
Movie Details:
| Based on | The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Crime, Drama |
| Release date | March 25, 1983 (United States) |
| Running time | 91 minutes (Theatrical version) 114 minutes (The Complete Novel) |
| Age rating | PG |
| Starring | C. Thomas Howell Matt Dillon Ralph Macchio Patrick Swayze Rob Lowe Diane Lane Emilio Estevez Tom Cruise Leif Garrett |
| Directed by | Francis Ford Coppola |
| Screenplay by | Kathleen Rowell |
| Produced by | Gray Frederickson Fred Roos |
| Cinematography by | Stephen H. Burum |
| Edited by | Anne Goursaud |
| Music by | Carmine Coppola |
| Production Company | Zoetrope Studios |
| Distributor | Warner Bros. |
Cast & Characters:
- C. Thomas Howell as Ponyboy Curtis
- Ralph Macchio as Johnny Cade
- Matt Dillon as Dallas “Dally” Winston
- Patrick Swayze as Darrel “Darry” Curtis
- Rob Lowe as Sodapop “Soda” Curtis
- Emilio Estevez as Keith “Two-Bit” Mathews
- Tom Cruise as Steve Randle
- Glenn Withrow as Tim Shepard
- Diane Lane as Sherrie “Cherry” Valance
- Leif Garrett as Bob Sheldon
- Darren Dalton as Randy Anderson
- Michelle Meyrink as Marcia
- Gailard Sartain as Jerry
- Tom Waits as Buck Merrill
- William Smith as the store clerk
Storyline:
It is 1961, and Tulsa, Oklahoma is divided in two along social lines. The youths of each side form gangs in line with these two camps: the working class Greasers and the wealthier South Side gang, the Socs. The two sides use any opportunity to niggle each other and whenever they meet, there is friction. Then one night, a gang of Socs attack two Greasers with a knife. This sets off a chain of events.
About Movie:
The Outsiders is an American coming-of-age crime drama directed by Francis Ford Coppola, adapted from S. E. Hinton’s 1967 novel. The film boasts an impressive cast of rising stars, including C. Thomas Howell (who won a Young Artist Award), Rob Lowe (in his film debut), Emilio Estevez, Matt Dillon, Tom Cruise, Patrick Swayze, Ralph Macchio, and Diane Lane. It played a pivotal role in launching the Brat Pack era of the 1980s. Dillon also appeared in two other Hinton adaptations: Tex (1982) alongside Estevez, and Coppola’s Rumble Fish (1983), featuring Lane. Estevez, later, wrote and starred in That Was Then… This Is Now (1985), another Hinton adaptation.
Coppola had not initially planned to make a film centered on teen angst until Jo Ellen Misakian, a librarian from Lone Star Elementary in Fresno, California, wrote to him on behalf of her students, urging him to adapt The Outsiders. The letter, adorned with approximately 15 pages of signatures from students, moved Coppola to read the novel. He was struck by the relationships between the greaser kids, reminding him of his time as a drama counselor at a summer camp.
The film was shot on location in Tulsa, Oklahoma, from March 29 to May 15, 1982. Originally, the film had a runtime of two hours and 13 minutes, but Warner Bros. deemed it too lengthy. Coppola was asked to cut it down to 91 minutes for its theatrical release.
Premiering on March 25, 1983, in the U.S., The Outsiders garnered positive reviews, especially for its performances, and grossed $33.7 million on a $10 million budget. Over time, it has gained a cult following, inspiring a 1990 sequel TV series and a successful 2023 stage musical adaptation.
Budget & Box Office Collection:
| Budget | $10 million |
| Domestic Opening | $5,068,165 |
| Worldwide Collection | $33.7 million |