43 'The Outsiders' Facts Will Surely Take You Back In Time

'The Outsiders' is regarded as one of the most romantic and heroic portraits of teenagers ever seen on the big screen.

The film was released in the United States on March 25, 1983, and is inspired by S. E. Hinton's 1967 novel. Coppola was inspired to make this movie by Jo Ellen Misakian, a librarian at Lone Star Elementary School in California, and her students.

The film's impressive cast of young actors includes Rob Lowe, Patrick Swayze, Matt Dillon, Diane Lane, Emilio Estevez, Tom Cruise, Ralph Macchio, and C. Thomas Howell (who garnered a Young Artist Award). The plot follows a group of disillusioned youths as they fight with their identity and the challenges that come with it.

Distributed by Warner Bros, the movie became so far the best novel adaption in the history of cinema, thereby receiving many awards and accolades.

Plot And Commercial Success

It seemed inevitable that the author of one of the most shockingly mature novels in young adult fiction would function as a mother figure to keep those rambunctious young actors straight during the filming process with a film full of teenagers.

Ponyboy Curtis, along with his brothers Sodapop ('Soda'), Darrel ('Darry') as well as Johnny, Dallas ('Dally'), Steve, and 'Two-Bit,' used to play together in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

The socs (short for Socials, pronounced soshes), wealthy kids from the other side of town, are their rivals. Because their parents perished in an accident, the Curtis brothers live jointly, with Darry taking on the role of parent.

After a confrontation that results in the death of a Social member, Greasers Ponyboy (played by C. Thomas Howell) and Johnny (played by Ralph Macchio) are forced to go incognito.

Dallas (Matt Dillon) and his Greaser buddies, as well as Ponyboy and Johnny, will have to cope with the consequences of their violent lives.

While some Greasers try to redeem themselves, others die in a tragic accident.

The author S.E. Hinton appears in a scene where a nurse is caring for Dallas (Matt Dillon).

Hinton has appeared in additional adaptations of her writings, including the 1983 film Rumble Fish (directed by Coppola) and the 1982 film Tex.

The all-out conflict between the Greasers and the Socs reaches a fever pitch in the film's conclusion when the two groups meet in the mud for a rain-soaked brawl.

This resulted in on-set and off-set feuds with other actors. As a result, numerous actors sustained genuine injuries during the film's final fight scene.

Janet Hirshenson and Jane Jenkins, the film's casting directors, said in a 2007 book that the movie established a new form of filmmaking, especially about teenagers - a more lifelike look at how young people talk, act, and perceive the world.

This film was one of the few in Hollywood to deal genuinely with kids from the wrong side of the tracks and to represent children who had been mistreated, neglected, or otherwise failed by their parents.

'The Outsiders' received four nominations for the Young Artist Foundation's Young Artist Awards.

'Best Young Motion Picture Actor in a Movie' was bagged by C. Thomas Howell for his role as the Ponyboy in the movie.

The award for 'Best Young Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture' was handed over to Diane Lane.

At the 13th season of the Moscow International Film Festival, Francis Ford Coppola was recognized for the Golden Prize award.

Details About Production

From a church tower being set on fire to one actor living on less than five bucks a day, the actors experienced a plethora of bizarre events while filming this movie.

Francis Ford Coppola was approached by Jo Ellen Misakian, a library assistant at Lone Star Elementary School in Fresno, California, about producing 'The Outsiders' on behalf of her primary students.

In the letter he received, there were around 15 pages of children's signatures scribbled in various colors.

Coppola was enthralled by the Greaser children's relationships after reading the story. It brought back memories of his youth when he worked as a theater counselor at a children's camping trip.

For the students who wrote to Francis Ford Coppola, he held a special viewing.

Tulsa, Oklahoma served as the beautiful backdrop for the film.

From March 29 until May 15, 1982, filming took place. An entire plot from 1982 about a guy killed by a train in Boston was included in a newspaper which used to portray a narrative about the three Greasers rescuing the kids in 'The Outsiders.'

During the church burning sequence, Coppola's desire for realism almost led to disaster.

The film was originally two hours and 13 minutes long.

Warner Bros. considered the film to be a failure and way too lengthy. As a result, Coppola reduced the running time for the theatrical release to 91 minutes.

Although the film garnered positive reviews from both book lovers and film reviewers, some criticized it for removing key scenes from the novel and reordering some.

Coppola re-released 'The Outsiders: The Complete Novel' on DVD in 2005, adding around 22 minutes of previously unseen footage and a contemporary soundtrack to replace the original's musical score.

On disc two of the DVD, you'll find behind-the-scenes conversations with the actors and crew, novel excerpts, extra deleted scenes, the original theatrical promo, and an NBC News Today feature from 1983 about how 'The Outsiders' has inspired youngsters all over the globe.

On November 9, 2021, Warner Archive Collection issued a manufactured-on-demand Ultra HD Blu-ray including both versions of 'The Outsiders', plus 'The Complete Novel.'

Casting And Crew

The young actors were made to read a variety of parts and characters. The auditions were rumored to run up to five hours at a stretch. Coppola prioritized hyper-realism and authenticity in the material, which resulted in a slew of bizarre events on and offset.

The casting process resulted in the debut or breakout performances of actors who were famously known as the Brat Pack: C throughout the '80s.

Emilio Estevez, Thomas Howell, Ralph Macchio, Rob Lowe, Patrick Swayze, Tom Cruise, and Matt Dillon starred in the film.

The casting of the picture was partly overseen by producer Fred Roos, a longstanding partner with Coppola.

Coppola was particularly impressed by the performance of Swayze in the roller skating film 'Skatetown, U.S.A.'

Coppola wanted everyone to read for a different character during tryouts, according to Ralph Macchio.

Darren Dalton made his big-screen debut as Randy Anderson, the Soc.

Sodapop's best friend since elementary school is Steve Randle, played by Tom Cruise. Steve, a seventeen-year-old greaser, works at the petrol station alongside Sodapop. Steve is an expert on automobiles and is known for stealing hubcaps.

C. Thomas Howell, Ponyboy, was knocked out cold by the first punch in the movie.

The pranks perpetrated by Matt Dillon, Tom Cruise, Rob Lowe, and Patrick Swayze during the production have become legendary. C. Thomas Howell was frequently the target.

Diane Lane, who co-starred with Matt Dillon in Rumble Fish, was also a victim of the prank.

Tom Cruise and Rob Lowe spent the same hotel room in Tulsa at a 'genuine Greaser's' house so that they can have a better understanding of the actual lifestyle.

In his memoir, Rob Lowe recounted several of the competitive exercises that distinguished the Greasers from the Socs. For the sake of film realism, this comprised everything from enjoyable events like flag football games to not-so-fun distinctions that proved one was below the other.

The socs stayed on the 18th deck of the Tulsa Excelsior, while the Greasers stayed on the ground floor.

The Greasers were supposed to look fierce in the movie poster, but Ralph Macchio made a joke that made them all laugh.

Macchio made a joke to Leif Garrett about leaving the buffet table for the actors, which was so humorous that other guys burst out laughing.

FAQs

Why is it called Outsiders?

In comparison to the Socs, the group was considered outcasts therefore, the author named the novel 'The Outsiders.' The message that the movie gave is that instead of judging people based on their wealth, you should look at their personalities first.

How old is Johnny Cade in 'The Outsiders?'

Johhny Cade played a 16-year-old teen in 'The Outsiders.'

Who is Darry in 'The Outsiders?'

Darry was Ponyboy's oldest brother. Darrel, sometimes known as 'Darry,' is a 20-year-old greaser raising Ponyboy after his parents died in a vehicle accident. 

What is the climax of 'The Outsiders?'

The film's climax, as well as the story's highpoint, is the church fire that Ponyboy and Johnny were fighting, which then signals the start of the descending acts, such as Johnny's death, The Big Rumble, and so on. This clarifies the core topic of the story by demonstrating that not all Greasers are impoverished and wicked.

Following the church burning, they are being praised as heroes rather than Greasers.

How many chapters are in 'The Outsiders?'

'The Outsider' novel comprises 12 chapters.