The Outsiders Movie Review (1983)
A coming-of-age drama about a group of teenagers navigating class conflict and identity, The Outsiders is a gritty, engaging film with a strong young cast of future stars and a story that grows more compelling as it unfolds.
When The Outsiders opened on Broadway in 2024, I didn’t know the story. I had never read the book or seen the movie. It was just one of those things I’d never gotten around to. Since then, though, my daughter and I have seen the show twice and know all the music. It was time to watch the film.
The Outsiders is about Ponyboy Curtis, a 14-year-old who lives with his older brothers, Darrel and Sodapop, since their parents have died. They are part of the “Greasers,” a bunch of other boys in the less fortunate part of town. On the other side of the town, where the preppy “Socs” live, everyone seems to have money, nice clothes, and cars. The two groups can’t stand each other, and when Ponyboy is found socializing with Soc Cherry Valance, things do not go well.
This movie stars a ridiculous number of young people who would go on to be huge names. C. Thomas Howell, Matt Dillon, Ralph Macchio, Patrick Swayze, Rob Lowe, Diane Lane, Emilio Estevez, Tom Cruise, and Leif Garrett all make appearances, and in many ways, it feels like spending time with friends.
The story is reminiscent of The Jets and Sharks from West Side Story, but it’s not a romance. The connection between freshman Ponyboy and Cherry (who is 16, so a sophomore or junior) is a friendship – two people finding that they enjoy each other’s company and have things in common. The Outsiders is really a love story between the Greasers – the loyalty they have and what they would do for each other. It’s about the meaning of family.
There are some fantastic parallels between the Broadway musical and the movie. It is the same story, and most of the major events occur in both (although one death that appears the same way in the book and the movie is different in the musical), but there are some very cool details that popped out to me.
One of the most climactic scenes in the Broadway production is the rumble between the Greasers and the Socs. This happens in the movie as well, and it’s raining. Everyone is at each other, and it gets muddy and complicated. In the Broadway show, it rains on stage for a long time. The actors “fight” each other with stage combat, but also with moments of stark lighting flashes and independent movements. I assume there is a rumble in the book as well, and seeing both of these displays had my imagination running wild.
Also, in the movie, Ponyboy recites Robert Frost lines from the poem Nothing Gold Can Stay after he and his best friend Johnny Cade talk about the fleeting beauty around them. Later, “stay gold” becomes the advice that Johnny has for Ponyboy to encourage him to keep his chin up and find the beauty in life. In the musical, the song “Stay Gold” is one of the emotional turning points of the show.
If you aren’t familiar with the book or the musical, The Outsiders is a story about lost boys who cling to each other and what they know in order to find a path through life. It is a solid film with huge stars, and it feels a bit dated. It is over 40 years old, after all. If you are familiar with the book or the Broadway show, it will be impossible for you not to find comparisons with the movie, positive or negative. I believe I had a stronger emotional connection because I already love the characters, but either way, I think you’ll like the film.
Runtime: 91 minutes
Motion Picture Rating: PG
Languages Spoken In The Film: English
Should You Watch It? Yes
Did I Cry? Nope
My Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
Available: To rent on Prime Video or may be available for free on other streaming platforms
