Barnes & Noble

For this deluxe two-disc DVD edition, director Francis Ford Coppola has added 22 minutes of deleted footage and an entire new soundtrack to his 1983 adaptation of S. E. Hinton’s novel about troubled teenagers growing up in Tulsa, Oklahoma, during the early '60s. It’s a memorable movie, not so much for Coppola’s stylized treatment of the story as for the cast, which includes so many soon-to-be movie stars, among them Matt Dillon, Patrick Swayze, Rob Lowe, Diane Lane, and, seen here as a toothy young lad, Tom Cruise. Although the movie is very much an ensemble piece, top billing and narrative viewpoint go to C. Thomas Howell, playing one of three orphaned brothers from the wrong side of tracks. He and buddy Ralph Macchio (pre-Karate Kid) belong to the Greasers, a gang of tough, poor kids headed by Dillon. Their enemies are the Socs, arrogant boys from the wealthier part of town. Ambushed by the Socs one night, Howell and Macchio fight back, and the latter ends up killing one of the attackers; to escape the law they take refuge in an abandoned rural church, where they ponder the tough decisions that lie ahead. Coppola’s restoration of scenes cut prior to the film’s theatrical release helps flesh out some of the characters and interrelationships and strengthens the movie overall. The period rock 'n' roll soundtrack replaces Carmine Coppola’s overwrought musical score -- another welcome change. Very much in the mold of the “troubled teens” movies of the ‘50s and early ‘60s, The Outsiders may never achieve the “classic” status of the novel, but this DVD release finally gives Coppola the opportunity to present his original vision of the film, one that does the book justice. Ed Hulse

All Movie Guide

Teen rivalry in a small Southern town sets the stage for this dramatic interpretation of the novel by S.E. Hinton. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola, The Outsiders tells the story of the ongoing conflict between the Greasers and the Socs in rural Oklahoma. C. Thomas Howell stars as Ponyboy, the youngest of three orphaned boys who pal around with the local hoods known as the Greasers. When Ponyboy and his friend (Ralph Macchio) get into a deadly confrontation one night, the two go on the run from the cops, and they grow up quickly and soon realize the insignificance of their petty posturing. Matt Dillon stars as the tough-as-nails leader of their group and Patrick Swayze appears as Ponyboy's oldest brother. A host of other 1980s Brat Pack celebs fill out the cast. Dillon later appeared in another Coppola adaption of a Hinton book, Rumble Fish. Bernadette McCallion

Product Details

• UPC: 012569705968
• Source: WARNER HOME VIDEO
• Region Code: 1
• Presentation: Wide Screen
• Editions: Special Edition, Subtitled
• Time: 1:53:00
• Sales Rank: 456

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