The Outsiders
If you are my age, and grew up in the 1980s and later, it’s a fair bet that the first Francis Ford Coppola movie you saw was his adaptation of S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders. I remember reading it in school, and then watching the movie, but it’s been a long time since I had rewatched it. I’ve been wanting to for a while, and finally took the opportunity to do so. The striking thing about the film is just how much of Coppola’s artistry went into “The Outsiders.” He could have just done a good adaptation of this young adult novel to placate the school kids who wanted to see him adapt it in the first place, but seeing it for what might be my first time as an adult, he puts as much juice and creative vision into telling this story as he did “The Godfather” and “Apocalypse Now.” The result is a movie that connects at any age, and stands the test of time exceptionally well. (I’m not going to lie, though. That Stevie Wonder song was a weird choice.)
On the surface, the film has the feel of one of those “troubled teen” movies you would see on “Mystery Science Theater 3000” like “The Beatniks” and “I Accuse My Parents” as it tells the story of “Greasers” vs. “Socs” in 1960s Oklahoma, but what makes the film, with a screenplay by Kathleen Rowell, so effective and honest is how it doesn’t try to paint with a broad brush who these characters are. Yes, there are a number of the greasers who behave exactly like we would expect, and the socs have many in their ranks who are exactly who we would expect, but there’s a lot more to these characters than they let on. Take an early scene where Dallas (Matt Dillon), Ponyboy (C. Thomas Howell) and Johnny (Ralph Macchio) sneak into a drive-in theatre. They find themselves sitting in the folding chairs right behind Cherry Valance (Diane Lane), a soc whom has left the car her and her friend came in because their dates got drunk, and more than a little fresh with them. Dallas is a bore to Cherry, and she rebuffs him, but when Ponyboy and her talk, there’s a connection that transcends their class differences. She can tell that he’s not quite the same as Ponyboy, and they develop a bond that will resonate throughout the rest of the film. Already, we can see Hinton, Rowell and Coppola laying the groundwork for the narrative to come, as Ponyboy and Johnny end up on the run after a run-in with socs, and then happen to make their way back into town through circumstances. This is about individuals struggling to find their place in life, or grow beyond what they think their place in life is supposed to be. This is where Coppola’s film succeeds most strongly.
Even at the brisk running time of 93 minutes, “The Outsiders” feels like an epic story. Not as broad in scope as “The Godfather,” but we see the personal journeys of its characters, especially Ponyboy, Johnny and Dallas as clearly as we do Don Corleone and Michael. Dallas is a tragic character, someone acutely aware of his place in society, and leans into it; his arc feels the most like those “troubled teen” movies, but that doesn’t make its conclusion any less painful- that’s a credit to Dillon as a performer. The story is very much about Ponyboy and Johnny, and seeing how we get to know these characters, their dreams and hopes for their futures, is at the center of the story, and understanding the influence Ponyboy has on Johnny, and while neither Howell nor Macchio is a great actor in their own right, they do a great job inhabiting the characters, making their journeys palpable, and unforgettable. The rest of the characters give us insight into the lives these three live, and there is memorable work done especially by Swayze as Darrell, Ponyboy’s older brother, and Lane as Cherry, though it’s fun rewatching the performances by Emilio Estevez, Tom Cruise and Rob Lowe as the other main greasers. Coppola understands the importance of casting in movies, how characters on the outskirts of the narrative can be given personality simply by casting. His storytelling prowess, his ability to create a world (with great collaborators like cinematographer Stephen H. Burum, production design by Dean Tavoularis, and costumes by Marjorie Bowers) allows us to become immersed in the world he creates for his actors, bringing everything home emotionally. “The Outsiders” sustains because, the results of these efforts are timeless.
