Review of The Outsiders (1983) by Grant S — 12 May 2016

It is the 1960s and a US town 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 Socials. The two sides use any opportunity to niggle each other and whenever they meet there is friction. Then one night a gang of Socials attack two Greasers, Johnny (Ralph Macchio) and Ponyboy (C Thomas Howell), and Johnny kills one of the Socials with a knife. This sets off a chain of events.

Directed by Francis Ford Coppola, The Outsiders is a gritty, engaging exploration of social divides and the innocence of youth. We see the tensions between the social classes in the town and the consequences thereof. We also see how tragic events can make people rethink old feuds and see the bigger picture.

In addition, it's a story of retaining one's innocence and sense of wonder and making the most of one's youth.

In spite of the engaging plot and the profound themes, the most amazing thing about the movie is the cast. While the only known names at the time in the cast are Tom Waits and William Smith (and each of them has about 30 seconds of screen time and 2-3 lines), it is the then-unknowns whose names boggle the mind. Coppola could not have known at the time but he inadvertently cast the greatest all-star cast in the history of movies: Tom Cruise, Rob Lowe, Patrick Swayze, Diane Lane, Matt Dillon, Emilio Estevez, Ralph Macchio, C Thomas Howell. All of these became stars, but were relatively unknown at the time.

The extras even include Flea (of Red Hot Chili Peppers fame) and Heather Langenkamp (Nightmare on Elm Street).

Just about every character you see is played by someone who was then unknown but later became huge. Great for star-spotting, especially to see the origins of current stars, and so many of them too.

A great movie with a great, stars-in-the-making cast.