One of my favorite movies of all time is Francis Ford Coppolla’s 1983 film The Outsiders. The film features a who’s who of acting talent early in their careers including C. Thomas Howell, Rob Lowe, Emilio Estevez, Matt Dillon, Tom Cruise, Ralph Macchio and the late Patrick Swayze. Could this latest version elevate this film even further or will it fail to stay golden?

 

The Outsiders The Complete Novel follows two rival teen gangs: The “Greasers,” a class term that refers to the young men on the East Side, the poor side of town, and the “Socs,” short for Socials, who are the “West-side rich kids” in '60s Oklahoma. Ponyboy, a tender-hearted and kind teenager’s life is changed forever one night when a scuffle with his friend Johnny inadvertently leads to the death of a rival gang member, and the boys are forced to go into hiding to avoid arrest. Soon Ponyboy and Johnny, along with Dallas and their other Greaser buddies, must contend with the consequences of their violent lives. While some Greasers try to achieve redemption, others meet tragic ends.

 

I love this movie and have seen if hundreds of times so was obviously not only excited to see it in hi-def, but even more so the more completed version. Right out the gate it feels like a different movie for the better with scenes added in of Ponyboy being tormented and attacked by a group of “Socs” that better explains both the bigger conflict later in the film, but the scar he has on his neck. The rest of the new additions further enhance existing scenes and really dived deeper into the friendship and emotions of Ponyboy and Johnny during their situation.

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There is a much more completed ending to the overall arc for not only Ponyboy, but also the relationship of the three brothers that is already strained. There are a couple of elements including part of the court sequence that is added back in where the judge delivers here single line pretty flat, but still adds more depth to the journey overall.