Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Outsiders” is far grittier fare than we usually recommend in this space. But if you choose your family audience carefully, the dark 1983 adaptation of S.E. Hinton’s popular adolescent novel can be a remarkable movie experience.
“The Outsiders” reveals another world: angry, blue-collar teens growing up on the poor side of the tracks as “Greasers” in an Oklahoma city in the 1960s. (The movie was filmed in Tulsa.) Their lives are defined by their emotional and physical battles with the city’s rich kids, nicknamed “Socs.”
Few directors besides Coppola would have the guts to sustain the hopeless, class-warfare tone of Hinton’s original. Show your teens the work of a visionary, perfectionist director; meanwhile, they’ll enjoy early-career looks at an amazing roster of future stars, including Matt Dillon, Rob Lowe, Emilio Estevez, Patrick Swayze, Ralph Macchio, Tom Cruise and Diane Lane.
Fair warning that the fight scenes are brutal. Their redeeming value is that they add up to an honest anti-violence message, in contrast to Hollywood movies that pretend to critique violence while glorifying it with beautiful pictures.
Each Tuesday, Michael Booth uncovers a movie gem for rewarding family entertainment. Write mbooth@denverpost.com; find the “Screen Team” blog at denverpostbloghouse.com.
“The Outsiders”
Rated: PG-13 for fighting violence, some language, mature subject matter
Most appealing: Boys 12 or older
