Random stuff 4 - The Outsiders ("stay gold")

"According to Ponyboy, there are two kinds of people in the world: greasers and socs. A soc (short for "social") has money, can get away with just about anything, and has an attitude longer than a limousine. A greaser, on the other hand, always lives on the outside and needs to watch his back. Ponyboy is a greaser, and he's always been proud of it, even willing to rumble against a gang of socs for the sake of his fellow greasers--until one terrible night when his friend Johnny kills a soc. The murder gets under Ponyboy's skin, causing his bifurcated world to crumble and teaching him that pain feels the same whether a soc or a greaser."

Ponyboy Curtis.
Sodapop Curtis.
Darry Curtis.
Dally Winston.
Johnny Cade.



Names from my youth that I've never forgotten and to this day still hold close to my heart. The Outsiders was published in 1967 by a then 15-16 year-old S.E. Hinton. It's been called the best book about teenagers, for teenagers and written by a teenager of its generation - and I wholeheartedly agree.

It remains one of my fave books of all-time and I still have my original copy (the version above) in a box somewhere. I also have 2 other copies just because. Why bring it up now? Because I was walking through Chapters on my first outing in 2 weeks and low and behold there it was - in new form of course.

I was a big reader back in the day - yeah, guess that still rings true - and this once I got this book in my hot little hands, I'm pretty sure it wasn't relegated to the shelf for a least year, and even then was still pulled out to be read over and over. It was unlike anything I'd read before up to that point and the characters just came to life on the page - family,  teenage rebellion, love, flaws, heartbreak and more love. Of course I automatically fell in love with a couple of the characters for varying reasons - yeah, I was boy crazy back then too - and then the movie was announced - in 1983.

Talk about over-the-moon excitement! And it was even playing in my small BC town theatre where I just happened to work. And you know how you read a book then see the movie and things just aren't the same - I remember The Outsiders being so opposite to that fact. The actors picked to play the characters were absolutely perfect and not all that well known back then, though they are now. Here's a few pics and observations - I'll save my fave one until the end. ;)

Darryl (Darry) Curtis - Brother #1

Patrick Swayze

He wasn't my fave character probably because he had the role of more responsibility

than the younger boys. He was the daddy, the disciplinarian, but he had loved his brothers

and their friends. Patrick only had a couple of tv movies under his belt before The Outsiders 

but he obviously went on to have big success. You are missed Patrick.

Ponyboy Curtis

C. Thomas Howell

The storyteller of The Outsiders or at least I think he was considered the main character 

- youngest brother - sensitive, caring, looking for meaning in the world he lived in. 

I loved Ponyboy and having the story told through his eyes allowed the reader to see all

of the other characters in a unique way. C. Thomas had been in a successful movie a year 

before the Outsiders - you may have heard of it ET, and though he never had the popular

success of some of the other actors, he's had a good solid career and will continue to do so.

(Note - he was in a few episodes of Criminal Minds in 2009 and scared the crap out of me)

Johnny Cade

Ralph Macchio

Johnny was the lost soul, the thinker, the philosopher, the heart of the group 

- the one you just wanted to bundle up a soft blanket and never let go. 

He was sensitive, trusting, and just looking for

somewhere to belong. Ralph played him with a heartbreaking familiarity to the book,

deep and sad but at the same time hopeful. He went on to do The Karate Kid after

The Outsiders and had some moderate success after that, mostly in tv, and is still acting.

Sodapop Curtis

Rob Lowe

Middle brother - teasing, joking, the one generally happy with the world or

trying to smooth things over. He was the pretty boy and I fell for him in the book because of his smiles and laughter and cuteness. And of course in the movie,  he was damn hot. 

Rob was perfect for Soda - looks, personality, just everything. 

He went on to star in a fave movie of mine - St. Elmo's Fire where he showed his range and his passion. Rob Lowe will always be one of my faves.

Dallas (Dally) Winston

Matt Dillon

Yep, you guessed it - Dally was my fave - book and movie.

Gosh, what can I say about Dally - bad boy with a heart of gold - loyal - fucked-up -

also a lost soul looking to belong (hell, I guess they all were). His character

in the book was just so hard-core and raw compared to the others. He did what he wanted,

when he wanted, damn the consequences. Casting Matt Dillon, in my opinion, was 

awesome sauce, and maybe I was a little biased because Matt had just starred in another 

SE Hinton-base movie, Tex, that I just loved. He also starred in Rumble Fish by SE, too,

guess she liked him. ;)  Not the oldest in the group of actors by any means but Matt already

had a few movies under his belt - Tex, Little Darlings, Liars Moon, and went on to

star in many, many more. He's still one of my fave actors and I've seen everything he's

made. Dally's love for Johnny was epic, too, he's still strong in my heart 

and will also be alive there as my first bad boy love, I think.

Other SE Hinton books of my youth:

Other covers for The Outsiders

Other actors of note - Emilio Estevez who ended up having some success in the 80s and 90s 

(Breakfast Club - hell, yes), Tom Cruise (yeah, blink and you'll miss him - sorry not a fave), 

Leif Garrett (pop singer in the 70s, 80s who yeah, I loved), and Diane Lane.

And finally, just a few shots from the movie. And part of the poem that I've never forgotten.

 And just some validation for a job well done... (couldn't leave him out, right?)