I had a lot of doubts about the Outsiders movie. I didn't think the cold, stark setting of Hinton's book would translate well into a family or teen film, especially if the director, Francis Ford Coppola, made many changes to the story and plot. But overall, when I watched it, I enjoyed it, partly because I liked the story of the book and had little to no change in that area. The entire premise of the book and film revolves around the Greasers and the Socs, two rival groups fighting over personal pride and bitterness between social classes. The story is shown through the eyes of Ponyboy Curtis (played by C. Thomas Howell), who is caught between the Greasers' assaults on the Socs, being a Greaser himself, and through his eyes we see the world of the slums, violence, loss. of childhood innocence and survival. There are so many details in the plot of the film and book that it's hard not to become instantly immersed. However, one of the first things I noticed in the movie that I think should have been included is that Soda's girlfriend Sandy (played by Rob Lowe) was not included in the making of the film, but received a very brief mention. by Soda at the beginning of the film, just thrown in there, along with the other tiny details that were flowing throughout the main plot funnel. This completely surprised me, because Sandy was a very influential character and helped move the plot of the Outsiders book forward at a more stable pace than the movie. First of all, in the book, each character had their own personality and character biography presented very vividly. The best part of the book was that even the supporting characters, such as Cherry Valance (Diane Lane) and Randy Adderson (Darren Dalton), help...... middle of paper ...... the actual story that many other secondary characters. Go see the movie if you want, but it's best to read the book first because it doesn't open as well as the book. You'll end up scratching your head during the one hour and thirty minutes that this film lasts, as it haphazardly and painstakingly crams in as many details as possible in the little time it has. Still, the compelling charm of the original story and Kathleen Rowell's screenplay make this film a must-see for fans of the book The Outsiders and that's the saving grace of the production, as these aspects are undeniably well polished and marinated in perfection. Hopefully the film can be remade again to incorporate everything that was mentioned, to continue to enrich the legacy of SE Hinton's masterpiece and entertain people with an authentic, organic and intriguing story about the struggle for the life..