The Future of Oklahoma

The Outsiders is a 1983 American coming-of-age crime drama film directed by Francis Ford Coppola (billed as Francis Coppola), based on the 1967 novel by S. E. Hinton. Jo Ellen Misakian, a librarian at Lone Star Elementary School in Fresno, California, and her students were responsible for inspiring Coppola to make the film. The film is notable for its ensemble cast including C. Thomas Howell (who garnered a Young Artist Award), Matt Dillon, Ralph Macchio, Patrick Swayze, Rob Lowe (in his feature film debut), Diane Lane, Emilio Estevez, Tom Cruise, and Leif Garrett. In addition, Dillon starred in two more films based on Hinton novels: Tex (1982), with Estevez; and Coppola's Rumble Fish (1983), with Lane. Estevez also wrote and starred in the Hinton adaptation That Was Then... This Is Now (1985). The Outsiders was released by Warner Bros. in the United States on March 25, 1983. The film received mostly positive reviews from critics, particularly for its performances, and grossed $25.8 million on a $10 million budget. Over the years, the film has earned a cult following and has spawned a 1990 sequel television series and a successful 2023 stage musical.