I might not get the highest possible rating for my comments on this movie but I'm going to be totally honest. First, I read the book and then shortly afterward saw the movie. In my opinion the movie did a good job of getting the whole story from book to screen. A lot of the scenes caught the mood I felt when I read the book, or even shed some light on them for me. C. Thomas Howell played his part very well and showed acting skill, but he just seemed too nice, too sensitive to enjoy fighting for its own sake the way his brothers did. I could believe Darry and Soda looking forward to a fight with the Socs but I just did not get the feeling from PonyBoy that he was a fighter. Even Johnny Cade seemed more on edge, more 'ready to fight' than PonyBoy, who played all his scenes really well - he just didn't convince me he was someone who enjoyed a fight.

Of all the actors cast for the film, and really all were done well, I think Ralph Macchio as Johnny Cade was the most perfectly cast based on how I perceived him to be from reading the book.

To be honest, when reading the book I could tell it was written by a woman. I enjoyed it very much, and would say if you have a few hours, the book is not too long to read and I'd recommend it even more highly than the film.

The Outsiders is a very good film in any case and worth watching.

This movie feels very dated in terms of the way the drama is presented, but it is saved by standout performances from a laundry list of great actors cutting their teeth with the material. This is also worth watching in the present day for its portrayal of social class, and the universal theme of friends helping one another to learn, grow and survive. I also really loved that the small Midwest town isn't portrayed as a glamorous 1960s utopia, the housing is run down, businesses are shown struggling, and the feeling of growing up in a working class neighborhood is so real you can taste it. Ultimately, these things make The Outsiders worth a watch even if youre unfamiliar with source mayerial.