Product Description

In 1983, Francis Ford Coppola's film of S.E. Hinton's novel struck a powerful chord with audiences, capturing the intense feelings of being caught between childhood and adulthood, and not belonging anywhere. Decades later, Coppola has revisited the film and reintegrated 22 minutes of character-enriching footage, including a new beginnning and ending more true to the book. A rousing new rock-n-roll soundtrack featuring six songs from Elvis Presley and other music greats make this new version of The Outsiders one of movie history's great rediscoveries.

DVD Features:
Additional Scenes:10 Minutes of Additional Scenes
Audio Commentary:New Introduction and Commentary by Director Francis Ford Coppola New Introduction and Commentary by Matt Dillon, Ralph Macchio, C. Thomas Howell, Patrick Swayze, Rob Lowe and Diane Lane
Documentaries:The Casting of The Outsiders Staying Gold: A Look Back at the Outsiders S.E. Hinton on Location in Tulsa
Featurette:NBC Today Segment: The Outsiders Started by School Petition Readings: Seven cast members do readings of the book.
Other:Fred Roos and the Casting of The Outsiders, Including Never-Before-Seen Screen Tests and Auditions
Theatrical Trailer:1983 Theatrical Trailer

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4488 in DVD
• Brand: WARNER HOME VIDEO
• Released on: 2005-09-20
• Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
• Formats: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, Special Edition, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English, Spanish, French
• Number of discs: 2
• Running time: 91 minutes

Amazon.com essential video
Director Francis Coppola's adaptation of the popular S.E. Hinton novel about the price of rebellious youth is notable chiefly for the stunning cast of young actors who went on to rich and varied careers. In supporting roles, the film features the likes of Tom Cruise, Patrick Swayze, Diane Lane, Rob Lowe, Emilio Estevez, and Tom Waits, among others. The story centers on two rival gangs in the early 1960s Midwest, and the violent turf wars that escalate and tragically claim young lives. C. Thomas Howell plays the central character who yearns to prove himself and be accepted by his older brothers' gang, while at the same time finding his first love and dreaming of a life beyond his dead end existence. Geared toward the teenage crowd, the film nonetheless features some fine direction from Coppola in a story that evokes memories of the classic coming-of-age films of the 1950s. --Robert Lane

Amazon.com
No one was surprised when Francis Ford Coppola revisited Apocalypse Now, but his overhaul of The Outsiders raised a few eyebrows. Here was a modestly successful film better remembered for its Brat Pack cast than its Oscar-winning director, but The Complete Novel succeeds in bringing more of S.E. Hinton's young adult classic to the screen along with Coppola's epic vision. The story remains the same: The working class greasers and wealthy Socs ("Socials") of Tulsa, OK, circa 1966, are at war. Despite the bigger names in the cast--Patrick Swayze, Emilio Estevez, Rob Lowe--the friendship between C. Thomas Howell's Ponyboy and Ralph Macchio's doomed Johnny is still the focus. If anything, Tom Cruise, as an obnoxious greaser, gives the least promising performance, while Matt Dillon (Crash) as the unpredictable Dally and Diane Lane (Unfaithful) as the beautiful Cherry provide a taste of the mature work to come. Aside from 22 minutes of restored footage (including a prologue and epilogue), which add heart and grandeur, The Complete Novel includes several new rock and roll tracks, most by Elvis Presley. In the end, the revamped Outsiders still plays like a cross between Rebel Without a Cause and The Last Picture Show--and that's a good thing. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Customer Reviews

This new special edition "Stays Gold"
Coppola's original version was quite faithful to Hinton's book and this new edit is even more so. He has put back in 22 more minutes, most noticeably at the beginning and end of the movie. This new footage opens up the film more. We are introduced to the greasers much earlier on now that Coppola isn't reigned in by the dictates of test screenings. He is able to take the time to immerse the audience in this richly textured world shot in glorious widescreen by Stephen Burum who adopts a look that evokes another epic about troubled youth, Rebel Without A Cause (1955). The film is drenched in the golden hues of warm sunrises and sunsets like something right out of Gone with the Wind (1939).

Another significant change has Coppola replacing all of his father's beautiful, classical score in favour of period rock `n' roll music. In some cases, like the opening scene where Ponyboy is jumped by some Socs, it works and in others, like the whimsical surf music that plays over the scene where the Socs jump Johnny and Ponyboy, it feels awkward and out of place. Part of the film's original charm was its moments of `50s style melodrama, as epitomized by the film's orchestral soundtrack, and this diminished by the newly inserted period music that could be right out of an episode of Crime Story. Hinton's books are timeless with their universal themes and the original music reflected that. This new music, while accurate for its time period, contributes to a loss of some of the timeless feel.

On the first DVD is an audio commentary with director Francis Ford Coppola. He addresses the changes in the soundtrack by saying that after all these years he wanted to move away from a score that commented on what was happening to music that the characters would actually be listening to. The filmmaker delivers another top notch commentary full of smart observations and talks at length about why he prefers this cut.

There is an additional commentary featuring Diane Lane, Ralph Macchio, Patrick Swayze, C. Thomas Howell, Rob Lowe and Matt Dillon. Coppola invited all of them back to see this new cut of the film with Lowe and Dillon recorded separately. This is an entertaining track that fans will love. It's great to hear these actors talk about this movie after all these years.

The second disc kicks things off with a retrospective look at the movie, entitled, "Stay Gold: A Look Back at The Outsiders." In a nice touch, we see Lane, Macchio, Swayze and Howell being reunited with Coppola at his ranch where they recorded their commentary. This is an excellent look at the movie with all kinds of good, on set footage.

"S.E. Hinton on Location in Tulsa" features the publicity-shy author revisiting the locations that Coppola used in the movie, including the drive-in which still exists. She talks about how Coppola worked closely with her on the set to make sure that the script was true to her book.

"The Casting of The Outsiders" has casting director now producer Fred Roos take us through the casting process with audition footage from back in the day. People like Kate Capshaw and Adam Baldwin tried out for the film. Anthony Michael Hall even read for the role of Ponyboy!

A nice addition is "Readings," with some of the cast who came back for these featurettes reading their character descriptions from Hinton's novel.

"NBC News Today Segment: The Outsiders Started by School Petition." This is a new story done during the film's original release about how a class of California school kids wrote a letter to Coppola asking him to make Hinton's book into a movie.

There are six "Additional Scenes" with more footage from the opening that is even more faithful to the book but the rest of the scenes amount to extensions of existing ones.

Finally, there is a theatrical trailer.

Soul stirring drama-PhantomCool014@excite.com
FILM REVIEW "The Outsiders" Rated PG. 88 minutes. First screened in 1983. As a film-lover myself I believe that this movie is one of the most beautiful and touching that I have ever seen. Based on the stunning novel by S.E. Hinton, only. a teenager herself when she wrote the book, this movie conveys all the emotions and tension of the book. This movie, directed by Francis Ford Coppola( director of the famous films : The Godfather, The Godfather 2 and Apocalypse Now) has a certain magic about it that you just don't get in a Disney movie. The reason for this is that this tale is one of sadness, despair and a teenager in the 50's reaching out for help and finding nothing there. Eventually the movie makes you realise that with the togetherness of the gang, Pony boy has got all that he ever needed. The acting in this film, while touching, left a little to be desired. The plot was simple but solid and supported by a range of very well known modern actors. Starring such actors as Tom Cruise as Steve Randle, C. Thomas Howell as Ponyboy Curtis, Emilio Estevez as Two-Bit Matthews, Rob Lowe as Sodapop Curtis, Patrick Swayze as Darrel Curtis, Matt Dillon as Dallas Winston, Ralph Macchio as Johnny Cade and Diane Lane as Cherry Valance. All of these roles in the movie were played expertly by the characters listed and they portrayed all the emotions of the book.

Extended Edition
I'm so glad they decided to put out a Two-Disc Special Edition. This movie is well worth it and now we get to see the deleted scenes we've been waiting for. I hope the rest of the 80's classics get this treatment. It's awesome that Matt Dillon, Ralph Macchio, C. Thomas Howell, Patrick Swayze, Rob Lowe and Diane Lane all made a commentary segment for this DVD, the only bad thing is Tom and Emilio aren't in the commentary.

Just watched my Copy of THE OUTSIDERS---

Wow. This was so freakin' awesome you guys. There is 22 extra minutes added to the movie and 10 additional deleted scenes as special features. For the people who were disappointed in the movie because it lacked scenes from the book you have got to buy this edition. All of the scenes are added to the movie like I previously said. The special features are outstanding as well. They show a reunion at Francis Ford Coppola 's house screening the new extended movie with Diane Lane, C. Thomas Howell, Patrick Swayze and Ralph Macchio. There are cast interviews and a special with S. E. Hinton talking about the book and the movie. She also shows the places the movie took place. Like the movie theater, the school, the brothers house and the street Dallas was killed. There's much more extra's, so enjoy.