Hollywood history has landmark moments with movies that make a seismic impact on the movie business, but also the larger popular culture landscape as well. The Outsiders is absolutely one that not only struck a chord upon its release, but time has only added exponentially to its utter adoration. Now, Francis Ford Coppola’s The Outsiders The Complete Novel has gotten the 4K restoration and brought its who’s-who of future stardom with it in one of 2021’s greatest home video releases.
This particular release was created to give The Outsiders’ fans a closer and more astute telling of S.E. Hinton’s beloved novel. This 4K release even possesses new music and several scenes that were cut from the theatrical release and are available for the first time on The Outsiders The Complete Novel 4K.
The revered filmmaker was asked about why he returned to a classic. “The Outsiders The Complete Novel came about after meeting students over the years who repeatedly asked me why certain scenes from S.E. Hinton’s wonderful book were missing from the theatrical version,” Coppola said.
“These questions reminded about my inspiration for the film—in 1980, a contingent of 12- to 14-year-old students wrote and asked me to make it. I listened to those young fans back then, and I continue to listen to young people now and believe in their opinions, so this complete film version of the novel is for them.”
It’s a pretty spectacular reason to revisit a film from one’s past, but in this case, this new Outsiders manages to deepen the emotive connection between the guys and the audience, something that I was pleasantly surprised to discover, having recently witnessed the theatrical version during the lockdown.
It should be noted that Coppola is no stranger to revisiting his classics, having upgraded The Cotton Club, The Godfather III, and of course the many versions of his seminal classic, Apocalypse Now.
What makes The Outsiders: The Complete Novel so special is that the filmmaker has been “bugged” by a desire four decades in the making. It’s a well thought out 4K upgrade that both showcases the beloved film as you’ve never seen or heard it before—visually and sonically it’s a revelation—and also it feels told with a sense of urgency as if generations of souls need to undertake Coppola’s true vision for the coming-of-age stalwart and now they can finally experience the film as it was meant to be from top to bottom.
Another spoke in the wheel of awesomeness that is this release, is that Coppola and the folks at Warner Bros. Home Entertainment were wise in that they also included the theatrical version of the film. There will be plenty who will still appreciate that original version and deserve to be able to experience it—instead of what some filmmakers do (George Lucas, we’re looking at you) and make it so that the theatrical incarnation is all but impossible to secure.
Hinton’s book debuted in 1967 and even though the young men at the heart of the story are very much men of that timeline, the novel has never felt dated, and therefore also the film. It plays like a period piece instead of a reflection of life in 1967. It transcends generations in that these guys could be pals and confidants in 1987, 2007, or tomorrow. That has everything to do with Hinton’s prose, as well as the casting of C. Thomas Howell, Rob Lowe, Emilio Estevez, Matt Dillon, Tom Cruise, Patrick Swayze, Ralph Macchio, and Diane Lane.
Each thespian puts on a clinic, another reason why The Outsiders has remained a beloved entity so many decades after its debut. There is a long line of successful films that each cast member would add to their collective resume that Coppola’s film, like Richard Linklater, later achieved with Dazed and Confused, will serve as the entity that introduced audiences to some of the most well-known actors of their generation.
The Outsiders finds this gang of Oklahoma “brothers” embroiled in a battle between two rival street gangs—The Greasers and the Socs, which is short for Socials, aka the “West-side rich kids.” One fateful evening, Ponyboy (Howell) and Johnny (Macchio) are involved in a fight that results in the death of one of those “West-side rich kids.” No one’s life will ever be the same.
There are a few new extras to the 4K Blu-ray release, most notably a fresh Q&A with Cinematographer Stephen Burum, Zoetrope Head of Archives and Restorations James Mockoski, and Colorist Gregg Garvin. It is a rich conversation that reveals much about the making of the movie, as well as its relevance and timelessness. Also new is a slew of Deleted Scenes, a delightful new Coppola introduction to the film itself as well as a brand-new Francis Ford Coppola Anatomy of a Scene that is worth the price of admission right there!
Don’t miss the final “new” featurette, the Old House New Home.
You’re going to eventually want to dive into a pair of audio commentaries that are must-listens, the Audio Commentary with Francis Ford Coppola and Audio Commentary with Matt Dillon, C. Thomas Howell, Diane Lane, Rob Lowe, Ralph Macchio, and Patrick Swayze. Each provides stellar informational elements, enlightening and entertaining aspects and for longtime fans of The Outsiders, hearing the man behind the making of the classic and those charged with inhabiting those classic characters, there is little else one can need from a home video release!
A surprisingly emotional featurette arrives in the form of Staying Gold: A Look Back at The Outsiders simultaneously will have you nostalgic for the days of youth and witnessing films such as this one and also by its putting the utter adoration for all things The Outsiders, will provide a brilliant societal tether between the passion you the viewer possess for the film and the millions across the globe who share your cinematic sentiment.
There are two previously released featurettes that are also must-sees, S.E. Hinton on Location in Tulsa and The Casting of The Outsiders. Both are illuminating and worthy of repeated viewings as well.
Lastly, The Outsiders: The Complete Novel, will air on HBO Max, throughout November.
Film Grade: A
Bonus Features: A