Outsiders, The - The Complete Novel (Dbl DVD)

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 Product Description Outsiders, The - The Complete Novel (Dbl DVD) 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. ]]>