The Outsiders

It had been a Saturday night and I was home alone. Maybe 11:45pm had not been the best time to start watching a movie but we all make responsible decisions. The Outsiders was a familiar name of a book I know had read but had somehow forgotten. And so, although not the most responsible decision, it ended up being a wonderful choice.

The Outsiders explored the social tensions between two rival gangs (Greasers who mostly live in poverty and Socs who live comfortably). More specifically, the movie tells of the bond a group of Greasers maintain through times of hardship.

The story takes off after a Soc is killed by Johnny, a small and jumpy Greaser, in an act of self-defense, saving the life of the main character, Ponyboy Curtis. This event leads the two shaken up and traumatized teenagers to flee the city to the countryside where they are forced to consider what they must do next. Meanwhile, tensions between Socs and Greasers is on the rise back in the city.

After the movie ended, I was left with tears and snot to consider the numerous variables that would have changed the course of the story, the reality of it, the causes and effects of such situations and what message the author intended to make. Maybe I was reading too much into the story or was too emotionally involved, but The Outsiders definitely had a powerful impact on me.

Despite that The Outsiders deals with gangs, it is fairly family-friendly with overcoming hardship and loss as a recurring theme. With a well-planned plot that tackled a social issue very effectively and characters who reflected real and flawed people, The Outsiders made for a good Saturday night movie and gave me an interesting and thought-provoking perspective on a real problem.