[Note: in this episode, we discuss the director’s cut version of the film, titled The Outsiders: The Complete Novel]
After an unintended sabbatical (pro tip: podcasting is hard, you guys), we have returned, and this week we discuss The Outsiders, the first of four films Tom Cruise released in 1983. Of those four, this one features the least amount of Tom, but fret not, for there is a veritable Brat Pack extravaganza in this cast:
Based on the S.E. Hinton novel of the same name which you almost certainly read in middle school, The Outsiders follows the exploits of a group of young toughs in 1960s Oklahoma, as they struggle to deal with poverty, and growing up in close proximity to other socioeconomic classes–and that’s not even counting the manslaughter that takes place.
As for Tom, even though his entire combined dialogue in this film is probably less than what is contained in this paragraph, he still decided to go completely method with this performance, not showering or washing his hair, having the caps on his teeth removed, even showing up to auditions for other movies in sleeveless denim and speaking with an Oklahoma accent:
There are some odd choices with the musical cues, and some of the tonal shifts don’t quite work, but overall, it’s an enjoyable film, and it hews decidedly close to the book, and is definitely worth a watch. Our official rating is an unironic fire emoji, and a graceful Swayze.
Cruisin Thru 2019 