The Outsiders (1983) review

Ponyboy Curtis (C. Thomas Howell) writes down the story of two warring groups in Oklahoma during the 1960's, the "Greasers" (which he's a member of) and the preppy "Socs" (short for "socialites"), and all the trouble he got into, starting with him and buddy Johnny Cade (Ralph Macchio) getting ambushed, Johnny killing their assailants with a knife, the two of them forced into hiding, saving children from a burning church (where Johnny is critically wounded), engaging in a rumble and then seeing emotionally-unstable "Dally" Winston (Matt Dillon) being killed by the police.  The young-adult book by S. E. Hinton is something of a staple for middle school students, except this adaptation appears to be missing some vital context: there's a total absence of parental figures to try to keep order (Ponyboy's parents died), and there are so many characters, including Ponyboy's brothers "Darry" Curtis (Patrick Swayze) and Sodapop Curtis (Rob Lowe) as well as associates "Two-Bit" Mathews (Emilio Estevez) and Steve Randle (Tom Cruise) that it's difficult to tell how they landed in the situation they're in.  It presents a very reductionistic view of the world, but that seems fitting considering the target audience is seventh and eighth graders. [Note: I watched the 91-minute "restored" theatrical version although, in typical FFC fashion, there is a longer cut available for those interested.]