What are the differences between the movie and the book The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton?

Bullgatortail hits the nail on the head when naming the differences here, but I would like to expand upon the one that I thought was the most glaring when first reading the book and watching the movie (and then using the movie to teach the book for many years):  the neglect of the character of Soda.  Let us look at the character of Soda (full nickname of "Sodapop") in the book and then conclude with what we know of him in the film.

As Ponyboy's big brother, one would think Sodapop Curtis would have received a bigger billing in the film.  Soda is almost seventeen and has dropped out of high school.  Regardless, he is the guardian of the Curtis family and always attempts to make peace.  He is also the most gorgeous of the Curtis brothers.  Sodapop got his nickname because of how happy and cheerful he always is.  He has no need for liquor because he gets drunk on life, especially anything having to do with horses or rodeos.  Sodapop is also a very understanding character who always listens.  Of course, he is also prone to teasing (especially Darry).  Soda is devastated when his girlfriend Sandy, heads to Florida.

In conclusion, the sad mention of Soda is absolutely pitiful.  All we know is that he is certainly one of the greasers and that there is one mention of his relationship with Sandy.  Everything else is left out.  It is a perfect example of how a director and/or screenwriter must choose which characters to focus upon in a movie.

What are the differences between the movie and the book The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton?

bullgator's answer is very good, but there's always more to say about how a written work such as The Outsiders has been adapted into film. I would encourage you to think about how there is more to the differences between the novel and the film than matters of differences in the storyline or the appearance of the characters. These differences are nearly infinite.

In the opening of the novel, for example, we are delivered information directly through the narrator, Ponyboy, and have no idea at this point that Ponyboy is actually writing all of this information down as a sort of make-up assignment for an English class. The film, by contrast, opens with Ponyboy writing his composition. The framing device (writing the paper for the English class) is presented at the beginning and end of the film, whereas the novel presents it just at the end.

The first spoken words of the film are identical to the first sentence in the novel, presented in a voiceover. From there, we as shown rather than told a great deal of the opening sequence: in the film, we are shown Ponyboy observing himself in a mirror outside the movie theater (in the book, he tells us what he looks like and what he wishes he looked like); in the film, we are shown the tension between the Greasers and the Socs when Ponyboy is chased down and tormented (again, in the book, we are told this information in a sory of general summary); etc.

Novels and films are very different creatures. It would be an impossible task to list all of the differences between the two, but it's a great fun to learn a little about filming techniques and to begin to appreciate just how a compelling novel such as The Outsiders can be transformed into an equally compelling film.

What are the differences between the movie and the book The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton?

The Francis Ford Coppola production of The Outsiders is actually more faithful to the original novel than most film adaptations. Probably the most glaring difference was the decision to cast Matt Dillon and his black hair as Dallas Winston, who had blonde hair in the novel. Other differences:

• The dream sequence in the movie actually shows the Curtis brothers' parents being killed in a car/train crash. In the novel, it was only mentioned as an auto accident.
• Dally is shown robbing the store and being wounded in the film; in the novel, he tells that he has robbed the store via telephone, and he is not wounded.
• An early scene in the movie shows Dally chasing kids who are playing cards; this is not mentioned in the novel.
• The rich west side Socs and poor east side greasers are changed to rich south and poor north in the film.
• Of all the characters, Soda seems to be less developed in the film. There is only one mention of his relationship with Sandy, and we hear nothing of Soda's love of horses or rodeo.

What are the similarities between the movie and the book The Outsiders?

The movie follows the plot very carefully. 

The movie and the book have a lot in common.  As a matter of fact, S.E. Hinton was involved in the making of the movie and was on the set with the actors. She also played a nurse in the movie (she is Dally’s nurse).  With the author so involved in the development and production, you could see that the film would be similar to the book.

The movie is from 1983 and directed by Francis Ford Coppola, the director of The Godfather. The movie uses the Robert Frost poem mentioned in the book, “Nothing Gold Can Stay,” to create its theme song.  The movie also begins with Pony writing his essay, which is the story that becomes The Outsiders.  We find this out at the end.  The basic plot and dialogue is the same, with the story following Pony (C. Thomas Howell) and Johnny (Ralph Macchio). 

There is a big difference between a movie and a book.  In a book you can be inside the characters’ heads and experience what they experience.  Movies try to create this same feeling through music, cinematography, and dialogue.  However, one of the biggest differences between the movie and the book is that the characters are not as well-developed in the movie.  It often just seems like a bunch of boys. 

Johnny and Pony go on the run, as in the book, and also hide out at the church. While there, they play cards and read Gone with the Wind.  They also watch the sunrise, and Pony recites the Robert Frost poem for Johnny.  This is a meaningful moment in both the book and the movie. 

"The mist was what was pretty," Johnny said. "All gold and silver."

"Uhmmmm," I said, trying to blow a smoke ring.

"Too bad it couldn't stay like that all the time."

"Nothing gold can stay." I was remembering a poem I'd read once. (Ch. 5) 

While character development may not be as strong in a movie, exciting events can sometimes come to life.  The rumble between the boys, and Dally’s death, are interesting to watch.  This is an advantage that movies have over books. 

So, in summary, the movie does not have as much character development because we lose Ponyboy’s thoughts.  Johnny and Dally’s death lose some of their meaning.  However, the movie does generally follow the plot of the book and it is fun to watch some of the events come to life.

What are the similarities between the movie and the book The Outsiders?

The movie version of S.E. Hinton's novel The Outsiders does have many differences from the book; however, in terms of basic storyline, it is similar enough to the original work to be liked by fans. The big plot points like Darry being the reason Ponyboy runs away with Johnny in the first place are still the same. The attack at the park resulting in the death of Bob, which forces Ponyboy and Johnny to flee town to escape police custody also remains the same. Just like in the book, Dally plays an important part in helping Ponyboy and Johnny while they are on the run. The resulting fire at the church and the deaths of both Dally and Johnny are also depicted in the same way as Hinton's original.

Beyond the big plot points, some of the same themes can be connected from the movie to the book as well. In both works, the loss of Ponyboy's parents causes him to form tight bonds with his friends. The movie also does a good job of depicting the struggles the Greasers face as outcasts from society.

What are the theme similarities and differences between the book and movie of The Outsiders?

Since the Francis Ford Coppola film version of The Outsiders is quite faithful to the novel, there are certainly more similarities--especially in the themes--than differences to be found. The novel's primary themes--those of class conflict, loss of innocence, brotherhood, loyalty and search for one's self--are all evident in the movie. Both the book and film present vivid looks at the class conflict that arises between the Socs and greasers. The greasers, especially at the rumble, are very realistic looking young hoods. The loss of innocence (though it may be argued that none of the boys are innocent) can be seen when Pony and Johnny are forced to leave town following the death of Bob Sheldon. The theme of brotherhood is strong in both cases, but particularly in the film which includes a great cast of future stars (Patrick Swayze, Matt Dillon, Tom Cruise, Rob Lowe, Emilio Estevez) interacting in ensemble. The movie also deals beautifully with Johnny's and Pony's search for identity. Perhaps the most glaring difference in the movie is that Dally (Matt Dillon) has black hair--not blonde as described in the novel. The more recent DVD release (2005) adds 22 minutes not found in the original film version.

Compare and contrast the film and novel versions of The Outsiders.

As far as book to film adaptions go, Francis Ford Coppola's 1983 film version of S.E. Hinton's 1967 novel is pretty faithful. Ponyboy's "dreamer in the hood" character comes through very well. The gang's rambunctiousness, love, and loyalty is expressed in some very delightful and watchable scenes of them hooting and hollering around the Curtis household and doing gymnastics on the way to the rumble. The connection between Cherry and Pony, bridging economic divides and mutual stereotypes, is lovely and avoids the trap of becoming a romance, which I firmly believe it is not in the book. The set, costumes, and especially the soundtrack give a strong sense of place that even exceeds what Hinton achieved with just words.

Still, as with many book to film translations, some aspects of the story are lost as it gets pared down to fit a 91-minute time frame. Sodapop's character is particularly less fleshed out in the film, which is important for a few reasons. For one, his happy-go-lucky nature despite his rough life circumstances was a good balm for Pony when he got too pensive and offered a more innocent version of Two-Bit's almost manic jokester attitude. By lessening these aspects of Soda, as well as removing references to his horse Mickey Mouse and Sandy's pregnancy and their break-up, his joy in the face of tragedy is lost as well. Second, the relationship dynamics between Pony, Soda, and Darry and between Pony, Soda, and Steve helped make Pony's family struggles very relatable to teen readers, who are likely experiencing similar circumstances. The family tensions between the three brothers and Pony's strong preference for Soda and frustrations with Darry are familiar to many readers and help them draw connections between Pony's life and their own. The same goes for Pony as the kid brother "tag along" to Soda and Steve's friendship; almost every younger sibling has experienced that feeling.

Perhaps more important are the differences in Johnny and Dally's deaths. After all, Ponyboy comes to some of his most critical realizations about the world due to his two friends dying. With Johnny's death, the novel gives a deep insight into Johnny's sense of losing his own innocence and perhaps not even deserving life. When he says it was worth dying to save the schoolchildren, he proves himself a hero, but he is also demonstrating how much life as a greaser with abusive parents has skewed the way he sees his own value. This is an important point for Ponyboy for a few reasons, not in the least because it helps him value his own family and see the tragedy of how thoroughly Johnny was beaten down.

Dally's death in the film is, I think, the most tragic change from the novel. In the novel, it is crystal clear that Dally is committing suicide due to Johnny's death. Dally's sense of Johnny being the last good thing left to love is said explicitly several times throughout the novel. Furthermore, when Dally runs out towards to the cops and lifts the gun, Pony recalls that it is unloaded, but that the police cannot know that. He knows that Dally is committing suicide: "...I knew he would be dead, because Dally Winston wanted to be dead and he always got what he wanted” (Chapter 10). Again, this death makes a huge mark on Pony and his understanding of the world:

“It was too late to tell Dally. Would he have listened? I doubted it. Suddenly it wasn't only a personal thing to me. I could picture hundreds and hundreds of boys living on the wrong sides of cities, boys with black eyes who jumped at their own shadows. Hundreds of boys who maybe watched sunsets and looked at stars and ached for something better. I could see boys going under street lights because they were mean and tough and hated the world, and it was too late to tell them that there was still good in it, and they wouldn't believe you if you did. It was too much of a problem to be just a personal thing” (Chapter 12).

In the film, Dally's death is confusing. It seems like he gets upset about Johnny, then randomly decides to rob a store. His death is tragic, but doesn't hold the depth of meaning that it does in the novel, nor is Pony's reaction to it expressed as clearly.