| Director | Francis Ford Coppola |
|---|---|
| Genre | coming-of-age film, drama film, teen film |
| Runtime | 87 min |
| Country | United States |
| Budget | $10 million |
| Box office | $25.8 million |
In 1965 Tulsa, Oklahoma, Darry Curtis is left to raise his younger brothers, Sodapop and Ponyboy, after the deaths of their parents in a car crash eight months earlier. Youth subculture in the city is centered around two gangs — the affluent Socs and the poorer Greasers. Amongst the latter are Ponyboy, Johnny Cade, and their friend Dallas Winston, who go to a movie at the local drive-in theater. There, Dallas unsuccessfully flirts with Soc Cherry Valance and leaves in a rage after she insults him by splashing him with Coca-Cola. Cherry and her friend Marcia invite Ponyboy and Johnny to sit with her and her friend, later joined by Two-Bit Matthews. After the movie, the Socs' boyfriends, Bob Sheldon and Randy Anderson, take umbrage and confront them, prompting Two-Bit to pull his switchblade, so the girls leave with the Soc guys to avoid escalation.
Ponyboy and Johnny walk to an abandoned lot to help Johnny avoid his parents' bickering and domestic violence. He confesses the hopelessness of his life and considers suicide. Ponyboy falls asleep, and Johnny wakes him a few hours later. Ponyboy rushes home, where Darry confronts him and slaps him. Ponyboy runs off to a local park with Johnny, where Bob, Randy, and three other Socs attack them. Johnny is beaten, and when Ponyboy is almost drowned in the park's fountain, Johnny fatally stabs Bob in self-defense. Ponyboy and Johnny find Dallas, who gives them money for food and a loaded firearm. They flee to Windrixville after hopping on a train and hide in an abandoned church, where they read Gone with the Wind aloud to pass the time, and Ponyboy recites "Nothing Gold Can Stay" to Johnny. Dallas visits, taking them to get a meal at Dairy Queen. He brings a note from Sodapop that urges Ponyboy to come home, as Cherry is willing to testify on their behalf. Johnny favors turning themselves in, but Dallas disagrees.
Returning to the church, they discover that it is on fire with children trapped inside. They rescue them but suffer burns. Johnny breaks his back when part of the structure collapses on him. Ponyboy reunites with his brothers in the hospital and returns home. Their heroic deed makes the front page of the local paper. The next day, Ponyboy falls ill, and Two-Bit volunteers to care for him. Two-Bit and Ponyboy hitchhike towards the hospital but duck into the Dairy Queen upon seeing Socs driving nearby. One of the Socs, Randy, peacefully talks to Ponyboy about an upcoming rumble to settle the Greaser–Soc rivalry. Ponyboy and Two-Bit visit Johnny and Dallas in the hospital. Ponyboy asks Two-Bit to buy another copy of Gone with the Wind at the hospital gift shop. Johnny's mother comes, but he refuses her visit. She takes out her ire on Ponyboy and Two-Bit, who decries her as a bad mother.
Dallas encourages them to win the rumble for Johnny, and they do. Dallas then drives an injured Ponyboy to the hospital to see Johnny. Dallas tells him about the Greasers' victory, but Johnny is dismissive and dies after telling Ponyboy to "stay gold". A distraught Dallas robs a store, is pursued by the police, and commits suicide by cop. The judge exonerates Ponyboy for Bob's death as self-defense and places him in Darry's custody. Cherry sees Ponyboy and ignores him. His English teacher offers him a passing grade if he writes a quality essay, but Ponyboy is uninspired. He finds a letter from Johnny explaining how saving the children was worth him sacrificing his own life and advising Ponyboy to "never change". Johnny's letter inspires Ponyboy's essay, which begins, "When I stepped out into the bright sunlight from the darkness of the movie house, I had only two things on my mind: Paul Newman and a ride home.", the book's opening line and the opening line of the movie’s narration.