From: Kathleen Horning <horning>
Date: Tue, 15 Jul 2003 11:56:53 -0500

Reaching back a few decades, I think some of the most successful translations of books to film were the film versions of S.E. Hinton novels that were directed by Francis Ford Coppola, "Rumble Fish" and "The Outsiders." Coppola gave each of these movies his own artistic stamp, and yet he captured the spirit of the books so well. I remember when "The Outsiders" first came out as a film how remarkable it was for a young adult novel to be taken so seriously by a big-name Hollywood director.

I think "The Outsiders" is one of the best film adaptations of a book ever. It may even transcend the book. (In the film version, for example, I actually find the whole bit with two young teenage boys reading "Gone with the Wind" believable, whereas that detail always seemed a bit of a stretch in the book!) It's amazing today to see the youthful cast that included Matt Dillon, Rob Lowe, Patrick Swayze, Emilio Estevez and Tom Cruise (in a very minor role) as teenagers. I find I can get caught up in it and any point in the storyline, anytime I come across it on tv these days. I highly recommend it to anyone who has never seen it.

KTH

Kathleen T. Horning, Director Cooperative Children's Book Center University of Wisconsin-School of Education 4290 Helen C. White Hall 600 North Park St. Madison, WI 53706

horning at education.wisc.edu Voice: 608&3721 Fax: 608&2I33 www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/
Received on Tue 15 Jul 2003 11:56:53 AM CDT