This film from Francis Ford Coppola presents some beautifully shot, often very personal moments, though its appeal rests more on who’s in it than any groundbreaking narrative or well-developed characters. It's hard to imagine this movie being much better than an interesting imitation of "West Side Story" if not for the fact that so many of the actors involved later achieved significant success – each in their own way. At its core, it’s a story about conflict between rival groups: the “Greasers,” featuring Tom Cruise, Rob Lowe, Ralph Macchio, Matt Dillon, Patrick Swayze, and others, are constantly clashing with their wealthier counterparts, the "Socs." These clashes happen daily until one night, Macchio's character ("Johnny") and his friend "Ponyboy" (C. Thomas Howell) are attacked by older boys, resulting in a tragedy that forces everyone involved to reveal who they really are. The performances generally feel stiff – with perhaps Rob Lowe offering a worthwhile contribution late on. Dillon was certainly handsome, but like the rest of the cast, he wasn't known for his range, and much of the film focuses on how good they look in jeans. The plot itself is a fairly unremarkable, violent story about growing up that concludes with sadness and redemption, though it feels somewhat hurried. Over time, this movie hasn’t aged particularly well; it has lost some of its original impact. Nevertheless, it remains worth seeing.

Source on TMDB