The Outsiders (DVD)

Coppola, Francis Ford (1983). The Outsiders.  United States: Zoetrope Studios.

Summary:  Ponyboy and Johnny are sensitive and kind teens growing up in the 50's, but they are also "greasers" with long hair, unhappy home lives, and few opportunities in the small town in which they live on the wrong side while the privileged "soc" have all the advantages.  Life takes a turn for the worse when Johnny kills a "soc" who was attacking Ponyboy, and the two boys decide to run away to the countryside to escape the law.

Additional Comments:  Based on the classic novel by S. E. Hinton, Francis Ford Coppola's 1983 film features an all-star cast in their youth, including Patrick Swayze, C. Thomas Howell, Ralph Macchio, Matt Dillon, Rob Lowe, Diane Lane, Emilio Estevez, and Tom Cruise. Though the dialogue may strike teens as a bit sappy and outdated today (and particularly the tacky opening song!), the "us vs. them" theme is timeless and as true today as ever.   The ultimate tragedy speaks to the senselessness of violence 

Suckerpunch by David Hernandez

Hernandez, David (2008). Suckerpunch. New York: Harperteen. 

Summary: 17-year-old Marcus harbors deep hatred for his father who used to beat up his younger brother, Enrique, before eventually leaving the family.  Upon hearing that their father intends to return to the family, Marcus and Enrique, accompanied by friends, drive from Southern California to Monterey with a gun, planning to scare their father.  

Additional comments: Suckerpunch, the first novel by poet David Hernandez of Long Beach, California, strikes the reader with realistically harsh dialogue, detailed drug and alcohol experiences, explicit sexual fantasies, and violent physical abuse.  A few of the main characters are Latino, but Suckerpunch will appeal to any teen who enjoys a fast-moving plot with a lot of dialogue, who has wrestled with the morality of retribution, and who has suffered from depression, boredom, and anger.