The Outsiders

The letter that inspired a cult classic

Tom Cruise, Rob Lowe, C. Thomas Howell, Matt Dillon, Ralph Macchio, Emilio Estevez, and Patrick Swayze on the set of The Outsiders, directed by Francis Ford Coppola. (Photo by Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images)

Few movies have boasted a cast as impressive as The Outsiders. Tom Cruise, Rob Lowe, Ralph Macchio, Patrick Swayze, and Matt Dillon—all up…