Emilio Estevez's original script followed the book's ending more closely. Paramount Pictures executives forced Estevez to re-write the ending to be more "optimistic" and "realistic".
According to her website, this is the only film adaption of her book, in which author S.E. Hinton was not directly involved.
The movie takes place in Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota. The novel is set in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
In the original novel, Ponyboy Curtis is featured, and the rivalry between the Greasers and the Socs is referenced. However, they were left out of the movie adaptation, to make it a stand alone story.