I was a young kid when the movie came out, so I couldn't see it in the theater. I used to secretly read the book ( I was 12 and my parents didn't want me to read it). After the movie left the theaters it disappeared for a few years until NBC ran it on TV. Than was the first time I saw the movie. Remember, this was before VCRs and Blockbuster, so it wasn't easy to see it. Once we got a VCR, it was one of the first tapes I rented and eventually owned. In fact, I had to bu a new copy about 5 years ago because I watched it so much that it wore out.