Stand By Me (1986)

A softer side of the King of horror...

I expected something different from `Stand by Me'; that is, since it was written by Stephen King (the novella from which the film was adapted from was) I was expecting something thrilling or scary. What I got was something completely opposite yet equally engaging. Instead of a horror film or even a tense thriller, we are presented with a deeply moving story about friendship, relationships and boyhood. `Stand by Me' is a beautifully told story of adolescence; of four boys who find that central part of themselves over a weekend trek through the woods.

Gordie, Chris, Teddy and Vern are on the brink of their teenage years. Growing up in the 50's has not been too kind to them. Their families are rocky as is their relationships with them. Gordie, who narrates the story as an adult looking back at this chapter of his life, is conflicted at home. His older brother has recently died, and his father is so wrecked over it that he casts Gordie aside as if he were unwanted. Chris, Gordie's best friend, is treated horribly by the rest of the community because of his background (his father and brother are major trouble) and so he has become his own worst enemy because of it; downgrading himself and his own possibilities because of his conditioned mentality. Teddy has suffered bizarre abuse from his father, who is now institutionalized; and Vern, well, he's got problems of his own (weight is always an issue).

When a young boy their same age goes missing, and they get word that the body is down by the railroad tracks, the boys decide to trek out to find it and report the body. What starts out as a few friends satisfying a morbid interest turns into a coming of age story that winds up completing these four young men in ways they never imagined.

The movie is not perfect, but in parts it is grand. Some of the acting is off, but there are some amazing performances that totally make up for the few inconsistencies; and while one major part of the film didn't sit right with me (the narration annoyed me) I can see its purpose; even if I wasn't a fan.

The performances by the four young boys were all good, some great, some even superb. Corey Feldman is an annoying celebrity (now that is) but when you separate his personal Hollywood existence from this performance you can see that he did a very good job. He played the misunderstood kid, or in other words he played a normal kid, and he did it well. Jerry O'Connell also does a fine job here at being a normal (albeit overweight) kid. He's also an annoying celebrity now, but that's beside the point. Wil Wheaton was less than impressive for me, especially since this was `his' movie and I never really felt compelled to watch him, except for in some of the final more crucial scenes. He does a fine job in the end, but overall he was a little one-note. Kiefer Sutherland delivers a memorable and engaging supporting performance as Ace, the town bully; but this movie belongs to the late River Phoenix who really deserved an Oscar nomination for his dynamic portrayal of the tortured Chris Chambers. I was drawn to his every move, his every word, his every action and his character development was extraordinary.

In the end I have to recommend this movie. It could have been tightened in a few areas (I would have liked a little tension, and the removal of the narration would have been ideal) but the film is still a wonderfully fulfilling and rewarding journey through the tragedies as well as the blessings of adolescence. Sprinkled with some wonderful performances and some poignant life lessons, `Stand by Me' is one of those touching buddy flicks you just can't help but adore. October 27, 2008

Different opinion than others here

I bought this movie recently. I had never heard of it before, but it was cheap, and it sounded like something my 11 and 10 year old sons might enjoy (my husband too, since he's always been an outdoorsman).
We all sat down to watch, and first off, I was annoyed by the boys smoking. On the back cover, it said that the kids 'sneak' smokes. Well, they acted like pros at it! Not like a kid just 'giving it a try' and gagging and coughing, but they acted like it was something they always did, like it was ok. I started smoking back at that age, and I try to stress to my kids that it's NOT ok, and it's a horrible habit to kick!
Secondly, the language! OMG! I wanted to crawl in a hole with every other word being a swear word! Heck, I swear, my husband swears, and Lord knows, kids all around them swear, but we don't do it in the house, and we certainly don't want the kids doing it! It's fine to put a word in here and there, shoot, all the movies do! But I didn't think the amount used in this movie was necessary.
Then there's the gun and knife. It's not cool to cop a gun from your 'old man'! And it certainly isn't cool to point it at someone, and cock it?? OMG!! My sons have been hunting since they were 8 years old. They know what a gun is used for, and it certainly isn't used for pointing at a bully!
Anyway, I'm not a prude in any way, shape, or form, but I was hoping this movie would teach my boys that sure, life is hard, we all have issues in our lives, but we can learn and grow from our situations. We don't need to do it by 'smoking' or carrying a gun!
Sure, it had touching moments where the boys cried about issues they had, but that was it. It just showed the issues, it didn't give any clue as to where the boys could go, what they could do, or how they could better themselves. They found the body, and went home to their horrible lives...just as they did before they ventured out.
JMOP,
Dana August 17, 2008

Stands By Its Reputation

STAND BY ME is an amazing film that totally captures small town life, the late 1950's and more universally what it's like to be at that in between age of 12 or 13. It is incredible how much we learn about the four friends - Chris, Gordie, Teddy and Vern - in a relatively short amount of time. This can be credited to the performances of the young actors (all are excellent but River Phoenix really shines) guided by the expert direction of Rob Reiner and maybe most importantly the heartfelt source material, the novella THE BODY by Stephen King which is one of his best efforts outside of the pure horror genre.

One of the things that impressed me most about the film is the kids talk, act and think like real kids of that age still do today and probably always will. It's a shame the film is rated R because of its rough but realistic language since a lot of kids in the 12 - 16 years old age bracket could readily identify with the characters and the themes though granted this is certainly no kiddie movie for the under twelve set. But for anyone who has graduated from sixth grade or so this is a wonderful movie that shouldn't be missed. June 15, 2008

Maybe Nostalgia Would Have Helped

I just sat down and watched this movie for the first time after hearing about it for as long as I can remember. And I was less than impressed.

The story follows the journey of four boys - Vern, Teddy, Chris, and Gordie (Jerry O'Connell, Corey Feldman, River Phoenix, and Wil Wheaton) as they transition from boy to man. Or at least teen. The summer before they start Jr. High, a boy their own age goes missing. When Vern hears where the boy's body is, they set out to find it so they can become heroes. While they journey, all four face fears, hopes, and disappointments whether it's the absence of parental love, a future career as a writer, or things that go bump in the night.

To be honest, I can understand why people like this movie. It has a good mix of drama and comedy. The acting is great. The film is set in a small town in the 50's, so there's the nostalgia factor.

So why didn't I like it? First and foremost, the language. That was the real biggie. It was one thing when Ace (Kiefer Sutherland), the leader of the local gang swore. It was something completely different to have these twelve year olds swearing all the time. And frankly, I have a hard time imagining kids swearing that much during the 50's. I'm probably way out in left field, but it doesn't right true. There are several gross out moments I didn't care for. Finally, the ending was depressing. I'll grant you it was realistic. But it was depressing.

I know lots of people who grew up watching this film and absolutely love it. As I said, I can see it why. And maybe if I had seen it when I was younger, I would like it now. As it is, I won't be watching it again. June 2, 2008

Maybe the best film about growing up ever made

Stand by Me is probably one the strongest films about friendship ever made. It really does make its older audience travel back in time to when we were young and hanging out with our buddies planning to do something extraordinary for the summer. It is all about `coming of age', never over sentimental, yet remaining thoroughly heart rendering in its depiction of youths discovering their inner adult self.

Written by Steven King, this is one of his `Shawshank Redemptions' stories that contains thrills and drama but no horror. The dialogue is superb and very memorable. The story revolves around four boys who overhear that a body of a boy who had been hit by train was seen by some riverbank. They head off on the two day trek and meet many obstacles along the way.

This is also one of director Rob Reiner's best films. It stars Wil Wheaton (Wesley of Star Trek: The Next Generation fame), River Phoenix (who infamously died of a drug overdose), Corey Feldman (of The Lost Boys), Jerry O'Connell (Sliders) and Kiefer Sutherland.

It is also more proof that Stephen King's dramas make much better films than his horrors. April 26, 2008

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