Stand by Me

This film is a brilliant, well-acted masterpiece! What touched me the most was the late River Phoenix's acting, but all of the young actors performances were incredible. They are why you should see this film. 'Stand By Me' is not a bubblegum Disney film, nor a dry Hollywood film; it is a movie that captures childhood in a poignant, non-candy coated manner that is dead on. I saw this movie only a couple months ago and was blown away by it's style and acting. It is rare that you see such fresh, relaxed and deep performances that the actors in this film offered. Although this is not a recent film, it is a genuine, inspiring film that is so refreshing-being so different than the films Hollywood often gives us. I give this film a 100+ and recommend it to everyone. You will benefit from it's message and it's wonderful acting.

As a lover of Stephen King's writing style and Rob Reiner's directing techniques, this movie leaves me speechless every time. It is an almost forgotten film about a time and a youth nearly forgotten, as well. And I will say, as a writer, the novella that this film was based upon, "The Body" has and always will be the inspiration for my style of writing.

First of all, I enjoy the title that was chosen for the film. "Stand By Me" fits what the characters in the story are facing. I think that all who have seen this film will agree that the problems are all things that we can relate to. All of us know someone like these characters. Most of us have met the boy down the road who had a brother with a bad name and a father with an alcohol problem, automatically being labeled as a "bad kid." And the boy with the military father, abusive and a little whacko. The fat kid, picked on and ridiculed for his weight.

To me, Gordy represents all of us. I found myself seeing a little of me in Gordy as I watched the film. I don't know if any one else shares this, but it was true. Gordy was not very strong, at first, and was not sure what he wanted, except to be with his friends. Still coping with the loss of his brother and the fact that his father was disrespectful to him, Gordy still stood up for what he believed in. And, in the end he surprised the characters and the viewers by standing up to the bullies that had plagued them all.

This film is certainly one of my top favorites. In fact, it lies in my top three, probably at #2 or #3. I feel that it is a film that everyone should see at some point in their life due to the fact it changes your look at youth and their trials. Few films are able to do that and I think that this one was an inspiration for others that will do the same in the future.

Stephen King adaptations can be great. In my opinion the less horror pictures, and The Shining, are the best. Misery, The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile and this one. Stand by Me is a great film, you can say it is a drama with some thriller elements.

Four boys hear the location of the dead body of a boy from their small town. The boys go on a trip to look for the body, about 30 miles away. There are some little problems on the way, including another gang with its leader Kiefer Sutherland. One of the boys thinks about his late brother because of the recent events, played by John Cusack. It seems to be a simple story but it is told perfect.

The performances the boys give, one of them is the late River Phoenix, are all extraordinary. I liked the way their friendship was shown. Just a great movie, see this. 9/10.

Perhaps this is a personal bias because I had friends like this when I was 12, but having said that this is one of the best films I have ever seen and it hits every chord perfectly.

There were four of us that were friends and we were known as the Stand By Me Crew. Mike, Gary, Andy and myself were inseparable. And as this film prophesizes correctly, the group has since split up and now I am only good friends with one of them. This movie makes you remember what it was like to have friends when you were 12 and it makes you glad that they were there when they were.

The story involves these four kids going on a weekend hike to find a dead kid that apparently got hit by a train. Now if that is all the movie was about, it would probably be pretty boring. But this film explores the fears and anxieties of what it was like to be 12 again. Twelve year olds deal with a plethora of issues and it is not often that adults listen to what kids have to say or see what they deal with. But this film is honest about it's assessment of how they feel.

The four boys are played brilliantly by Wil Wheaton, Jerry O'Connell

Coosh from Jerry Maguire ), Corey Feldman and River Phoenix. The story moves along and hits a nerve because of the life that these four actors brings to their characters. There is a real sense of comrarderie between the four of them. But ultimately it is Phoenix that brings the most life to his character and I would say that the milk money scene with him and Gordie (Wheaton) is one of the more touching and poignant scenes ever filmed.

What Stand By Me does is brings you back to a time when friendship was more pure and innocent and meant more. You can't help but get caught up in the nostalgia. Perhaps this film means more to me for personal reasons ( as I've already stated ) but it is a wonderful film and it should be enjoyed by everyone.

The last line of the movie is so true. Do we really ever have friends as good as the ones when we were twelve? I doubt it.

"It happens sometimes. Friends come in and out of our lives, like busboys in a restaurant."

Stand By Me is Rob Reiner's love letter to friendship and nostalgic memories. It's ironic that Reiner's film looks at the past with such high regards because we can do the same with his filmography. His best films were all made in the 80's (and we can squeeze Misery and A Few Good Men into that list as well although they came out in 1990 and 1992 respectively), and despite not having directed many great films over the past few decades we can still look back at his early films and appreciate his classics. Stand By Me reminds us all of our early childhood and the friendships we made. It doesn't matter what decade we grew up in, we all cherish special memories of adventures we shared with our friends and how they helped shape us. That is what is so universal and appealing about Reiner's film; even though we may never have grown up in a small town or had similar outdoor adventures it still recalls us back to a time where we were discovering new things about the world and standing up for our friends when they were in trouble or running with them when we got caught playing in our neighbor's yards. Stand By Me focuses on these memories and it's not just about the adventure in itself but the bond these friends shared together. It's probably the go to movie when we are comparing or referencing other coming of age films, and in my opinion one of the best ever made considering how much I appreciate the genre. I'm sure the film itself was a life changing experience for many who grew up watching it and dreaming of having similar adventures with their friends.

Based on Stephen King's short story, "The Body," the screenplay for the film was adapted by Raynold Gideon and Bruce Evans. It takes place in 1959 and centers on four 12 year old friends from Castelrock, Oregon who overhear a conversation about the location of the body of a dead boy who had been missing for several days. The news about the disappearance of this boy had spread all over town, so these kids decide to embark on an adventure through the woods and bring back the missing body so they can be received as heroes. Since the journey would take more than a full day, they plan to tell their parents that they are staying at each other's home. Gordie (Will Wheaton) had recently lost his older brother (played by John Cusack in the flashback scenes) a few months prior to this in a car accident so he knew his mourning parents wouldn't even mind him being gone for a few days. His best friend, Chris (River Phoenix), came from a troublesome family and despite knowing he'd get into trouble if they'd discover his lie he didn't think it would be any different if he stayed with his drunk father. Teddy (Corey Feldman) still has the scars from the abuse he suffered from his mentally unstable father, and currently lives with his mother. Vern (Jerry O'Connell), the clown of the group who isn't taken very seriously is the one who came up with the idea of looking for the body, but he also is the first to back down when it comes to it. The four finally decide to go ahead with their plan and begin their adventure, which will eventually shape who they are. The story is narrated by the grown up version of Gordie (played by Richard Dreyfuss) somewhere around 1985.

The strong performances in this film are one of the reasons why it continues to work today. River Phoenix was such a natural and is so charismatic that he steals every scene he's in. The chemistry he shares with Wheaton's character is strong and it reminds us all of that best friend we had in our childhood. Corey Feldman must have had the best agent because he starred in some of the best films that were released in the 80's (Gremlins, The Goonies, The Burbs, and The Lost Boys). Jerry O'Connell is probably the one that has undergone the greatest physical transformation, but he was perfect for the role of Vern and he reminded us of that friend who always seemed to be the butt of every joke. These four young actors carry the film and despite not having the most exciting of adventures, the way the story is told is what makes it such a fascinating one. There are small moments like the one where they gather around the camp fire to listen to Gordie's story, or when they are crossing the pond and discover its full of leeches, that stand out. The film is told through Gordie's recollection of these events and each scene feels like an authentic memory someone would have of such a life changing experience. The 50's soundtrack also plays a key role in the film since it adds to the overall sense of nostalgia. Reiner's film reminds me how much I actually have enjoyed Stephen King's non-horror stories (this along with Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile are my favorite film adaptations of his work). Since its 1986 release, all the coming of age films that have followed it seem to heavily borrow from it. Stand By Me is the measuring stick for films in this genre.

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