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I haven't expected too much from the movie at the very beginning. I thought it was just another 80's generational movie which will not resonate too much with me. I was utterly wrong because Stand By Me proved to be a perfect trigger and gateway to memory lane. It reminded me of the famous madeleine episode in Swann's Way, Marcel Proust's novel. The novel narrator eats madeleines dunked in tea which helps him recall certain past events by triggering his involuntary memory.

The film opens with a sequence where the narrator (Richard Dreyfus) sits in a car shocked by the newspaper title of a lawyer's violent death as two kids pass by his car on bikes. The plot then turns into a childhood story, when the narrator and his friends, went to find a dead boy's body in the woods. One of the friends in the company was the earlier mentioned killed lawyer with whom he had a great relationship as a kid. Moreover, he helped him raise his self-esteem and bring back his confidence on numerous occasions.

I liked the characters in the film because it perfectly depicts boys in every junior high school company. Gordie (Will Wheaton) is a smart but insecure, invisible boy. On the other hand, Chris (River Phoenix) is a rebellious, intelligent kid who has the potential to become good at anything if he could only have a good role model. Teddy Duchamp (Corey Feldman) is an ill-tempered, self-destructive, romantic kid. Finally, Vern (Jerry O'Connell) is that bothering kid who desperately wants to be a part of the group but isn't cool enough for that.

This film was fun to watch since it served as a trigger to remember people, places, activities, and games I played as a child. I was also doing a lot of stuff with kids from my hometown that I don't have any contact with whatsoever. At the time, those kids were my best friends, and numerous great memories were waiting inside of me to get back on the surface again. I love the magic of film that can make such things happen.

Lost love can make you mad, especially if you take it for granted during the relationship. At the end, when it's gone you finally realize the void inside your life. Alan Despot (Janko Popovic Volaric) is a successful graphic designer whose life, both privately and professionally, turns upside down after a failed romantic relationship. He's desperately trying to find comfort in alcohol and cocaine entering a downward spiral. The sudden death of a distant relative allows him to escape his daily routine by going to a funeral in the other part of the country with his estranged father Bruno Despot (Zlatko Buric).

This film is not a must-watch but it's a good and entertaining film if you want to watch something as a relaxation. The story and acting are solid, especially the performance of father Bruno Despot. He manages to capture the persona of a passive unconventional artistic guy who just doesn't care too much about organized family life. Even though there are humorous scenes there aren't too many epic and memorable scenes or monologues/dialogues that would make this film a must-watch classic. The female characters could have been better developed. We just don't get too much insight into their lives and may come across as one-dimensional and easy.

I'm glad that I have watched the film. It is not hard to connect with different characters in the movie and see a part of yourself and your past mistakes in some situations.