Details
Movie Description
Based on Stephen King's novella THE BODY, director Rob Reiner's STAND BY ME is the disarmingly tender and subtly sublime story of four kids on the precipice of early adulthood who embark upon a quest. There's Gordie (Wil Wheaton), the intelligent, creative one with the obviously bright future. His best buddy, Chris (River Phoenix), hardens his image in order to hide the pain from the physical abuse he endures at home, all the while harboring the hope of escaping that image. Rounding out the foursome are Vern (Jerry O'Connell), the pudgy tagalong, and Teddy (Corey Feldman), a loyal and funny but troubled kid with a death wish.
When the four boys hear about a dead body 20 miles down the railroad tracks from their small Oregon town, they clandestinely set upon the unwieldy journey to lay eyes on this rare find. Amid numerous misadventures, Gordie, Chris, Vern, and Teddy savor what may be their last chance to revel in the simple life of children; around the corner is a future that could tear them apart, not to mention a tough teen gang who desires local fame by finding the body first. Enhanced by excellent performances and an engaging plot, STAND BY ME ranks among the best of the myriad coming-of-age films to dot the 1980s cinematic landscape.
Synopsis
STAND BY ME, set in Oregon in 1959, portrays the friendship of four boys who go on an overnight camping trip to find a missing teenager's body. Along the way they encounter a number of obstacles, including a gang of older teens and their own inner problems, ultimately finding out more about themselves along the way.
Film Notes
Shot on location in California and Oregon.
STAND BY ME was rated R by the MPAA because of its excessive use of foul language. The f-word is uttered at least 11 different times during the course of the film.
The film featured the one of the first major starring roles for actor River Phoenix, who died tragically and unexpectedly when he was only 23 years old.
The title song, Ben E. King's "Stand By Me," originally a #3 hit in 1961, returned to the pop top 10 in early 1987, propelled by its prominent use in the movie and the movie's popularity.
Industry Reviews
"...While Reiner succeeds in building the story around Wheaton's convincing vulnerability, he also has achieved a rare feat of getting equally empathetic and outstanding performances from everyone else in the cast..."
Variety - Brit.
"...A compassionate, perfectly performed look at the real heart of youth. It stands, sweet and strong, ribald, outrageous and funny....It's one of those treasures absolutely not to be missed..."
Los Angeles Times - Sheila Benson (08/08/1986)
"...Tender..."
Entertainment Weekly - Entertainment Weekly Staff (09/08/2000)
"Rob Reiner's evocative rites-of-passager is still memorable for the performances of its four young stars..."
Total Film - James White (03/01/2001)
Quotations
"Did your parents have any children that lived?"--Teddy Duchamp (Corey Feldman) "Why do you ask?"--Vern Tessio (Jerry O'Connell)
"Do you play football?"--Mr. Quidaciolou (Bruce Kirby)
"No."--Gordie Lachance (Wil Wheaton)
"Well, what do you do?"--Mr. Quidaciolou
"I don't know."--Gordie
"I just want to go somewhere where nobody knows who I am."--Chris Chambers (River Phoenix)
"Finding new and preferably disgusting ways to disparage one's mother was always held in high regard."--Adult Gordie (Richard Dreyfuss) in voice-over
"We sat there all night talking about all the things boys talk about before they discover girls."--Adult Gordie in voice-over before the following montage
"So Mickey's a mouse, Donald's a duck, but what is Goofy?"--Gordie
"If I could have one kind of food, that's easy: Cherry Pez. Definitely Cherry Pez."--Vern
"A dog, Goofy's definitely a dog."--Chris
"I always knew THE $64,000 QUESTION was fake. I mean, who could possibly know that much about opera?"--Gordie
"How can he be a dog? He drives a car and wears a hat."--Teddy
"The thing about WAGON TRAIN is they never got anywhere. They just kept wagon training."--Gordie
"Yeah, Goofy's definitely a dog."--Chris
"You think Mighty Mouse could beat up Superman?"--Vern
"What are you? Cracked?!"--Teddy
"I don't know. I once saw Mighty Mouse hold up five elephants with his one hand."--Vern
"Boy, you don't know nothing. Mighty Mouse is a cartoon. Superman is a real guy. There's no way a cartoon could beat up a real guy."--Teddy
"Yeah. But it'd be a good fight, though."--Vern
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