Reviews of Stand by Me

Unforgettable classic.

Posted : 1 year, 8 months ago on 21 April 2008 06:21 (A review of Stand by Me)

"I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was twelve. Jesus, does anyone?"

Stand by Me is a timeless screen gem based on a Stephen King novella called 'The Body'. The film marks one of the best Stephen King translations to the big screen; this poignant, touching classic is quite simply a masterpiece.

Stand by Me is a film that follows three young boys about to enter their teen years; Gordie (Wheaton), Chris (Phoenix), Teddy (Feldman) and Vern (O'Connell). The plot is quite simple; Vern is underneath his house digging furiously for his pennies when he overhears a conversation regarding the final resting place of a missing boy who is presumed dead. The boy was hit by a train but has not been found by authorities. The four young boys decide that they want to be heroes and head off on a journey to find the corpse. They figure that if they report the location of the body to the authorities they'll get their 15 minutes of fame in the local newspapers. With this goal in mind they set out on a journey to the location of the body. This journey is filled with bonding and arguing that you'd come to expect from 12-year-old boys.

Not only is this a tender narrative but also a coming-of-age tale of young boys ascending into manhood. The film's story is told in flashback to narration by Richard Dreyfuss. The opening introduces us to Dreyfuss' character, which is followed by the aforementioned flashbacks that accurately display pre-pubescent males of the 1950s.

Dreyfuss' character amusingly uses a complex vocabulary while the title characters on screen speak so immaturely; cheaply throwing insults at each other and each other's mothers.

The problem with most child actors is that they usually fail to engage the audiences during complex situations. Stand by Me contains performances prominently by a group of boys between the ages of 11 and 12. Understandably, I was reluctant about this idea at first. Maybe it was Reiner's skilled directing, or maybe it was the acting talent of the four principal children; either way I found the acting to be stellar. I was astounded at the brilliant results achieved by the young actors. There's also a very recognisable Kiefer Sutherland who pops up as a typical teenager bully. Because I had seen so much of Sutherland's recent work I was shocked at how youthful he looks.

Thankfully the whole cast were given a remarkable script to feast on. The dialogue is realistic, as are the members of the cast. Some scenes called for sublime acting, especially when the boys were meant to be in tears. The young cast pull it off with wonderful results.

Stand by Me can't be missed because of how moving, touching and emotive the whole experience is. Stand by Me is a simple story but contains a powerful message about the ascension in adulthood. Memorable, riveting and brilliant. I can't believe it took me so long to finally watch this one. Funniest moment: the gross (but amusing) story about a young fat boy getting revenge on his enemies by initiating a barf-fest in a tent during a pie-eating contest.

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Boyhood defined.

Posted : 1 year, 10 months ago on 8 March 2008 08:19 (A review of Stand by Me)

This film is basically every young boys childhood summers, rounded up into one big heap and then cast aside and replaced with the definitive summer adventure that can not be beaten. Stand by Me is an amazing journey, about the coming of age of 4 young boys who venture out to try and find a dead body they have heard someone found in the woods near their homes. It is a long journey which takes them some time to complete and along the way you basically gain insight into each of the boys personalities and characters, which are all well acted for children! All people coming of age should view this film as a right of passage, and i feel most would appreciate being given the chance as it is another brilliant piece of film history that must not be missed! Once you watch this film you will feel like childhood is the best part of your life, but that having it as memories is far better than actually being there. All those adventures you had as a kid are gone yet your life has barely even begun .

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a brilliant gem

Posted : 2 years, 8 months ago on 7 May 2007 02:23 (A review of Stand by Me)

I remember watching this when I was a kid, and today I still love it.

This film is beautifully adapted for the screen (from a Stephen King non-horror short story), and the chosen cast is amazing, from Keifer Sutherland to Jerry O’Connor and River Phoenix, who here give their best performances ever. I can't imagine any other actors playing those roles, and they seem to get better every time I watch this!

The movie depicts the fears, games, catchphrases, debates and secrets by four young boys. The story doesn’t look intriguing at all, but what comes out of it – the characters’ friendship – is simply brilliant and well-portrayed by director Rob Reiner.

The movie is just brilliant, well-directed, and unforgettable. And the soundtrack is awesome.


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