“Stand by Me” (1986) / Z-View
Stand by Me (1986)
Directors: Rob Reiner
Screenplay: Bruce A. Evans, Raynold Gideon based on The Body by Stephen King
Stars: Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman, Jerry O’Connell, Kiefer Sutherland, Casey Siemaszko, Gary Riley, Bradley Gregg, Marshall Bell, Frances Lee McCain, Bruce Kirby, Richard Dreyfuss and John Cusack
Tagline: For some, it’s the last real taste of innocence, and the first real taste of life. But for everyone, it’s the time that memories are made of.
The Overview: Beware of spoilers…
It’s Labor Day Weekend 1959 and four young friends learn the location of the dead body of a missing boy. Telling their parents that they’re going to a sleepover, the boys plan to secretly walk the 20 or 30 miles to “find” the body and then notify the police. They believe they’ll be seen as heroes. What they don’t know is that a group of older thugish boys have the same plan…
Stand by Me is lighting in a bottle — a great adapted screenplay with the right director and a perfect cast. There’s an old saying, “It’s not the destination, but the journey.” Stand by Me is proof of that pearl of wisdom. As the boys travel to see the body, we learn about their lives through emotional incidents of drama, comedy, fear and tension. Stand by Me should resonate with the 12 year old in all of us. It’s a classic.
Stand by Me earns 5 of 5 stars.