Stand by Me (1986)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Eric A

  
  A real genius film (especially the storyline), that truly captures the real essence of a childhood. This film carries pretty much every emotion there is: from happiness to sadness, and from disappointment to satisfaction. It is a classic that every person young to old should… More
  A real genius film (especially the storyline), that truly captures the real essence of a childhood. This film carries pretty much every emotion there is: from happiness to sadness, and from disappointment to satisfaction. It is a classic that every person young to old should definitely watch.

• Alexander D

  
  Whether frightening (THE SHINING, CARRIE) or thought-provoking (THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION, THE GREEN MILE), Stephen King's adaptations have made me a total push-over for almost any work of his. As STAND BY ME is a coming-of-age adventure/drama, I expected it to feel like a… More
  Whether frightening (THE SHINING, CARRIE) or thought-provoking (THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION, THE GREEN MILE), Stephen King's adaptations have made me a total push-over for almost any work of his. As STAND BY ME is a coming-of-age adventure/drama, I expected it to feel like a late-'50s-set roller coaster ride. Little did I know I had accidentally hopped on the ferris wheel, and was from that point on at risk of falling asleep during this 87-minute film. <b>Full Review: http://themoviefreakblog.wordpress.com/2011/11/21/review-stand-by-me/</b>

• Brad W

  
  Stand by Me is such a genius film, I loved it. Everybody had a friend when they were 12, a group of friends maybe you hung out with, and you never truly forget them. The plot is about four boys who travel along a railroad track in search of a dead body, but learn much about… More
  Stand by Me is such a genius film, I loved it. Everybody had a friend when they were 12, a group of friends maybe you hung out with, and you never truly forget them. The plot is about four boys who travel along a railroad track in search of a dead body, but learn much about eachother on the way, and become closer friends on their travel. The young actors are great and truly are a representation of the mixture of humour and drama. The plot was slow at times but overall brings us to a conclusion that makes us think about our own lives. the movie overall was great, a really classic adaption of the novel, Shawshank Redemption still is the greatest adaption of Stephen King in my book.

• Jeff "

  
  I finally got around to seeing Stand By Me, and I was quite surprised at what I saw. I enjoyed the film very much, and I thought that the acting choices were wonderful. However I thought it was slightly overhyped. I'm not saying that the film is bad, far from it, but the hype… More
  I finally got around to seeing Stand By Me, and I was quite surprised at what I saw. I enjoyed the film very much, and I thought that the acting choices were wonderful. However I thought it was slightly overhyped. I'm not saying that the film is bad, far from it, but the hype surrounding it kinda killed the mystic of the film for me. Every review I've read about the film has been praising how epic and grand the film was. In a way, it was and in other ways it wasn't. The story is solid and so is the acting, but there's just something about the film that didn't really work for me. A really good film, but nothing to be considered an American Classic. Rob Reiner has adapted Stephen King's story, The Body to the screen with goods results. What you have here with Stand By Me is a film filled drama, and adventure; one that people can relate to. However, to call it a masterpiece feels out of place. I enjoyed this film, but I feel that it was a good film, nothing more. There's some impressive talent on screen and they all make the story very appealing. Stand By Me is definitely a film worth watching, but it's not as as grand as people have claimed it to be. Stand By Me is, for what it is, a film with a good story and good acting. However, I don't view this film as a classic of film, but this is one of the best films by director Rob Reiner. A worthy film to watch, though nothing really great.

• erika b

  
  Stand by me is about a dead body. Teenaged gang killed a boy and then spilled the beans without even knowing to one teenaged gang member's younger brother. Then the next 4 12-year-old boys go on am mission to find the dead body and to get the older gang in to trouble. Along… More
  Stand by me is about a dead body. Teenaged gang killed a boy and then spilled the beans without even knowing to one teenaged gang member's younger brother. Then the next 4 12-year-old boys go on am mission to find the dead body and to get the older gang in to trouble. Along the way the journry was hard with a lot of hard times that they have to figure out how to solve. Will they find the dead body or not? Pros Good acting and plot Really shows what friendship is all about. Really moving film. One of best 80's coming to age films TRUE CLASSIC!!

• AJ V

  
  An excellent adventure/drama/thriller movie, which strangely enough was written by Stephen King. This is a very interesting movie, it stars a very young cast, yet it isn't a kids movie. It's more nostalgia than anything. I highly recommend it.

• Sajin P

  
  A great movie about friendship and Phoenix was a real class act. He had real potential to be a great actor of our times. RIP Phoenix.

• xGary X

  
  Four youngsters hike across country together to find the body of a missing boy. A right of passage drama based on a novella by Stephen King, Stand By Me is an affectionate snapshot of boyhood and life in fifties America. Much loved by many, I found this film to be rather lightweight… More
  Four youngsters hike across country together to find the body of a missing boy. A right of passage drama based on a novella by Stephen King, Stand By Me is an affectionate snapshot of boyhood and life in fifties America. Much loved by many, I found this film to be rather lightweight in content, being overly reliant on its likable leads and an enjoyable soundtrack of contemporary hits. It does have a nice sense of period and director Rob Reiner shows a sensitive hand with his actors coaxing fairly believable performances from his young charges. The flaws for me were in the writing (surprise surprise); River Phoenix character seems rather too responsible and adult for a twelve year old which also gives his pivotal scenes with Wil Wheaton a rather disturbig Brokeback vibe. King's attempts at insight and depth also felt very clumsy and trite, content with some very superficial pop psychology rather than showing any true depth. It's an inoffensive slice of popular americana, but quite why it is the subject of such adoration I'm not quite sure. One for my "I don't get it" file I suspect.

• Jason C

  
  This was one of my favorite movies when I was a kid. I watched it last night and it still holds up very well.

• Mark W

  
  This lighthearted, coming-of-age story is based on the novella "The Body" by none-other than horror miester Stephen King and yet very far from most other film adaptations of his work. Four young friends, Chris (River Phoenix), Gordie (Wil Wheaton), Vern (Jerry… More
  This lighthearted, coming-of-age story is based on the novella "The Body" by none-other than horror miester Stephen King and yet very far from most other film adaptations of his work. Four young friends, Chris (River Phoenix), Gordie (Wil Wheaton), Vern (Jerry O'Connell) and Teddy (Corey Feldman) go on an adventure together to find the dead body of a young local boy who has supposedly been hit by a train. By following the tracks, the friends' journey becomes more about them and their current personas and the boyish adventure soon becomes about their experiences of entering adulthood. All done with a wonderfully nostalgic voice-over by Richard Dreyfuss and an excellent soundtrack of 50's songs, this film really feels rich and inviting into the times and experiences of these four young characters. Not many films properly capture the spirit of youth but this certainly does. It doesn't matter if you don't come from 1950's America, you can relate to the the four chums and their rite of passage. I saw this film when I was 11years old and despite the fact that I've never stepped foot on a 50's americana front porch or used a bat to play 'mailbox baseball', I still fully identified with the characters. The four leads are nothing short of sublime and their prospective carears didn't merit the performances given here. A wonderfully nostalgic gem of a film, all the more, for a poignant character and performance from the late River Phoenix.

• Spencer S

  
  There's something to be said about Stephen King's adapted works to film: they rarely disappoint. Based from The Body, this film shows the depth of young friendship, the terror of not knowing, and pride in life.

• Cindy I

  
  I was never a twelve year old boy. However, that did not in any way affect my enjoyment of this moving film, the story of four boys in 1959 on a quest to find the body of another boy hit by a train, with a wraparound story of one of the boys -- now an adult -- reminiscing about that… More
  I was never a twelve year old boy. However, that did not in any way affect my enjoyment of this moving film, the story of four boys in 1959 on a quest to find the body of another boy hit by a train, with a wraparound story of one of the boys -- now an adult -- reminiscing about that very experience. Rob Reiner did a wonderful job with this coming-of-age film, getting fabulous performances out of his four young leads, especially River Phoenix. Even at this tender age, his talent was clear. The boys are all tough and ribald -- smoking, cussing and talking sex before any of them really even knew what they were talking about. And even through the ribbing and insults directed at each other, it is obvious that they all care about each other very much. The film is based on the novella "The Body" by Stephen King -- yeah, THAT Stephen King. I don't know if he wrote the dialogue, but it is a treat to listen to. One scene that stands out for me is two conversations going on simultaneously -- Gordie and Chris are discussing their futures and college, while Vern and Teddy are discussing who would win in a fight between Superman and Mighty Mouse. Another plus to this film has to be the soundtrack. The late 1950s rock n roll does a good job of putting you in the time period. And the title song "Stand by Me" by Ben E. King has to be one of the greatest songs ever. This film is similar to American Graffiti -- which also had Richard Dreyfuss in a leading role, interestingly - in that nearly everyone with a major role went on to bigger and better things, most notable being John Cusack as the character Gordie's older brother. Don't be an idiot like me and think that you won't enjoy this film because you can't identify with it. I was so wrong, and should have seen this film years ago. Five stars.

• KJ P

  
  Great Film! It goes along with Rain Man, when I say it has potential to be one of the best films of it's decade!

• Thomas B

  
  really good film. full review later.

• Conner R

  
  Probably one of the best collections of acting from pre-teen actors. The characters are so emotionally driven and fleshed out, it is impossible to not love this movie. River Phoenix especially gave a performance that was so dead on and realistic. I love the story and message about… More
  Probably one of the best collections of acting from pre-teen actors. The characters are so emotionally driven and fleshed out, it is impossible to not love this movie. River Phoenix especially gave a performance that was so dead on and realistic. I love the story and message about friendship.

• Anthony L

  
  A great film from the 80's, King's story has become something of a cult classic. It's not dated at all unlike other similar films of the time, the true test of a great film.

• Randy T

  
  Perhaps more so than any other movie I've ever seen, I can relate to and identify with this film. With just a few minor script changes you'd have a pretty accurate encapsulation of my childhood. In case you haven't seen it yet, it's the story of four boys who set… More
  Perhaps more so than any other movie I've ever seen, I can relate to and identify with this film. With just a few minor script changes you'd have a pretty accurate encapsulation of my childhood. In case you haven't seen it yet, it's the story of four boys who set out on a weekend expedition to see a dead body. Along the way they encounter obstacles (a swamp, a railroad trestle, etc.), battle foes (bullies, leaches, a certain junkyard dog), and ultimately have one of those storied, episodic adventures that only 12 year old boys seem to have. It's a scaled down, Americanized version of Homer's <i>The Odyssey</i>, a metaphoric journey laced with ideological symbolism. Four young knights on a quest, if you will, to locate a grail (the lifeless body of Ray Brower). I can see aspects of my own adolescent self mirrored in each of the four main characters. Until I was about 14 years old, I was always "the fat kid" (Vern). My father had a violent temper (Teddy). I was forever writing stories for the amusement of my friends (Gordie). And, I aspired to rise above the expectations of those presumptuous arrogants who based their assessment of me solely on the unfavorable aspects of my pedigree (Chris). It's as though Stephen King crawled inside my head and did a character study on all those voices I keep hearing. :) <i>Stand By Me</i> is really just a simple little film that's deceptively deep and, at least for me, very personal.

• Jason O

  
  To say "Stand By Me" is a classic, is to be modestly talking about the film. In my opinion, it's more than a classic, it's a legend. It tells an unforgettable story of four friends who set off on a journey to find a missing body of a dead teen. Along the way is the… More
  To say "Stand By Me" is a classic, is to be modestly talking about the film. In my opinion, it's more than a classic, it's a legend. It tells an unforgettable story of four friends who set off on a journey to find a missing body of a dead teen. Along the way is the real journey of the movie. It's mainly a story of teenage boys hanging out and growing up at the same time. On their way to find the dead body, they will encounter conflict and have even more good times. "Stand By Me" has more unforgettable sequences than just about any other drama movie. You'll never forget some of them such as the story that Gordie (Wil Wheaton) tells to his friends about a pie eating contest and when they all encounter leeches. And of course, one of my all time favorites from any movie, the scene where Gordie and Vern (Jerry O'Connell) are on a high rise train track when a train is coming from behind them. Kiefer Sutherland puts on a great performance as the boys' main enemy. River Phoenix also puts on one of his best performances before his death a few years ago. "Stand By Me" is one of my top ten favorite movies of all time and I know a lot of people who feel the same way about the movie. It's a classic in every sense and I recommend it to anybody no matter what kind of movies you like. NOTE: That was my Amazon review from the year 2000 of this, a perennial all-time favorite of mine. Stephen King's best movie ever, which is saying a lot cause there's tons of them. I also have never had friends like the ones I did when I was about 12, Jesus, does anyone? Everyone goes their separate ways these days, including family.

• Cassandra M

  
  I find it hard to comment on this film without simply repeating what has already been said. It's not that I can't think of anything original, but that others seem to have felt the exact same emotions as I did when watching this film. I saw this movie when I was about 12,… More
  I find it hard to comment on this film without simply repeating what has already been said. It's not that I can't think of anything original, but that others seem to have felt the exact same emotions as I did when watching this film. I saw this movie when I was about 12, 13, maybe 14 years old. So it didn't have the same nostalgic sense it had for so many. But what it did, was make me ache for those memories. I wanted (in the words of another reviewer) to be 12, and *that* cool. I wished I had been like that, that I had had friends like that, laughed like that, and had adventures like that. The 'milk-money' scene was probably one of my all-time favourite scenes in movie history. Up until I saw this movie I had never held much regard for River Phoenix, but the poignancy and sincerity which River added to the role of Chris Chambers touched me to the point of tears. I read in yet another review that in this scene, River was asked to think of a time when he had been hurt by an adult, and that even after the cameras stopped rolling, River sat there still, sobbing and hurting. And I felt every tear and heard every word as though I were there with Chris. This movie made me laugh, cry, rejoice and fear with Chris, Gordie, Teddy and Vern. I loved the campfire scenes, and today I look back on my own childhood, and remember with a laugh the amazingly similar things I used to laugh and wonder about with my friends. I remember dreaming about being a writer and an actress, I remember standing up to bullies, I remember walking or riding with my friends, I remember being afraid, and crying onto a friend's shoulder. I guess what this movie does for everyone, is take them back in time, even though the situations may have been different, chances are you'll find the similarities, and remember with a smile that yes, your life was once *that* cool. In the words of Vern, "a great time" I especially loved the ending. That they found out who was strong, and who just talked tough. I loved the last scene with Chris and Gordie, and the closing monologue. "I never had any friends later on, like the ones I had when I was twelve...Jesus....does anyone?"

• Chris W

  
  Like a lot of films (and other things) this is not really about what it's about. To use a famous quote, "it's about how its about". As is the case (almost 100% of the time) with cinematic adaptations of something literary, the source materia lis better, but this… More
  Like a lot of films (and other things) this is not really about what it's about. To use a famous quote, "it's about how its about". As is the case (almost 100% of the time) with cinematic adaptations of something literary, the source materia lis better, but this film is still excellent in it's own way. The very slight deviations don't cause any real damage. The coming of age story has been done to death, but the writing, direction, and excellent performaces from a great cast keep things fresh and alive. This film is quite possibly one of the greatest and most enduring (and endearing) coa stories of all time.

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