There are certain films that remind me of different parts of my childhood, and Stand By Me is definitely one of them. I thought I would review it after my op on Practical Magic – one of my favourite films. In that op I mentioned that Stand By Me was also one of my favourites, and as ... Read review
In a small Oregon town a group of friends- sensitive Gordie tough-guy Chris and ... more
flamboyant Teddy are in search of a missing teenager's body. Wanting to be heroes in each others' and their hometown's eyes they set out on an unforgettable two-day trek that turns into an odyssey of self-discovery. When they encounter the town's knife-wielding hoods who are also after the body the boys discover a strength they never knew they had...
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A sleeper hit when released in 1986,Stand by Meis based on Stephen King's novella "The ... more
Body" (from the bookDifferent Seasons); but it's more about the joys and pains of boyhood friendship than a morbid fascination with corpses. It's about four boys ages 12 and 13 (Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman, Jerry O'Connell) who take an overnight hike through the woods near their Oregon town to find the body of a boy who's been missing for days. Their journey includes a variety of scary adventures (including a ferocious junkyard dog, a swamp full of leeches and a treacherous leap from a train trestle), but it's also a time for personal revelations, quiet interludes and the raucous comradeship of best friends. Set in the 1950s, the movie indulges an overabundance of anachronistic profanity and a kind of idealistic, golden-toned nostalgia (it's told in flashback as a story written by Wheaton's character as an adult, played by Richard Dreyfuss). But it's delightfully entertaining from start to finish, thanks to the rapport among its young cast members and the timeless, universal themes of friendship, family and the building of character and self-esteem. Kiefer Sutherland makes a memorable teenage villain and look closely for John Cusack in a flashback scene as Wheaton's now-deceased and dearly missed brother. A genuine crowd-pleaser, this heartfelt movie led director Rob Reiner to even greater success with his next film,The Princess Bride.--Jeff Shannon
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A sleeper hit when released in 1986,Stand by Meis based on Stephen King's novella "The ... more
Body" (from the bookDifferent Seasons); but it's more about the joys and pains of boyhood friendship than a morbid fascination with corpses. It's about four boys ages 12 and 13 (Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman, Jerry O'Connell) who take an overnight hike through the woods near their Oregon town to find the body of a boy who's been missing for days. Their journey includes a variety of scary adventures (including a ferocious junkyard dog, a swamp full of leeches and a treacherous leap from a train trestle), but it's also a time for personal revelations, quiet interludes and the raucous comradeship of best friends. Set in the 1950s, the movie indulges an overabundance of anachronistic profanity and a kind of idealistic, golden-toned nostalgia (it's told in flashback as a story written by Wheaton's character as an adult, played by Richard Dreyfuss). But it's delightfully entertaining from start to finish, thanks to the rapport among its young cast members and the timeless, universal themes of friendship, family and the building of character and self-esteem. Kiefer Sutherland makes a memorable teenage villain and look closely for John Cusack in a flashback scene as Wheaton's now-deceased and dearly missed brother. A genuine crowd-pleaser, this heartfelt movie led director Rob Reiner to even greater success with his next film,The Princess Bride.--Jeff Shannon
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Production Year: 2004 - Drama - Director: Nick Cassavetes - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over, 12 years and over - Starring: Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling, Gena Rowlands
Production Year: 1995 - Drama - Director: Ang Lee - Original Language: English - Classification: Universal - Starring: Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Kate Winslet, Hugh Grant, Greg Wise, Hugh Laurie, Robert Hardy
Advantages: Great acting, simple but touching story Disadvantages: None really, perhaps the swearing for those who don't like that sort of thing
...parts of my childhood, and Stand By Me is definitely one of them. I thought I would review it after my op on Practical Magic – one of my favourite films. In that op I mentioned that Stand By Me was also one of my favourites, and as I typed those words I realised that I hadn’t actually watched the film in about two or three years. So I sat down the other afternoon with a mug of tea, a blanket (our house is freezing) and the film in question. ...a classic.
Stand By Me is the film adaptation of the Stephen King novella ‘The Body’ which appears in the book ‘Different Seasons’. (Crazy-Christian recently wrote an excellent op on this book, I recommend you take a look). It is the story of four twelve-year-old friends in the summer of 1959, in the fictional town of Castle Rock, Oregon.
Gordie LaChance (Wil Wheaton) is the main character of ... more
There are certain films that remind me of different parts of my childhood, and Stand By Me is definitely one of them. I thought I would review it after my op on Practical Magic – one of my favourite films. In that op I mentioned that Stand By Me was also one of my favourites, and as I typed those words I realised that I hadn’t actually watched the film in about two or three years. So I sat down the other afternoon with a mug of tea, a blanket (our house is freezing) and the film in question.
I laughed, I cried, I remembered. There are many of my childhood and early teen memories vested in this film – appropriate, considering that the film is an exploration of the loss of innocence between a band of childhood chums. As I watched, there was so much that I had forgotten, but I knew every line before it came out of the characters’ mouths. I consider it a classic.
Stand By Me is the film adaptation of the Stephen King novella ‘The Body’ which appears in the book ‘Different Seasons’. (Crazy-Christian recently wrote an excellent op on this book, I recommend you take a look). It is the story of four twelve-year-old friends in the summer of 1959, in the fictional town of Castle Rock, Oregon.
Gordie LaChance (Wil Wheaton) is the main character of the film. He is an intelligent young boy whose friends are frowned upon by his mother and father, both of whom have largely ignored him since his older brother Denny (John Cusack) was killed in a car accident a few months earlier. The film is narrated by the now-adult Gordie (Richard Dreyfuss), who we see briefly at the beginning of the film and once more at the end.
Gordie’s best friend is the rebellious Chris Chambers (River Phoenix), a boy from the wrong side of the tracks who has an abusive, alcoholic father and a ne’er-do-well older brother. He consequently believes that he doesn't have much of a chance in life and that people will never really give him a chance - which they don't. The third member of the gang is the crazy Teddy DuChamp (Corey Feldman), a strange young boy whose father is also abusive and slightly deranged. However, Teddy has an intense love for his father which focuses on the fact that he stormed the beaches at Normandy, and protects his father's name with fierce abandon. The fourth and final member of the gang is scaredy-cat Vern Tessio (Jerry O’Connell), the ‘fat kid’ who always means well but seems to do everything wrong and always gets picked on, especially by military-mad Teddy.
The premise of the story is simple. Ray Brauer, a young boy the same age as the main characters, disappeared from Castle Rock earlier in the summer and through overhearing one of his older brother’s conversations, Vern learns that the boy was hit by a train outside of Castle Rock. The body is left lying by the side of the tracks and is not notified to the police by Vern’s brother and his gang, due to the fact that they were in a stolen car when they found it. Vern meets the rest of the boys in their treehouse (after failing to remember the ‘secret knock’) and tells them about the discovery. The gang decide to go on a trip to see the dead body and claim what they believe will be fame and recognition for their find.
This is our story – nothing more, nothing less.
But there is so much more. Along their travels, the boys cry (all of them do at one point or another), they laugh, they smoke because it’s cool, swear because it’s bad and insult one another’s mothers because it’s the done thing. It’s the summer of the loss of their innocence, their coming-of-age. It doesn’t sound like much, but it’s such a lovely film.
There are many memorable scenes in this film – my favourites include the gun firing behind the cafe, the ultimate train dodge and Vern guarding the camp (I can’t help but laugh whenever I happen to hear an owl hoot now).
The acting is of first-rate standard. River Phoenix, so sadly missed by many fans around the world, shows clearly the talent that was already evident at such an early age. Corey Feldman once again proves his childhood acting talents and Jerry O’Connell (most recently seen as Quinn in Sliders and Derek in Scream 2 among other things) provides many comedy moments as the clumsy, teasable Vern. Kiefer Sutherland plays another major part in the film as Ace Merrill, leader of the local gang of older boys and idol of Chris and Vern’s older brothers. It is the meeting of the two groups of boys – young and old – at the site of Ray Brauer’s body which provides the finale to the film. It’s a crucial point where the friendship ties, particularly between Chris and Gordie, are illustrated.
There’s a great soundtrack to this film, headed up of course by the Ben E. King song ‘Stand By Me’. The rest of the songs are all classic 1950’s rock and roll, played throughout the film via the character’s radios, and feature Jerry Lee Lewis, Buddy Holly and many others that I guarantee you will recognise. The film is classified a 15, due mostly to the swearing throughout the film and the insults that the boys hurl at one another.
There’s not much more I can say about this film. It’s so simple, yet so touching. The reminiscing we are treated to by the older Gordie’s narration will no doubt strike a chord with all of you, at one time or another. If, like me, you used to watch this film at sleepovers with your friends when you were 12 or 13, it will bring back warm memories of the fun you used to have when you were carefree and had no troubles. I forgot that my friends and I used to ‘skin it’ (you’ll see), do the Lollipop dance, give two for flinching and discuss what the hell Goofy was. As the closing line of the film so succinctly puts it, ‘I never had any friends again like the friends I had when I was twelve. Jesus, does anyone?’
Put aside your adult worries, sit cross-legged on the sofa or the floor, remember the times when you used to save your pennies for magazines and have adventures with your friends in the woods nearby, and enjoy this film. Sincerely.
Advantages: One word says it all. Unforgetable. Disadvantages: None
“Stand By Me” released in 1983, is an epic, brought from the narration of character, Gordie Lachance, currently a successful writer, remembering his times of the year 1959.
Within a small town of Castle Rock in Oregon, four 12 year old boys set out to go on the biggest adventure a 12-year-old could ever go on. The great gang of four, were Vern Tessio (played by Jerry O’ Connell), Teddy Duchamp (played by Corey Feldman), Chris Chambers ... ...by Wil Wheaton).
The four were inseparable—They had the same interests and shared a lot of time with each other. One particular day, Vern had overheard gossip on the location of the missing body of teenager, Ray Brauer, and shared the news with the rest of his friends! Full of great curiosity, they all decided to set upon a journey towards the body.
Chris is a born leader, and is highly looked upon by the others, though suffers abuse from ...
Steo7 09.03.2001 (17.03.2001)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Stand By Me DVD
Advantages: see text Disadvantages: certificate 15
Stand by Me - a timeless classic, both the song, and the movie. Stand by Me is based on the Stephen King Short story, "The Body" - Found in the book "Four Seasons, alongside "The Shawshank Redemption", and I can safely say the movie does the book justice.
A story of 4 American boys, who live in the 60’s in your average small town. As with all young boys they want excitement and adventure, and if the truth be told, they want to find out what ... ...boys all want Geordi to stand up for himself, and this trip, for him is something to give him strength.
Chris (played by the late River Phoenix) comes from a rough family. His brothers are all bad to the bone, and as a result everyone in the town expects Chris to be the same. He has never been given a chance in life, and it is suspected that he will end up in Jail before he is much older. For Chris, this trip is the chance to learn more about himself, ...
Belfastgirl 19.03.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Stand By Me DVD
Advantages: Moving, funny, great performances, setting and soundtrack. Disadvantages: Some of the narrator's dialogue is a little OTT
...his own.
CRITIQUE : Stand By Me is a classic movie and certainly one of the best most memorable movies that came out of the eighties. The setting, the soundtrack and the innocent tone of the movie are truly brilliant and seeing this movie on sale last week, I just had to buy it. I don't think I've seen child acting this good in years. The four leads are great and are truly believable characters. My only quibble is that some scenes between Gordy ... ...gazes and touching but it's not something that makes much difference. The film is extremely poignnant and the ending is in many ways quite heartbreaking - we learn that the gang don't remain friends for much longer but also that two of the gang fell on bad times - the death of Chris is particularly sad due to the premature death of the actor who plays him, River Phoenix who died from drugs in 1993, just 7 years after the movie was completed, The ...
DanClegg 17.02.2001 (08.06.2001)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Stand By Me DVD
Advantages: Beautiful film, simple but effective storyline Disadvantages:
...a close, Ben.E.King begins
“When the night has come, and the land is dark, and the moon is the only light we’ll see. No I wont be afraid, no I wont shed a tear, just as long as you stand, Stand By Me…..”
And the credits roll. ...
fairydust 20.02.2001 (03.05.2001)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Stand By Me DVD
Advantages: Great acting, great story, great setting Disadvantages: Zero
...the two main characters really stand out as young actors, and the leeches scene especially is funny. Kiefer Sutherland is also ace as, um, Ace, the leader of the 'bad guys' (older brothers and friends). In fact, the story is that strong that there are no weak characters or actors; it befits a wonderful movie.
'Stand By Me' is both a tremendously sad and delightfully happy movie: it reminds you of the great times of your childhood while making you ...
BennyRialto 09.01.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Stand By Me DVD
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Advantages: Great film, likable characters Disadvantages: None
really brings that point home.
DVD Extras
Normally I don't find the extras that come with the DVD very interesting but I thoroughly enjoyed watching the extra for StandByMe. It shows interviews with the cast, obviously excluding River Phoenix.
Many parts of the film are explained to you which makes you think about things from a different perspective and understand why certain things were included. For example, there is a scene involving leaches which you learn comes from Stephen King's childhood.
One part I did find amusing what that apparently Keifer Sutherland (who plays a bully in the film) stayed on character for the duration of filming so the four younger boys were genuinely scared of him.
Cost
Personally I bought this DVD on eBay where I got it for the bargain price of £1 and free postage! It is also available ...
Advantages: An amazing film that should be owned by everyone Disadvantages: None
Standbyme is one of my all time favourite films. The film was released in 1986, and was released on DVD in 2000.
~The Story~
The story is narrated by Richard Dreyfuss, who appears at the end of the film. He is writing a book about a particular time in his childhood, sharing memories of his friends and the experiences they had growing up.
The story is set in a small Oregon town in the year 1959, where we follow the story of Gordie (Wil Wheaton), a sensitive 12 year old boy, who feels invisible after the death of his older brother. His best friend Chris (River Phoenix), who is labelled a trouble maker because of his background, and his two other friends Teddy (Cory Feldman), also from a troubled background - people think he's crazy. And then there's Verne (Jerry O'Connell), slightly chubby and a bit of a scaredy ...
chilipepper27 13.11.2007
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Stand By Me (DVD)
Advantages: Funny, Moving, Great Cast Disadvantages: Not as much action as there could be
a horror and doesnt have any sex. I would recommend this to anyone, the DVD is great because it includes a Making-Of doc, also the music video for the Ben E King classic ' StandByMe' and commentry from the director. ...
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