Stand by Me (1986)

After the death of a friend, a writer recounts a boyhood journey to find the body of a missing boy.

Director:

Rob Reiner

Writers:

Stephen King (novel), Raynold Gideon (screenplay),

Stars:

Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman

Top 250 #174 | Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 3 wins & 10 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Wil Wheaton	...	Gordie Lachance
River Phoenix	...	Chris Chambers
Corey Feldman	...	Teddy Duchamp
Jerry O'Connell	...	Vern Tessio
Kiefer Sutherland	...	Ace Merrill
Casey Siemaszko	...	Billy Tessio
Gary Riley	...	Charlie Hogan
Bradley Gregg	...	Eyeball Chambers
Jason Oliver	...	Vince Desjardins
Marshall Bell	...	Mr. Lachance
Frances Lee McCain	...	Mrs. Lachance
Bruce Kirby	...	Mr. Quidacioluo
William Bronder	...	Milo Pressman
Scott Beach	...	Mayor Grundy
Richard Dreyfuss	...	The Writer

Storyline

4 young friends set out on an adventure. Geordie, Chris, Teddy and Vern go looking for the missing body of a local teenager - found by a gang of older boys. A story of boys hangin' out and growin' up.

---

Plot Keywords:

friend | boy | writer | death | railroad track | 

---

Taglines:

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.

---

Genres:

Adventure | Drama

---

Certificate:

R

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 August 1986 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Body

Filming Locations:

380 South San Rafael Avenue, Pasadena, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$8,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$52,287,414 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation, Act III, Act III Communications

Technical Specs

Runtime:

89 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Adrian Lyne, who was set to direct this film, was forced to hand it over to Rob Reiner when Nine 1/2 Weeks ran over schedule.

---

Goofs

Teddy's left ear (which his father almost burned off) in the treehouse scene is very clearly burned. Throughout the movie, however, it varies in how it looks, in the train tracks scene it looks perfectly normal.

---

Quotes

[first lines]
The Writer: [voiceover] I was 12 going on 13 the first time I saw a dead human being. It happened in the summer of 1959-a long time ago, but only if you measure in terms of years. I was living in a small town in Oregon called Castle Rock. There were only twelve hundred and eighty-one people. But to me, it was the whole world.

---

Crazy Credits

As the end credits begin, we see Gordie's son and his friend playing on his front yard on their way to a swimming pool.

---

Connections

Referenced in Donnie Darko (2001)

---

Soundtracks

"The Ballad of Paladin"
by Johnny Western, Richard Boone, and Sam Rolfe
Published by Irving Music, Inc.
Performed by Wil Wheaton (uncredited), River Phoenix (uncredited), Corey Feldman (uncredited), and Jerry O'Connell (uncredited)

User Reviews

This classic film is worth a watch!

This film is a brilliant, well-acted masterpiece! What touched me the most was the late River Phoenix's acting, but all of the young actors performances were incredible. They are why you should see this film. 'Stand By Me' is not a bubblegum Disney film, nor a dry Hollywood film; it is a movie that captures childhood in a poignant, non-candy coated manner that is dead on. I saw this movie only a couple months ago and was blown away by it's style and acting. It is rare that you see such fresh, relaxed and deep performances that the actors in this film offered. Although this is not a recent film, it is a genuine, inspiring film that is so refreshing-being so different than the films Hollywood often gives us. I give this film a 100+ and recommend it to everyone. You will benefit from it's message and it's wonderful acting.