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 Rated Movies #189 | Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 5 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

It's the summer of 1959 in Castlerock, Oregon and four 12 year-old boys - Gordie, Chris, Teddy and Vern - are fast friends. After learning of the general location of the body of a local boy who has been missing for several days, they set off into woods to see it. Along the way, they learn about themselves, the meaning of friendship and the need to stand up for what is right.

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Plot Keywords:

friendship | walking on train tracks | summertime | treehouse | woods | 

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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.

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama

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Certificate:

R

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

26 November 1986 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Body

Filming Locations:

419 N Main St, Brownsville, Oregon, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$8,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$242,795, 16 November 1986, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$52,287,414

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures, 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

River Phoenix, Corey Feldman, Wil Wheaton and Jerry O'Connell got up to much mischief in the hotel they were staying in during filming. This included throwing all the poolside furniture into the pool, Wheaton fixing video games in the lobby so they could play them for free and Phoenix (spurred on by the other boys) unknowingly covering Kiefer Sutherland's car in mud, only discovering whose car it was when Sutherland confronted a scared and nervous Phoenix about it later.

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Goofs

In the clubhouse at the beginning of the movie, Chris has a pack of cigarettes tucked into his sleeve. It disappears and reappears throughout the scene.

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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.

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Crazy Credits

In the edited-for-TV version, Lardass Hogan's name is shortened to Lard for obvious reasons. Yet even in the edited-for-TV version, the name "Lardass" is seen in the credits.

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Alternate Versions

In the Spanish Castilian version, Gordie's name was changed to "Cornie" because in Spanish "Gordie" sounded like "Gordi" that means "Fatty", and Wil Wheaton's character wasn't. Also in "Gordie's nightmare when his father calls him Gordon, in the dubbing calls him "Cornell".

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Connections

Referenced in Psych: Heeeeere's Lassie (2012)

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Soundtracks

Stand By Me
by Ben E. King (as B.E. King), Jerry Leiber (as J. Leiber), and Mike Stoller (as M. Stoller)
Performed by Ben E. King
All rights administered by Unichappell Music, Inc. and Trio Music
Courtesy of the Atlantic Recording Corp.
by arrangement with Warner Special Products

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.