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 #190 | 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 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

The roughly 60-day shoot was favored with sunny days, unusual for that sustained a period in Oregon, but since the story takes place over only two days, it was fortunate to have consistency in the weather.

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Goofs

When Gordie visits the delicatessen for ham, the grocer pulls waxed paper from a box with a 1980s Crown Zellerbach logo on it.

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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

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.

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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 The Cinema Snob: 42nd Street Forever, Volume 1 (2013)

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Soundtracks

Mr. Sandman

User Reviews

Stephen King with a great story

Stephen King adaptations can be great. In my opinion the less horror pictures, and The Shining, are the best. Misery, The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile and this one. Stand by Me is a great film, you can say it is a drama with some thriller elements.

Four boys hear the location of the dead body of a boy from their small town. The boys go on a trip to look for the body, about 30 miles away. There are some little problems on the way, including another gang with its leader Kiefer Sutherland. One of the boys thinks about his late brother because of the recent events, played by John Cusack. It seems to be a simple story but it is told perfect.

The performances the boys give, one of them is the late River Phoenix, are all extraordinary. I liked the way their friendship was shown. Just a great movie, see this. 9/10.