Stand By Me
STAND BY ME (15)
D: Rob Reiner
Columbia/Act III (Arnold Scheinman, Bruce A. Evans &
Raynold Gideon)
US 1986
87 mins
Drama/Comedy
W: Bruce A. Evans & Raynold
Gideon [based on the novella "The Body" by Stephen King]
DP: Thomas Del Ruth
Ed: Robert Leighton
Mus: Jack Nitzsche
PD: J. Dennis Washington
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), Richard Dreyfuss
(Narrator)
The perfect nostalgia film for anyone who grew up in the
1950's (and anyone who originally watched it growing up in the 1980's).
Following the death of his friend, a writer reminisces on
their childhood together and the adventure he and his friends had in the summer of 1959, when they ventured into the woods outside their small town hoping to find the body of a missing
kid.
Based on a short story by Stephen King, from the same book
which also featured the source material for The Shawshank Redemption & Apt Pupil, screenwriters Bruce A. Evans & Raynold Gideon perfectly capture the childhood friendships between the
teenagers, from hurling foul-mouthed insults at each other to smoking cigarettes and discussing trivial matters. Director Rob Reiner also captures the late 1950's America perfectly. The
soundtrack is also a gem, filled with classic rock & roll tracks as well as the memorable title song by Ben E. King, which had a resurgence in the music charts following the popularity of
the film, reaching #1 in the UK in early 1987.
It's unlikely to capture the same feelings of nostalgia
for audiences watching it in the here and now. Not that it's dated badly, but more that you had to be there at the time to truly appreciate the experience.
9/10
