 |
|
|
|
| | | |
| MatchFlick Member Reviews |
view all movie information
Directed By
Rob Reiner
Written By:
Raynold Gideon
Cast:
River Phoenix, Wil Wheaton, Jerry O'Connell, Corey Feldman, Kiefer Sutherland, Richard Dreyfuss, Casey Siemaszko, John Cusack, Bradley Gregg, Marshall Bell, Frances Lee McCain, Bruce Kirby, William Bronder, Gary Riley, Scott Beach, Jason Oliver, Scott Beach
|
|
|
| |
Stand By Me (1986)
 email this review to a friend
Movie Review by Jarrod
July 23rd, 2007
|  |
'Stand By Me' is an adaptation of one of Stephen King's superb non-horror stories in "Different Seasons", which is most likely constructed from his own childhood memories, as someone who grew up in the 1950s. He remembers the music, the social trends, everything about the decade, a rather serene and peaceful one compared to those that followed, and the chaotic years of WWII that preceded it. The film is a warm and funny nostalgia trip, helmed by Rob Reiner, the same age as King, who must also have recollections of what it meant to be a child in the 50s. The plot follows four boys, best friends, who go on a journey to find a dead body they hear about on the radio. They want to take credit for finding it, but it is also an opportunity to escape from their lives and families, which are rather dysfunctional, if not explicitly unhappy. Gordie (Wheaton) has a gift for telling stories, and wants to be a writer, and is all but ignored by his parents after the death of his older brother (played in flashback by John Cusack), in a car accident. Chris (River Phoenix) comes from a rough home, abused by his alcoholic father, and bullied by his siblings. Chris is intelligent and ambitious, but is stereotyped by everyone as little more than a delinquent.
Teddy (Feldman) is the son of a soldier, who, he proudly reminds everyone, stormed the beaches of Normandy, though he is now in a mental hospital. Vern (O'Connell) is an easily scared and overweight kid with a learning disability, who is often picked on and made fun of. The adventure they embark on takes them across train tracks, into a junkyard, guarded by an allegedly enormous, vicious dog, through woods and leech-infested waters, to a confrontation with a gang of local hoodlums, led by Ace Merrill (Sutherland), and including both Vern's and Chris's older brothers, Billy and Eyeball. It is a coming-of-age tale, as these boys bond and share and experience the hardships of adolescence, not afraid to be emotional, shedding tears of genuine sadness, though they are, in typical boys fashion, reluctant to do anything "girlish".
It is all perfectly realized, with great songs, including one by Ben E King that inspired the title of the movie, and great narration by Richard Dreyfuss, as Gordie the adult, recounting the events in his latest work of fiction. Remarkable performances from the four young leads, all of them barely beyond puberty. River Phoenix is the stand-out, Chris is the most memorable character, and the most complex, a gifted but troubled lad much like Phoenix himself, who died at 23 from a drug overdose. Chris believes he can never be successful at anything worthwhile, has a low opinion of himself, but wants only the best for Gordie, who can finish high school and go on to college, an educational odyssey unknown to most in his small town.
It captures the spirit and attitude of its source material, with remarkably candid dialogue that is both vulgar and insightful, always painfully honest, and the obvious product of boys who think of themselves as men, and attempt to speak accordingly. Free from adult supervision, they smoke, drink, and swear, as all teenagers seem to do, either out of rebellion, peer pressure, a desire to be cool, or simply to experiment with something forbidden and dangerous. It causes me, every time I watch it, to reminisce about my own childhood, in the 1980s, I was three when this film was first released, yet it always strikes a chord, evocative and powerful, with a sad ending that updates us on the fate of these characters, and leaves us with Gordie, married with children, making Chris proud by making something of himself.
email this review to a friend
Comment on this Review:
Sorry, you must be a member to add comments to reviews.
Join or Login. |
 Subscribe to MatchFlick Movie Reviews through RSS
|
