| Based on the Stephen King short story "The Body", Rob Reiner's easygoing nostalgia piece is set in Castle Rock, Oregon in the early 1950s. A quartet of boys, inseparable friends all, set out in search of a dead body that one of the boys claims he's seen. The foursome consists of intellectual Gordie (Wil Wheaton), born leader Chris (River Phoenix), emotionally disturbed Teddy (Corey Feldman), and chubby hanger-on Vern (Jerry O'Connell). The boys' adventures en route to the elusive Body are colored by the personal pressures brought to bear on all of them by the adult world. Richard Dreyfuss, playing the grown-up Gordie, narrates the film, while Kiefer Sutherland dominates every scene he's in as a brutish high school bully.
A likable film punctuated by standout performances, Stand by Me is an interesting variation on the standard coming-of-age period film. Based on a short story by Stephen King, Stand By Me deals with pre-teen concerns instead of teen ones. Director Rob Reiner successfully keeps the nostalgia and sentimentality in check; and he places a remarkable amount of faith in his young cast. Of the four leads, River Phoenix and Wil Wheaton deliver sensitive, complex performances which belie their age. Jerry O'Connell and teen heartthrob Corey Feldman round out the cast, and Kiefer Sutherland and John Cusack appear in small but memorable roles. For Reiner, the film was a significant shift in tone after the comedies This is Spinal Tap (1984) and The Sure Thing (1985). It marked his first attempt at more serious fare; his success with the comedy-drama of Stand by Me would pave the way for his later hits, When Harry Met Sally (1989) and
Misery (1990). |
Stephen King Movie Index
