Stand By Me

Rating: 5/5

Movies based on Stephen King books usually fall into one of two categories, either they're truly awful or they're wonderful; thankfully Stand By Me is a part of the latter.

Based on the short story "The Body" by Stephen King, Stand By Me is the tale of four twelve year old boys and their big adventure of the summer of 59'. Gordie (Will Wheaton), is sensitive kid who has strong aspirations to become a writer. He has recently lost his older brother and is struggling to handle his grief. Only his friend Chris seems to notice or care. Chris (River Phoenix) comes from a very rough family, and everyone assumes the worst of him. He wants nothing more than to leave Castlerock. Alongside Gordie and Chris are Teddy (Corey Feldman) and Verne (Jerry O'Connell).

One day Verne comes running up to the boys' tree house. He tells the other three that he overheard his brother and his friend talking about the body of a young boy that they accidentally found in the woods. Knowing that Verne and his brother won't report it to the police, the boys get it into their heads that they will become heroes if they find the body and tell the authorities. So they pack their gear and head out on what they expect to be an adventure of a lifetime.

I have read many Stephen King books and then watched the film equivalents only to be disappointed. When I watched Stand By Me for the first time, I was so relieved to find that it was one of the best book to movie adaptations that I had seen. The movie embodied the style, tone, and characters of the book perfectly.

A child actors' performance can sometimes make or break a movie, and with this cast being 98% young actors, there was definite risk involved, and the risk most certainly paid off. River Phoenix's performance goes down in history as one of the most earnest and heartbreaking characters of all time. He acts well beyond his years, and it is a great injustice that he was not nominated for his work in Stand By Me. Not to be forgotten is the acting done by Will Wheaton. Together he and River Phoenix create an on screen chemistry so strong, it is almost impossible to believe they hadn't been friends for years before the movie.

If I hadn't read the story beforehand, I know I would still have loved this movie regardless. Stand By Me is poignant, humorous, and nostalgic, and is probably my favorite Stephen King adaptation of all time.