Sony Pictures | 1986 | 88 mins. | R

Based on the Stephen King short story “The Body,” the 1986 film Stand By Me is suffused with the magic of childhood. Expertly for the screen by Raynold Gideon and Bruce A. Evans, it’s one of the most memorable movies of the 1980’s.  The narrative, told in the form of a long flashback, is introduced by its adult hero, Gordie (Richard Dreyfuss) who’s now a middle-aged writer: “I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was 12. Jesus, does anyone.” Somehow, he puts us at ease about looking at our youth through rose-tinted glasses.

Stand By MeOver Labor Day weekend in 1959, young Gordie (Wil Wheaton) and his friends Chris Chambers (River Phoenix), Teddy Duchamp (Corey Feldman) and Vern Tessio (Jerry O´Connell) embark on an adventure to find a young boy´s dead body on the outskirts of town in picturesque Castle Rock, Oregon. The now adult Gordie gives an idea of what his friends were like all those years ago: Teddy is incredibly energetic, but tends to lash out without considering the consequences. His father isn’t part of the family because of mental instability issues. Chris doesn’t have the best living situation either. Surrounded by alcoholics and felons, he avoids them whenever possible. Vern is always worried about something, whether it be his weight, or something insignificant. Gordie himself, is the high achiever with good grades and a tragic story (his brother Denny [played by a young John Cusack] died not too long ago in a jeep accident), yet stays determined despite criticism from his father and no attention at all from his mother.

The boys set off on an overnight trek with hopes of finding the body, reporting it to authorities and becoming heroes. Unfortunately, they’re not the only ones interested in making the discovery. Local high school bully Ace Merrill (Kiefer Sutherland) is also on the hunt for the remains of Ray Brower, and he has a car for transportation, a knife, and a posse that includes Vern’s older brother Billy (Casey Siemaszko). Clearly, this adventure isn’t going to be as easy as Gordie and the gang might’ve hoped.

As the boys move through leech-infested areas, junkyards, and along railroad tracks, we learn more about their inner thoughts. Each is wrestling with some difficult issues. In the wake of his brother’s death, Gordie is dealing with the realization that his parents believe the wrong song died. Chris, growing up in a loveless household, fears he might be trapped in small town life forever; with no chance at making a fresh start. Teddy bears the scars of physical abuse from a mentally unstable father. Vern is afraid of his own shadow. As the journey progresses, the boys confess their fears and are forced to confront them. When the do come upon the body, they’re forced to confront their mortality. The subsequent confrontation with Ace’s gang only serves to highlight the tight bond between them.

In less than ninety minutes, director Rob Reiner is able to take us all back to our childhoods and memories of the friendships that were most important to us. While those friends may not be in our lives as adults, the adventures you had during that transition to adolescence stick with you. However, as Richard Dreyfuss’ narration underscores, often we don’t realize the importance of those moments until years later.

For the leads, the filmmakers chose four promising actors. Stand By Me represented Wil Wheaton’s breakthrough part. As was true for the slightly better-known River Phoenix, Wheaton’s exceptional work in the film would open new doors. Within a year after Stand By Me‘s release, Wheaton was cast as Wesley Crusher in the TV series Star Trek: The Next Generation. Phoenix was on the road to superstardom until his untimely 1993 death cut short his career. The movie’s other two leads would have successful but more low-key careers. Corey Feldman, already recognizable at the time of Stand By Me‘s release as a result of parts in Gremlins and Goonies, worked frequently but battled drug addiction for many years. Jerry O’Connell, who made his feature debut in Stand By Me, went on to work primarily in TV with occasional forays into low-profile films. Keifer Sutherland, son of veteran actor Donald Sutherland, would star in several mid-level films, before hitting pay dirt as 24‘s iconic lead, Jack Bauer. Stand By Me shows Sutherland at his most despicable, radiating a degree of nastiness the actor would largely turn away from.

Stand By Me looks great. The 1080p AVC encode looks bright and colorful, with a good level of detail. While the blacks are not as deep as one would hope, the overall image is fairly good.

An English 5.1 DTS-High Definition Master Audio soundtrack ensures you´ll hear every word and sound effect. The film´s soundtrack, featuring songs from names like Buddy Holly, The Chordettes, The Bobbettes, The Coasters and Ben E. King, who sang the title song Stand By Me that plays during the closing credits, also deserves a mention. It’s awesome. Worth a note: there is an Original Mono option available.

We get the following special features:

  • 25 Years Later: A Picture-in-Picture Commentary Retrospective (1080p, 1:32:42): Director Rob Reiner and Actors Wil Wheaton and Corey Feldman appear full-screen for a meet-and-greet before discussing things. As the film plays, the director and actors appear in a box on the bottom righthand corner of the screen. All participate equally and have many insights to share, including the eventual casting of Richard Dreyfuss, Michael Jackson’s nixed involvement in the film, reminiscences from the filming, and more. Rob Reiner discusses why this is the most important film he’s ever made, Wil Wheaton breaks down his acting, and Corey Feldman recalls his desire to help a troubled River Phoenix before his death. Excellent stuff.
  • Audio Commentary: Director Rob Reiner’s audio commentary track manages to cover some things not present in the 25th anniversary track.
  • Walking the Tracks: The Summer of Stand By Me (480p, 36:46): This making-of piece begins with Author Stephen King recalling what led him to write the original story while also speaking on the story’s themes and the transition to film, including an instance where he believes the film’s main character to be Chris rather than Gordie. Rob Reiner discusses the quality of the story and why it resonates with him. He also shares his insights on casting, the boys’s preparations for the shoot, shooting locales, the making of several scenes, the picture’s emotional themes, and the death of River Phoenix. The piece also includes interviews with Wil Wheaton, Jerry O’Connell, Corey Feldman, Kiefer Sutherland, and Richard Dreyfuss, all of whom also speak on the same subjects.
  • Stand By Me Music Video (480p, 3:21).
  • Previews: Additional Sony titles.
  • MovieIQ.
  • BD-Live.