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Stand by Me (1986)
Runtime: 88 mins
Synopsis: Based on Stephen King's novella THE BODY, director Rob Reiner's STAND BY ME is the disarmingly tender and subtly sublime story of four kids on the precipice of early adulthood who embark upon a quest. There's Gordie (Wil Wheaton), the intelligent, creative one with the obviously bright... Based on Stephen King's novella THE BODY, director Rob Reiner's STAND BY ME is the disarmingly tender and subtly sublime story of four kids on the precipice of early adulthood who embark upon a quest. There's Gordie (Wil Wheaton), the intelligent, creative one with the obviously bright future. His best buddy, Chris (River Phoenix), hardens his image in order to hide the pain from the physical abuse he endures at home, all the while harboring the hope of escaping that image. Rounding out the foursome are Vern (Jerry O'Connell), the pudgy tagalong, and Teddy (Corey Feldman), a loyal and funny but troubled kid with a death wish. When the four boys hear about a dead body 20 miles down the railroad tracks from their small Oregon town, they clandestinely set upon the unwieldy journey to lay eyes on this rare find. Amid numerous misadventures, Gordie, Chris, Vern, and Teddy savor what may be their last chance to revel in the simple life of children; around the corner is a future that could tear them apart, not to mention a tough teen gang who desires local fame by finding the body first. Enhanced by excellent performances and an engaging plot, STAND BY ME ranks among the best of the myriad coming-of-age films to dot the 1980s cinematic landscape. [More]
Genre: Dramas
Starring: Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman, Jerry O'Connell, Richard Dreyfuss
Screenwriter: Raynold Gideon, Bruce A. Evans
Producer: Andrew Scheinman, Raynold Gideon, Bruce A. Evans
Composer: Jack Nitzsche
DVD Info
Release:
Oct 3, 2006
DVD Features:
- Full Frame - 1.33
Audio:
- Mono - English, French, Spanish, Portuguese
- Subtitles - English - Closed Captioning
- Subtitles - French, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Korean, Thai - Optional
Additional Release Material:
- Audio Commentary - 1. Rob Reiner - Director
- Featurette - 1. "Walking the Tracks"
- Music Video - 1. Ben E. King - "Stand by Me"
Text/Photo Galleries:
- Filmographies
Additional Product:
- Bonus CD Soundtrack Compilation
- Collectible Booklet
Reviews
An absorbing, touching examination of the loss of innocence that, despite occasionally drifting towards the sappy, undeniably deserves its place in the heart of a generation.
Adults (and their younger comrades-in-training, teenagers) are uniformly loathsome, spoiling the Garden of Boyhood with their egoism and physical/emotional sadism
Though nostalgic, Reiner's film, based on Stephen King's autobiographical novella, is suffused with the magic of childhood; the narrative is framed by a long flashback that brings distance to the remembered reality.
Haunting coming-of-age drama; young River Phoenix's presence adds considerable poignancy
It transports you back, not to the 1950s, but to a time when, like Vern, you knew the important things in life.
A lot of folks go in for this movie in a big way, but I have a hard time seeing past the cloying comedy and clichéd white-guy sentimentality.
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