Stand By Me At 25

Over the course of his long and glittering career, Stephen King has approved numerous adaptations of his novels. Stand By Me, which he cites as the best adaptation of one of his works, was released 25 years ago this week.

The story of four pre-teen friends, Gordie (Wil Wheaton), Chris (River Phoenix), Teddy (Corey Feldman) and Vern (Jerry O’Connell), who hike into the woods near their town in search of a dead body is not the kind of fare you’d expect from Stephen King, best known for writing supernatural novels like Carrie and The Shining. The film was adapted from King’s novella The Body, which was published in a collection with Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption, itself a successful adaptation. It is interesting to note that the two best-regarded adaptations of King’s books are not focussed on horror, but on friendship, and the emotions great friendships evoke – perhaps he should give up the ghost stories and explore other genres.

Throughout the boys’ journey, they joke around, get  scared, and flirt with death in the film’s most memorable  scene when they are chased across a high railway bridge by a train. They also open up to each other, and it is this  last that resonates with so many people. It is rare for a  film with such young actors to have such emotional  depth – films like The Breakfast Club may be set in  high school but feature actors in their 20s – and the fact  that the actors are playing their own ages, and dealing  with the same issues, provides added resonance. By  casting boys whose personalities closely matched those  of the characters, director Rob Reiner coaxes  extraordinary performances from his young cast, all of  whom had had little acting experience prior to the film. The scenes between Gordie and Chris, both struggling  with issues of self-worth, effortlessly evoke the loyal and supportive relationship all boys have with each other through their formative years.

Though the central character is Gordie, it is Phoenix’s Chris who makes the biggest impression as a boy trying to break away from a seemingly inevitable life of alcoholism and worthlessness. His performance is especially poignant given his tragic death at the age of 23, mirroring the death of Chris later on in life, which inspires an adult Gordie (Richard Dreyfuss), now a writer, to pay tribute to his friends with an account of their adventure.

“I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was twelve. Jesus, does anyone?” The question Gordie types into his computer in the film’s final scene seems surprising, but it rings true. 12-year-olds are uncorrupted by the world and society’s expectations. They do what they feel. They’re young enough to be scared, but old enough to swear and smoke. Stand By Me, 25 years on, continues to serve as an elegy to the innocence of childhood before adulthood snatches it away forever.

As long as boys have friends, Stand By Me will remain a nostalgic, evocative film that harks back to an age when all you needed to have a good time was a long summer’s day and a couple of buddies. Stand By Me: 25^th Anniversary Edition is released on Blu-Ray on August 8.