Stand By Me is a journey in more ways than one. Based on Stephen King’s novella The Body, it follows four 12-year-old boys growing up in a small town in Oregon who undertake a 2-day trek through the countryside to see the dead body of a boy their age.
Setting off with enthusiasm for the adventure ahead of them, walking for miles and spending one night in the woods, the four friends ultimately realise their destination isn’t one to celebrate. While this shared experience brings them closer it nevertheless separates them as they slip inevitably away from child-like, carefree contemplation and pursuits.
The story is narrated by one of the boys, now a middle-aged freelance writer (played by Richard Dreyfuss), prompted to put this experience to paper when he learns of the death of one of his childhood friends. His running commentary gives the story a first-person insight punctuated by a mature understanding and awe at their lost innocence and irretrievable bond.
The four main characters are compelling and superbly rendered, each boy being troubled by a personal drama and trying to deal with it as well as a child can. They are also faced with a gang of older boys who try to bully and threaten them, bringing to the fore their innate good nature as yet untainted by adversity.
The superb soundtrack, surely one of the shortest in history at 23 minutes and 29 seconds, features songs from the 50’s which capture perfectly the essence of those times.
Twenty-three years on, Stand By Me hasn’t lost any of its touching authenticity and is undoubtedly Rob Reiner’s masterpiece as a director, as well as his favourite film of his own work.
