Macabre...ish Horror Review: Stand By Me

Stand By Me, 1986/ 1 hr 39 min.

This movie is a flashback of the past when a man reads in the newspaper, that his childhood best friend has died. He, Gordie (Richard Dreyfuss, Wil Wheaton), narrates the story of 3 friends and himself on an adventure to find the body of a dead boy. The story is, the boy was hit by a train and he was seen by the friend of Vern’s (Jerry O’Connell) older brother, based on this rumor, the friends head of in search of his body, Labor Day weekend in 1959.

And it’s pretty easy for them to get away because, Gordie’s family are currently grieving the loss of his older brother, Denny (John Cusack), killed in the war. Chris (River Phoenix) is the town troublemaker and abused/neglected by his dad. Teddy’s (Corey Feldman) father is mentally ill. And Vern’s just tagging along.

Because Gordie wants to be a writer, he regales them with stories as they out run trains, leeches, a junkyard dog named Chopper and Ace (Kiefer Sutherland) and his gang. They talk out their troubles as they seek Ray Brower’s body, they want to bring him back home, if they can find him. And find him before Ace and gang does. Who believe they’ll be heroes if they bring Ray back.

This trip changes them all and when it’s over. Their friendship might be as well.

This is a good coming of age story based on the short story, The Body by Stephen King. It’s not scary so much as it is nostalgic with a little bit of creep. Great cast and a heavy story.