Film review: Stand By Me.
I'd seen this a few times when I was much, much younger, and all I remembered was that is was a great film. Caught it on tv again tonight, and I was glad to see that my initial impressions of this film weren't far off. Not at all
Stand By Me is deemed somewhat of a classic. But what is it about this reasonably run-of-the-mill 'coming of age'/'fall from innocence' comedy drama that makes it just so special? It isn't the dialogue, which is fairly stilted, and it isn't the story, which is reasonably predictable. But still ..
The film is based on a short written by an author who has had more of his stories turned into films than any other author, alive or dead; Stephen King. The central character, Gordie LaChance, a budding author, perhaps even symbolises King himself. The Body, which is the title of the story which Stand By Me is based on, was taken from King's novella Different Seasons; a book of short stories, from which the films Apt Pupil and, most famously, The Shawshank Redemption were also taken.
A summary of sorts: The basic premise of this film is four twelve year old boys who leave their homes to go on a two-day journey to find the body of a kid who was killed by a train. On the way there the boys run into all kinds of obstacles, and through these hardships, they return to their homes slightly wiser in the ways of the world then they were when they left.
The film hinges on the relationship between Wheaton's LaChance and Phoenix' Chambers and it succeeds largely due to them. The friendship between Gordie and Chris is wonderfully potrayed and their scenes together are always honest and heartwarming.
The acting lifts the film to a higher plateau, more specifically River Phoenix's performance; the other three leads are also exceptional, but it's River's performance that really stands out. His performace is a rarity among actors, child or not, in that it doesn't seem the least bit forced and looks to be all natural. This may be the only major film I've ever seen in which the producers have allowed child actors to command the film, with the adults in subsidiary roles. The supporting cast is adequate; Kiefer Sutherland (who essentially is the entire supporting cast) does what he does best, being the mean kid on the block.
Rob Reiner does a sterling job as director, which is exemplified in several simple yet effectively beautiful shots of the countryside. The story is told without any visual effects, the pace is slow and the cinematography is unspectacular, but Reiner succeeds in inspiring his young actors to perform honest feelings and letting the story develop by its own terms. Kudos for that.
The music is just a pleasure to listen to, particularly the title song 'Stand By Me'. My favorite element, though, is the instrumental arrangement of the afore-mentioned 'Stand By Me' song, which makes an appearance throughout the film. It's beautiful, and instantly recognisable.
Stand By Me is a fantastic movie about a time when life is supposed to be simpler .. while in reality, it rarely ever is 'simple'; while adults are struggling with their own demons (Gordie's parents grieving over Denny, Teddy's dad with his psychological problems, and Chris' abusive father), the kids are left to fend for themselves, to handle their issues on their own; relying only on each other and the friendship they share. It's raw, it's emotional, and it's real - while at the same time evoking that sense of childhood nostalgia of care-free summer days spent hanging out with your friends.
So, back to my initial question - what is so special about this film. This film is, in essence, a time machine; turn it on, and instantly, you're transported back to those never ending childhood summers, and you're 12 again. And who wouldn't want that?
An 86 out of 100.
Stand By Me is deemed somewhat of a classic. But what is it about this reasonably run-of-the-mill 'coming of age'/'fall from innocence' comedy drama that makes it just so special? It isn't the dialogue, which is fairly stilted, and it isn't the story, which is reasonably predictable. But still ..
The film is based on a short written by an author who has had more of his stories turned into films than any other author, alive or dead; Stephen King. The central character, Gordie LaChance, a budding author, perhaps even symbolises King himself. The Body, which is the title of the story which Stand By Me is based on, was taken from King's novella Different Seasons; a book of short stories, from which the films Apt Pupil and, most famously, The Shawshank Redemption were also taken.
A summary of sorts: The basic premise of this film is four twelve year old boys who leave their homes to go on a two-day journey to find the body of a kid who was killed by a train. On the way there the boys run into all kinds of obstacles, and through these hardships, they return to their homes slightly wiser in the ways of the world then they were when they left.
The film hinges on the relationship between Wheaton's LaChance and Phoenix' Chambers and it succeeds largely due to them. The friendship between Gordie and Chris is wonderfully potrayed and their scenes together are always honest and heartwarming.
The acting lifts the film to a higher plateau, more specifically River Phoenix's performance; the other three leads are also exceptional, but it's River's performance that really stands out. His performace is a rarity among actors, child or not, in that it doesn't seem the least bit forced and looks to be all natural. This may be the only major film I've ever seen in which the producers have allowed child actors to command the film, with the adults in subsidiary roles. The supporting cast is adequate; Kiefer Sutherland (who essentially is the entire supporting cast) does what he does best, being the mean kid on the block.
Rob Reiner does a sterling job as director, which is exemplified in several simple yet effectively beautiful shots of the countryside. The story is told without any visual effects, the pace is slow and the cinematography is unspectacular, but Reiner succeeds in inspiring his young actors to perform honest feelings and letting the story develop by its own terms. Kudos for that.
The music is just a pleasure to listen to, particularly the title song 'Stand By Me'. My favorite element, though, is the instrumental arrangement of the afore-mentioned 'Stand By Me' song, which makes an appearance throughout the film. It's beautiful, and instantly recognisable.
Stand By Me is a fantastic movie about a time when life is supposed to be simpler .. while in reality, it rarely ever is 'simple'; while adults are struggling with their own demons (Gordie's parents grieving over Denny, Teddy's dad with his psychological problems, and Chris' abusive father), the kids are left to fend for themselves, to handle their issues on their own; relying only on each other and the friendship they share. It's raw, it's emotional, and it's real - while at the same time evoking that sense of childhood nostalgia of care-free summer days spent hanging out with your friends.
So, back to my initial question - what is so special about this film. This film is, in essence, a time machine; turn it on, and instantly, you're transported back to those never ending childhood summers, and you're 12 again. And who wouldn't want that?
An 86 out of 100.
3 Comments:
Totally agree with you on this one. You might want to check out October Sky and Billy Elliot, if you haven't.
In my top 5, definitely.
Thanks for the recommendations, Snake!
And Libra - no in my top 5, but a fave none the less.
Cheers
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