Stand By Me

Stand By Me (1986)

Director: Rob Reiner

Writers: Stephen King (novel), Raynold Gideon (screenplay), Bruce A. Evans (screenplay)

Cast: Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman, Jerry O'Connell, Kiefer Sutherland, Casey Siemaszko, Gary Reilly, Bradley Gregg, Marshall Bell, Frances Lee McCain, Richard Dreyfuss, John Cusak

Synopsis:

Following the tragic death of one of his childhood friends, a grown Gordie LaChance (Dreyfuss) recalls a time in 1959 when he (Wheaton) and his friends Chris (Phoenix), Teddy (Feldman) and Vern (O'Connell) set off on an adventure to find the body of a missing kid. Along the way, they learn about themselves, their friendship and about standing up for themselves and for what's right.

First Impressions:

I was 10 years old when this film hit theatres, and since it was Rated R, I wasn't allowed to see it. Honestly, at that age, I wouldn't have been terribly interested in it anyway. I ended up catching it for the first time in its entirety when I picked it up on DVD about 15 years ago. As a result, I've never had a strong nostalgic connection to the film. I've always liked it, mind you, it's just that there's no real connection to this movie like so many other films I've reviewed so far.

Story: 

"I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was twelve. Jesus, does anyone."

Much like my review of 42, I'm going to stray a bit from my standard format for this review so, please bear with me. First, I have to say that recent happenings in my life have given me a new perspective on this film as I rewatched it in preparation for the review. I always identified pretty strongly with young Gordie, and even though his story takes place in the late 50s, the character's journey really resonated with me. Like Gordie, my parents didn't really "get" me while I was growing up either, and they were none too fond of most of my friends. Fortunately for me, my parents weren't as distant as Gordie's and they were actually pretty great, but there was a fair bit of tension. However, this isn't really the new perspective I was referring to, as I've always felt that way about the character. 

Where things changed for me was how the film opens. The movie's first shot shows Gordie as an adult sitting in his car, thinking deep thoughts. Next to him on the passenger seat is a newspaper with a headline reading about a prominent lawyer being murdered. This is relevant to me because I found out that my best friend growing up, Cameron, died unexpectedly a little more than a month ago. It hit me by surprise, and even though I hadn't seen him in several years (much like Gordie's experience), I was still taken aback. Due to the holidays and whatnot, I never really had the opportunity to process the news. It wasn't until I popped this film in that the memories of Cameron started to flood back. It was unreal how much this movie reminded me of all those times we had together. Of course, we never set out to find the body of a dead kid, but we would take frequent trips into the coulees (valley plains in Alberta) to have our own adventures. We were just kids and didn't have a care in the world. Or so I thought.

As the characters in the movie journey on towards their objective, they try and come to terms with the perils of adolescence. This includes the mundane, like what kind of animal Goofy is and whether Mighty Mouse could beat Superman in a fight to more serious matter like the first time an adult lets them down or that feeling that your parents hate you. The boys work through all these matters through their bond of friendship, and it's here where my own experience veers from that of the film. Cameron and I never had these conversations, and I wish to God that we did. I found out much later in life after I had moved across the country that my friend was subject to awful trauma growing up, right under my nose, which caused his life to go down a dark path. I'm not exactly sure what I would have done had he confided in me. I was just a dumb kid after all, but I hope I would have tried to help him in some way. I hope. 

Finally, the movie wraps with Gordie explaining how he drifted away from all of his friends as they got older. It wasn't because they had a falling out or anything; it's just that due to circumstances in their lives, they ended up seeing less and less of each other until they were just another face in the halls at school. I've dealt with this as well through my life, though in my case, it was due to frequent relocations by my family. I suppose that's why I chose the above quote, which ends the film because it really resonated with me. Don't get me wrong, I have great friends in my life, and I wouldn't trade them for anything in the world, but I never did have another friend like Cameron. Even though I hadn't seen or spoken to him in more than 30 years, I will miss him. I will miss not just the friend that I lost but the friend I could've had if circumstances in our lives were different. 

Anyway, thanks for indulging me in this...this...I'm not sure what this was, but thanks for indulging me nonetheless. I guess I needed to work through some things.