Review of Stand by Me (1986) by Adriane B — 04 Oct 2018

One of the greatest coming-of-age movies ever produced. Stand By Me had a little of everything including drama, comedy, and sorrow. I was 13 years old when this film was released and absolutely loved it.

Rob Reiner did a fantastic job in directing this masterpiece, especially by getting the most out of his young actors. As a group, all four played very well off each other with a solid supporting cast including John Cusack, Kiefer Sutherland and Richard Dreyfuss.

Along with a solid adapted screenplay from Stephen King's book, the movie was backed with a rich soundtrack of period music from the 1950's, including Ben E. King's hit song Stand By Me. In my opinion, what really set this film apart was the late River Phoenix and his portrayal of Chris Chambers.

Watching his performance in this film showed us that River was an old soul. I vividly remember that summer before I saw the movie being at the grocery store and looking through the latest teen magazines.

As I was skimming through the pages, I came across a promotional cast photo from Stand By Me with the four main players wearing their regular street clothes. This was the first time I saw River and he stood out from the other three in a way I still can't explain.

Funny as it might sound, River seemed to have this aura about him. There was just something about him, even in a photograph, such a presence that implied this kid was special and was going to be huge.

It still saddens me remembering that Halloween back in 1993 and the news of his passing at only 23 years old. However, Stand By Me will continue to be the timeless classic it has become for future generations to discover.