May 8, 2010

Stand By Me

Stand by Me (1986)


Directed by Rob Reiner. Starring Will Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman, Jerry O'Connell, Kiefer Sutherland.

Long story short: Four boys go on a quest to find a dead body, and... Well. You know how it goes.

This was on TV tonight, so I gladly watched it again. I saw Stand by Me for the first time only a month or two ago (yeah, I know, I'm not normal), but it hit me hard. I remember being strangely preoccupied for the rest of the day after the first time. Like I had to go for a walk and had some wild, crazy ideas floating around my head (don't remember the ideas anymore, thank god...). And well, again, I find myself wanting to go for an awesome adventure, to experience some awesome things and make some awesome memories... And oh man, there's that damn melancholy feeling again! This film is supposed to be a nostalgia fix for middle-aged men, not for a girl in her freaking twenties. Oh well. Guess I'm not normal, eh?

Okay, shall we carefully approach the point, then? Those four boys are just great, everyone's their own special personalities. Vern is so funny, because whatever he says he always sounds so naive. That high-pitched tone of his voice, haha, just great. Teddy is a bit disturbing character with his Normandy obsession and stuff, but he has some great lines ("I cherish these moments."). And then these two.


I don't know if in real life it's possible for twelve-year-old kids to have a friendship so profound and mature, but Gordie and Chris are just enviably good buddies. Oh and they made this little cry-baby weep just a tiny weeny bit. Again. Not that it takes so much, really. Sigh.

Stand by Me has a simple but powerful plot. It's a coming-of-age story of the best kind. The only part I have difficulties watching is of course the pie-eating contest. Gross. Oh and the leeches. Gah. Otherwise, it's great. Jack Bauer was a huge badass already in the 80s. And... What the hell IS Goofy, indeed?

Oh and I'm sorry. I came across this and I just have to share it with you. He's just so FINE.


When I watched Stand by Me for the first time, I had a black hole or something in my head, so I didn't realize that charismatic young man was River Phoenix until the end credits. And... so began my River obsession. Which I'm trying to keep in check right now. In case you haven't had enough yet, you should maybe try reading my River Phoenix tribute, then I guarantee you'll have enough.

I wish I'd seen Stand by Me much much earlier, so I wouldn't feel like a fraud saying how much I like it after seeing it only twice. Anyway. I'm off to some awesome adventure (=to bed).

"I'll see ya."
"Not if I see you first."

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