Rob Reiner is in my opinion an underrated director. Apart from "Stand by me" (1986), the film this review is about, he made other marvelous films such as "When Harry met Sallt" (1989), "Misery" (1990) and "A few good men" (1992).
"Stand by me" is an adaptation of a Stephen King novel (just as "Misery") whose original title was "The body". I understand the decision of Reiner to change the title. "The body" would have evoked an association with rancid coming of age films, a genre which the 1980s were already full of.
The new title is derived from the (very good) 50's soundtrack, but it contains also an ironic undertone. The film is about a couple of boys, about 12 years of age, at the end of the elementary school. Next year they will go to the high school, and due to differences in intelligence it is already obvious that they will go to different schools and not stick together.
During the adventure where the film is about they are however still together. In fact by revealing their most intimate secrets to each other they grow closer and closer to each other. In this respect the film resembles "The breakfast club" (1985, John Hughes), the other excellent teenage movie from the 80's.
"The breakfast club" is about 16-18 years old, in "Stand by me" the characters are some years younger. In "The breakfast club" the group consists of individuals of different social or political background, in "Stand by me" the group consists of individuals who, for some reason, are not popular guys. Being among each other they loosen up and are not afraid anymore to tell what really moves them.
In my opinion "Stand by me" is the best coming af age film of the eighties. It has a moving story, a pleasant soundtrack and the landscape from Oregon (not the mostly filmed State of the USA) is beautiful after all.
"Stand by me" is an adaptation of a Stephen King novel (just as "Misery") whose original title was "The body". I understand the decision of Reiner to change the title. "The body" would have evoked an association with rancid coming of age films, a genre which the 1980s were already full of.
The new title is derived from the (very good) 50's soundtrack, but it contains also an ironic undertone. The film is about a couple of boys, about 12 years of age, at the end of the elementary school. Next year they will go to the high school, and due to differences in intelligence it is already obvious that they will go to different schools and not stick together.
During the adventure where the film is about they are however still together. In fact by revealing their most intimate secrets to each other they grow closer and closer to each other. In this respect the film resembles "The breakfast club" (1985, John Hughes), the other excellent teenage movie from the 80's.
"The breakfast club" is about 16-18 years old, in "Stand by me" the characters are some years younger. In "The breakfast club" the group consists of individuals of different social or political background, in "Stand by me" the group consists of individuals who, for some reason, are not popular guys. Being among each other they loosen up and are not afraid anymore to tell what really moves them.
In my opinion "Stand by me" is the best coming af age film of the eighties. It has a moving story, a pleasant soundtrack and the landscape from Oregon (not the mostly filmed State of the USA) is beautiful after all.
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