Stand By Me

Stephen King is without question one of the greatest writers of Horror fiction. Sadly his stories rarely make it on to the screen without being a pile of shite. Every so often they get it right though.  Stand By Me is based on his story The Body from the book Different Seasons and let me tell you right now that if you have not seen this film then you should be fucking ashamed. Stop rubbing your cock against your body kit Saxo whilst watching the Fast And Furious trailer and watch it. It is one of the finest King adaptations ever put to screen and one of the greatest films ever made. I know many may disagree but this film for me is nothing short of perfect. From River Phoenix as the tortured Chris to Corey Feldmans Teddy this film just moves you. Unless of course you have no emotions and are in fact already lap dancing for Satan.

It begins with our writer played by Richard Dreyfuss who begins to tell a story of the time himself and 3 friends went to look for a body of a missing boy during a hot 50's summer. They set off up the train track with just this in mind but can never quite prepare for how it will change their life's forever. There are so many ways that you can relate to these boys and I remember when I first saw this at the cinema how this film affected me. This isn't just a story about 4 boys on a weekend adventure. This is a story of innocence, death, grief, loneliness and most of all childhood and growing up. Gordie (Wil Wheaton) has recently lost his brother and feels as if his parents don't know he's there, Vern (Jerry O'Connell) is the fat kid who everyone picks on, Chris the boy from the wrong family and the wrong side of town and Teddy who is so unhinged for a 12 year old its unsettling, but who's father is in an institute. These 4 friends feel a connection with each other and at a time in their lives when they feel everyone and everything is against them they know they have each other.

Chris' big brother Eyeball finds out about the body so he goes with his gang led by Ace (Kiefer Sutherland) to find it. Of course this leads to an inevitable confrontation, but thats not what this film is about. This is about the run from the train on the bridge, this is about the leech scene, the campfire tale of the pie eating competition, the pointless conversations about what is goofy and this is about adolescence. I've been watching this film for 20 years and each time I get something different from it.

This is just a film where it all works. The settings, the music and the cast are directed to perfection by Rob Reiner (It's worth noting that I am a little bias in this as this is the man who made This Is Spinal Tap and The Princess Bride and I fucking love them too) and I can not praise this film enough. This is of course the gayest most gushing review I've ever written and to make up for it and so you don't think I've gone soft I'm now off out to mug a nun and shoot a dog. Just fucking watch this film or have your balls cut off with a sickle and then shoved in your mouth for you to choke on.

Absolute Classic out of 5

Comments

[Mr Fuck Off]

This stands at number 19 in my all time fav top films

[drunkenmaster]

It is without doubt a great film. Around number 15 in mine but I've never done a list.