Stand by Me (1986)
- The original script for Stand by Me was written over a decade before production finally began in 1986.
- The incredible score for Stand by Me was composed in just a few weeks after the original composer dropped out.
- During the filming of Stand by Me, Wil Wheaton improvised one of the most famous lines in the movie.
Stand by Me is a 1986 American coming-of-age drama directed by Rob Reiner, based on Stephen King's novella The Body. The film follows four 12-year-old boys in the small town of Castle Rock, Oregon in 1959 who embark on a two-day hike along railroad tracks to find the dead body of a missing teenager. Gordie Lachance, played by Wil Wheaton, is a quiet, creative boy overshadowed by his dead older brother; Chris Chambers, played by River Phoenix, is a tough kid from a bad family desperate to escape his reputation; Teddy Duchamp, played by Corey Feldman, is a reckless kid whose abusive father damaged his ear; and Vern Tessio, played by Jerry O'Connell, is the chubby, anxious member of the group.
River Phoenix's performance as Chris Chambers โ a boy who is smarter and kinder than anyone gives him credit for, who fights against the assumption that he'll end up like his criminal family โ was a devastating preview of the talent that would define his brief career. Rob Reiner's direction captured the specific quality of childhood friendship with rare authenticity โ the campfire storytelling, the pointless arguments, and the loyalty that defines relationships before adulthood complicates everything. Stand by Me earned $52 million worldwide on a $8 million budget.
