Stand by Me, based on a novel by Stephen King - 9.6 out of 10

Stand by Me, based on a novel by Stephen King
9.6 out of 10


This marvelous film has been nominated for an Oscar for Best Writing, two Golden Globes, for best Motion Picture - Drama and Best Director for Rob Reiner.

It is also very popular with critics and audiences, being among the Top Rated Movies.
Indeed, the quest to find the body of a missing boy is at times miraculous in its sincerity, compelling character s, beautiful scenery, some amusing scenes, mingled with a few scary ones.
A complete, near perfect movie.

All the child actors are superb:
Will Wheaton as Gordie Lachance, River Phoenix as Chris Chambers,  Corey Feldman as Teddy Duchamp and Jerry O'Connell as Vern Tessio.
They all have well defined personages, with some impressive, sometimes terrifying stories...for instance,  Teddy Duchamp is abused by his abominable father.

The lunatic parent has in one instance taken his son and almost burned his ear out of existence...the result is a gruesome sight on the side of the poor boys head.
Nevertheless, he is, just like the other three, a valiant, gritty, dermined, brave and fabulous boy.

The group has to face the train, as they are caught on a piece of rail tracks from where they have to run back in a flash, for the alternative is to jump a long distance into the river and that would probably mean death or invalidity for the rest of their last lives.
In a garage, there is a dog with a fierce reputation, thought to be trained to get the balls of any intruder and this is part of the drama of the film.
The humor is present in the chase and also in the 'barforada', an event where men and a boy compete for the top prize, given to the one who eats more pie.

The participating boy has a revenge to take and thus he uses castor oil and a raw egg to provoke a massive vomiting fit, which results in a crowd of people all throwing up over each other.
Ace Merrill aka Kiefer Sutherland is the leader of the thugs and he is a villainous one all right.

When he is competing with another car, he is so deranged as to drive full speed ahead into a coming truck, which was just obeying the rules, all in its lane, but had to maneuver out of the road, into the field, discharging the logs it carried, to avoid the lunatic that would not budge, waiting to be killed with his buddies.
This psychopath is ready to use his bigger power over the group of boys who are considerably younger than him and severely handicapped in a possible fight...

Unless of course, one of them has a gun...

Stand by Me is an outstanding, complex, generous motion picture in that it offers so many feel good moments, without becoming a sirupy, corny soap opera...the ending is just one proof of that.