Stand by Me (film)

In 1985, writer Gordie Lachance reads a newspaper article about a fatal stabbing involving his childhood best friend, Chris Chambers. He recalls an incident from when he was 12 years old when he, Chris, and two other friends, Teddy Duchamp and Vern Tessio, went searching for the body of a missing boy named Ray Brower near the town of Castle Rock, Oregon, during Labor Day weekend in 1959. As a child, Gordie's parents largely ignored him as they grieved the death of their elder son, Denny. Unlike their parents, Denny had paid attention to Gordie.

Vern overhears his big brother, Billy, talking with his friend, Charlie, about finding the body. Billy does not want to inform police because it could draw attention to a car theft he and Charlie committed. When Vern tells his friends about the body, the four boys—hoping to become local heroes—decide to look for it. After Chris steals his father's pistol, he and Gordie run into local hoodlums "Ace" Merrill and Chris's older brother, "Eyeball". Ace threatens Chris with a lit cigarette and steals Gordie's Yankees cap, which was a gift from Denny.

The boys begin their trip. After stopping at a junkyard for water, they are caught trespassing by owner Milo Pressman and his dog, Chopper. Once they escape over a fence, Milo calls Teddy's mentally ill veteran father a "loony" and refers to how he almost burned Teddy's ear off. An enraged Teddy tries to attack Milo but the other boys restrain him. The four continue their hike, and Chris encourages Gordie to fulfill his potential as a writer despite his father's disapproval. While crossing a railroad bridge, Gordie and Vern narrowly avoid being killed by an approaching train by jumping off the tracks. In the evening, as the boys camp, Gordie tells a fictional story he created about "David 'Lard-Ass' Hogan", an obese boy who is constantly bullied. Seeking payback, he downs a bottle of castor oil and eats a raw egg before entering a pie-eating contest and throws up deliberately, inducing mass vomiting among everyone there.

That night, Chris complains to Gordie that he hates being associated with his family's reputation. He admits to stealing school milk money but says he confessed to a teacher, yet was still suspended as the teacher kept quiet and pocketed the money. Devastated by the teacher's betrayal, Chris breaks down and cries.

The next day, the boys wade across a swamp, discovering it filled with leeches. Gordie faints after finding one in his underwear. After more hiking, the boys locate the body. The discovery traumatizes Gordie, who asks Chris why Denny had to die and cries about his father hating him. Chris comforts Gordie and asserts that his father simply does not know him.

Ace and his gang arrive to claim the body and threaten to hurt the boys if they stay. When Chris refuses to back down, Ace draws a switchblade. Gordie gets the gun, fires a warning shot, and comes to Chris's defense. Ace demands the weapon, but Gordie refuses while insulting and threatening him. Ace and his gang vow revenge and leave. The boys decide that exploiting Brower's death would be wrong and instead report it via an anonymous phone call. They walk back to Castle Rock and part ways.

Back in the present day, Gordie is finishing a memoir of the experience. He notes that Vern and Teddy separated from him and Chris in junior high. Vern married after high school, had four children, and became a forklift operator. Teddy tried getting into the Army but his damaged ear and poor eyesight disqualified him. He ended up serving jail time and working odd jobs. Chris took college prep courses with Gordie and, despite struggling, later became a lawyer, with the two eventually drifting apart. Recently, while attempting to break up a fight in a restaurant, he was stabbed to death. Gordie writes that despite not having seen Chris in over a decade, he will miss him forever. He ends his narration with the following words: "I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was twelve. Jesus, does anyone?"

• Wil Wheaton as Gordon "Gordie" Lachance (aged 12)
• Richard Dreyfuss as adult Gordon (credited as "the Writer")
• River Phoenix as Chris Chambers
• Corey Feldman as Teddy Duchamp
• Jerry O'Connell as Vern Tessio
• Kiefer Sutherland as John "Ace" Merrill, gang leader
• Casey Siemaszko as Billy Tessio, gang member and Vern's older brother
• John Cusack as Dennis "Denny" Lachance, Gordie's older brother
• Marshall Bell as Mr. Lachance
• Frances Lee McCain as Mrs. Lachance
• Gary Riley as Charlie Hogan, gang member and Billy's best friend
• Bradley Gregg as Richard "Eyeball" Chambers, gang member and Chris's older brother
• Jason Oliver Lipsett as Vince Desjardins, gang member
• Andy Lindberg as Lardass Hogan
• Bruce Kirby as Mr. Quidacioluo, store owner
• William Bronder as Milo Pressman, junkyard owner
• Scott Beach as Mayor Grundy

File:Stand By Me theMovie Original Tshirt for the Cast and Crew.jpg

The film was adapted from the Stephen King novella The Body.{{cite web |url=https://www.etonline.com/all-the-stephen-king-easter-eggs-in-hulus-castle-rock-from-shawshank-to-sissy-spacek-106674 |title=All the Stephen King Easter Eggs in Hulu's Castle Rock – From Shawshank to Sissy Spacek |website=Entertainment Tonight |access-date=April 16, 2019 |archive-date=February 15, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190215160028/https://www.etonline.com/all-the-stephen-king-easter-eggs-in-hulus-castle-rock-from-shawshank-to-sissy-spacek-106674 |url-status=live}} Bruce A. Evans sent a copy of The Body to Karen Gideon, the wife of his friend and writing partner Raynold Gideon, on August 29, 1983, as a gift for her birthday.{{cite news |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1986/11/21/how-stand-by-me-was-almost-left-standing-at-the-gate/ |title=How Stand By Me Was Almost Left Standing At The Gate |last=Scott |first=Vernon |date=November 21, 1986 |newspaper=Chicago Tribune |agency=United Press International |access-date=24 April 2017 |archive-date=April 25, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170425115616/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1986-11-21/entertainment/8603270806_1_novella-stand-bruce-evans |url-status=live}} Both Gideon and Evans quickly became fans of the novella and shortly thereafter contacted King's agent, Kirby McCauley, seeking to negotiate film rights; McCauley replied that King's terms were $100,000 and 10% of the gross profits. Although the money was not an issue, the share of gross profits was considered excessive, especially considering that no stars could be featured to help sell the movie. In response, Evans and Gideon pursued an established director, Adrian Lyne, to help sell the project.

After reading the novella, Lyne teamed up with Evans and Gideon, but all the studios the trio approached turned the project down except for Martin Shafer at Embassy Pictures. Embassy spent four months negotiating the rights with McCauley, settling on $50,000 and a smaller share of the profits, and Evans and Gideon spent eight weeks writing the screenplay. Evans and Gideon asked to also produce the film, but Shafer suggested they team up with Andrew Scheinman, a more experienced producer. Embassy was unwilling to meet Lyne's salary for directing the film until Evans and Gideon agreed to give up half of their share of profits to meet Lyne's asking price.

Lyne was going to direct the film, but had promised himself a vacation following the production of 9½ Weeks,{{cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-rLZaTs5AY |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200705071056/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-rLZaTs5AY&feature=youtu.be&t=1191|archive-date=July 5, 2020 |title=Rob Reiner – Archive Interview Part 6 of 8 |work=Foundation Interviews |date=March 20, 2008 |access-date=October 8, 2017 |via=YouTube}} and would not be available to start production until the spring of 1986. Reiner was better known at the time for playing Michael Stivic in All in the Family and had just started a directing career, making comedies such as This Is Spinal Tap and The Sure Thing. He was sent the script by Scheinman, and his initial reaction was that the script had promise but "no focus".{{cite news |url=https://variety.com/2016/film/news/stand-by-me-30th-anniversary-oral-history-corey-feldman-1201824490/ |title=Stand by Me Oral History: Rob Reiner and Cast on River Phoenix and How Coming-of-Age Classic Almost Didn't Happen |last=Lang |first=Brent |date=July 28, 2016 |newspaper=Variety |access-date=23 April 2017 |archive-date=October 15, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171015200829/http://variety.com/2016/film/news/stand-by-me-30th-anniversary-oral-history-corey-feldman-1201824490/ |url-status=live}} After Lyne withdrew from the project, Reiner signed on to direct in September 1984. In a 2011 interview, Reiner discussed his realization that the film should focus on the character of Gordie:

"In the book, it was about four boys, but...once I made Gordie the central focus of the piece then it made sense to me: this movie was all about a kid who didn't feel good about himself and whose father didn't love him. And through the experience of going to find the dead body and his friendship with these boys, he began to feel empowered and went on to become a very successful writer. He basically became Stephen King."

Reiner has said that he identified with Gordie, as he himself struggled with the shadow of fame cast by his comedian father, Carl Reiner. The writers incorporated Reiner's suggestions, producing a new script by December 1984 for Embassy's review and approval.

Days before the shooting started in the summer of 1985, Embassy was sold to Columbia Pictures, which made plans to cancel the production. Norman Lear, one of the co-owners of Embassy and the developer of All in the Family, gave {{no wrap|$7.5{{nbsp}}million}} of his own money to complete the film, citing his faith in Reiner and the script. However, since Embassy also would have distributed the film, once the film was completed it had no distributor. The producers showed a print to Michael Ovitz, head of the powerful Creative Artists Agency, and Ovitz promised to help them find a distributor. Paramount, Universal Pictures, and Warner Bros. all passed on the film; Columbia Pictures production head Guy McElwaine screened the film at his house because he was feeling ill, and the positive reaction of his daughters convinced him to distribute the film. In March 1986, Columbia Pictures, concerned that the original title, The Body, was misleading, renamed the film Stand by Me. According to screenwriter Raynold Gideon, The Body "sounded like either a sex film, a bodybuilding film, or another Stephen King horror film. Rob came up with Stand by Me, and it ended up being the least unpopular option."{{cite book |title=Stand By Me DVD Booklet |publisher=Columbia TriStar Home Video |date=2000}} The film's name is derived from Ben E. King's 1961 song, "Stand by Me", which plays during the ending credits.{{cite web |url=https://screenrant.com/stand-by-me-ending-explained/ |title=Stand By Me Ending Explained |website=screenrant.com |last=Laguerre-Lewis |first=Kayla |date=September 1, 2024}}{{cite web |url=https://insessionfilm.com/classic-movie-review-stand-by-me/ |title=Stand By Me Remains Sentimental |website=insessionfilm.com |last=Battestella |first=Kristin |date=June 6, 2024}}

In a 2011 interview with NPR, Wil Wheaton attributed the film's success to the director's casting choices:{{blockquote|Rob Reiner found four young boys who were the characters we played. I was awkward and nerdy and shy and uncomfortable in my skin and sensitive, and River was cool and smart and passionate and even at that age kind of like a father figure to some of us, Jerry was one of the funniest people I had ever seen in my life, either before or since, and Corey was unbelievably angry and in an incredible amount of pain and had a terrible relationship with his parents.{{cite interview |last=Wheaton |first=Wil |subject-link=Wil Wheaton |interviewer=David Greene |title=All Things Considered |url=https://www.npr.org/2011/08/06/139025610/stand-by-me-a-love-letter-to-childhood-innocence |work=National Public Radio |publisher=WNPR |location=Meriden, Connecticut |date=August 6, 2011 |access-date=August 6, 2011 |archive-date=March 9, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180309120338/https://www.npr.org/2011/08/06/139025610/stand-by-me-a-love-letter-to-childhood-innocence |url-status=live}}}}

Feldman recalled how his home life translated into his onscreen character: "[Most kids aren't] thinking they're going to get hit by their parents because they're not doing well enough in school, which will prevent them from getting a work permit, which will prevent them from being an actor." O'Connell agreed that he was cast based on how his personality fit the role, saying "Rob wanted us to understand our characters. He interviewed our characters. [...] I tried to stay like Vern and say the stupid things Vern would. I think I was Vern that summer." Reiner and the producers interviewed more than 70 boys for the four main roles, out of more than 300 who auditioned; Phoenix originally read for the part of Gordie Lachance.{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1986/09/16/movies/how-4-boys-in-stand-by-me-became-a-film-team.html?pagewanted=all |title=How 4 boys in Stand by Me became a film team |last=Harmetz |first=Aljean |date=September 16, 1986 |newspaper=The New York Times |access-date=24 April 2017 |archive-date=August 23, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160823215231/http://www.nytimes.com/1986/09/16/movies/how-4-boys-in-stand-by-me-became-a-film-team.html?pagewanted=all |url-status=live}} Ethan Hawke auditioned for Chris Chambers.{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/nov/16/ethan-hawke-my-first-screen-partner-overdosed-on-sunset-boulevard-river-phoenix-was-a-big-lesson-to-me |title=Ethan Hawke on regrets, race and surviving Hollywood: 'River Phoenix was a big lesson to me' |last=Freeman |first=Hadley |date=November 16, 2020 |newspaper=The Guardian |access-date=November 19, 2020 |archive-date=November 18, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201118215822/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/nov/16/ethan-hawke-my-first-screen-partner-overdosed-on-sunset-boulevard-river-phoenix-was-a-big-lesson-to-me |url-status=live}}

Before filming began, Reiner put the four main actors together for two weeks to play games from Viola Spolin's Improvisation for the Theater (which Reiner called "the bible" of theater games) and build camaraderie. As a result, a friendship developed among the actors. Wheaton would recall "When you saw the four of us being comrades, that was real life, not acting."

Before settling on Richard Dreyfuss as the narrator (and the role of the adult Gordie), Reiner considered David Dukes, Ted Bessell, and Michael McKean.

File:Brownsville 090709 254 (3920802011) (cropped).jpg, which was used for the penultimate scenes (2009)]]

Principal photography began on June 17, 1985, and ended on August 23, 1985.

Parts of the film were shot in Brownsville, Oregon, which stood in for the fictional town of Castle Rock. The town was selected for its small-town 1950s ambience.{{cite news |url=http://democratherald.com/news/linda-mccormick-can-tell-you-all-about-the-film-stand/article_969658c6-4345-50ad-baf9-7be813f44844.html |first=Alex |last=Paul |title=Linda McCormick Can Tell You All About the Film Stand by Me |newspaper=Albany Democrat-Herald |date=July 20, 2016 |access-date=21 April 2017 |archive-date=September 28, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160928030335/http://democratherald.com/news/linda-mccormick-can-tell-you-all-about-the-film-stand/article_969658c6-4345-50ad-baf9-7be813f44844.html |url-status=live}}; special section, pg. S2.{{cite web |url=http://www.fast-rewind.com/locations_standbyme.htm |title=Stand By Me Filming Locations |author= |date=2015 |website=Fast Rewind |access-date=13 April 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170414083129/http://www.fast-rewind.com/locations_standbyme.htm |archive-date=April 14, 2017}} Approximately 100 local residents were employed as extras.

The "barf-o-rama" scene was also filmed in Brownsville. A local bakery supplied the pies and extra filling, which was mixed with large-curd cottage cheese to simulate the vomit.{{cite magazine |url=http://ew.com/article/2016/05/12/stand-by-me-blueberry-pie/ |title=Stand by Me turns 30: The blueberry pie scene gets an oral history |first=Joe |last=McGovern |date=May 12, 2016 |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |access-date=2 May 2017 |archive-date=December 26, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161226150945/http://ew.com/article/2016/05/12/stand-by-me-blueberry-pie/ |url-status=live}} The quantity of simulated vomit varied per person, from as much as {{convert|5|gal|L}} during the triggering event to as little as {{convert|1/16|gal|L}}.

File: The "Stand By Me" bridge at Lake Britton (6729363339).jpg trestle bridge across Lake Britton in California, which was used for the train chase scene (2012)]]

The scene where the boys outrace a steam train engine across an 80-foot tall trestle was filmed on the McCloud River Railroad, above Lake Britton Reservoir near McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park in California.{{cite news |url=http://democratherald.com/news/bend-attorney-helped-drive-stand-by-me-train/article_2ea5a666-b948-598f-a38f-1049da066670.html |first=Alex |last=Paul |title=Bend Attorney Helped Drive Stand By Me Train |newspaper=Albany Democrat-Herald |date=July 20, 2016 |access-date=21 April 2017 |archive-date=September 26, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160926012441/http://democratherald.com/news/bend-attorney-helped-drive-stand-by-me-train/article_2ea5a666-b948-598f-a38f-1049da066670.html |url-status=live}}; special section, pp. S3, S8. The scene took a full week to shoot, making use of four small adult female stunt doubles with closely cropped hair who were made up to look like the film's protagonists. Plywood planks were laid across the ties to provide a safer surface on which the stunt doubles could run. The film crew even brought a brand-new camera for use in the shot, only for it to jam between the rails on the first shot. The locomotive used for the scene, M.C.R.R. 25, is still in daily operation for excursion service on the Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad. Telephoto compression was used to make the train appear much closer than it actually was. The actors did not feel a sense of danger until Reiner threatened them by saying, "You see those guys? They don't want to push that dolly down the track anymore. And the reason they're getting tired is because of you... I told them if they weren't worried that the train was going to kill them, then they should worry that I was going to. And that's when they ran."{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/8566133/25-years-of-Stand-by-Me.html |title=25 years of Stand by Me |last=Hannaford |first=Alex |date=June 13, 2011 |newspaper=The Telegraph |access-date=13 April 2017 |archive-date=May 21, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180521030244/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/8566133/25-years-of-Stand-by-Me.html |url-status=live}}

Jack Nitzsche composed the film's musical score. On August 8, 1986, a soundtrack album was released containing many of the 1950s and early 1960s oldies songs featured in the film:

1. "Everyday" (Buddy Holly) – 2:07
2. "Let the Good Times Roll" (Shirley and Lee) – 2:22
3. "Come Go with Me" (The Del-Vikings) – 2:40
4. "Whispering Bells" (The Del-Vikings) – 2:25
5. "Get a Job" (The Silhouettes) – 2:44
6. "Lollipop" (The Chordettes) – 2:09
7. "Yakety Yak" (The Coasters) – 1:52
8. "Great Balls of Fire" (Jerry Lee Lewis) – 1:52
9. "Mr. Lee" (The Bobbettes) – 2:14
10. "Stand by Me" (Ben E. King) – 2:55

The movie's success sparked a renewed interest in Ben E. King's song "Stand by Me".{{cite web |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/entertainthis/2015/05/01/10-great-versions-of-ben-e-kings-stand-by-me/77551688/ |title=10 great versions of Ben E. King's Stand by Me |website=usatoday.com |last=Mansfield |first=Brian |date=May 1, 2015}} Initially a number four pop hit in 1961,{{cite web |url=https://top40weekly.com/stand-by-me-song-meaning/ |title=Stand By Me – Ben E. King {{!}} Top 40 Chart Performance, Story and Song Meaning |website=top40weekly.com |last=Osborne |first=Ed |date=September 15, 2023 |access-date=December 6, 2024}} the song re-entered the Billboard Hot 100 in October 1986, eventually peaking at number nine in December of that year.{{cite magazine |url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100 |title=Top 100 Songs - Billboard Hot 100 Chart |magazine=Billboard |access-date=April 16, 2019 |archive-date=March 21, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200321134655/https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100 |url-status=live}}

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{{Certification Table Entry|title= Stand by Me|artist=Soundtrack|type=album|relyear=1987|certyear=2004|region=Australia|award=Platinum |access-date=27 December 2021}}

{{Certification Table Entry|title= Stand by Me|artist=Soundtrack|type=album|relyear=1986|certyear=1986|region=United States|award=Gold |access-date=9 March 2022}}

{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true}}

Stand by Me was released on VHS on March 19, 1987, by RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video. A DVD was issued on August 29, 2000, with a director's commentary, multiple language options (subtitles and audio), scene selections with motion images, and a featurette titled "Walking The Tracks: The Summer Of Stand by Me".{{cn|date=December 2024}} The film was re-issued on Blu-ray in 2011 by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, and again on 4K Blu-ray in 2019.{{Cite web |url=https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Stand-by-Me-Blu-ray/19417/ |title=Stand by Me Blu-ray (25th Anniversary Edition) |via=www.blu-ray.com}}

The film was a box office success in North America. It opened in a limited release in 16 theaters on August 8, 1986, and grossed $242,795, averaging $15,174 per theater. The film then had its wide opening in 745 theaters on August 22 and grossed $3,812,093, averaging $5,116 per theater and ranking number 2. The film's widest release was 848 theaters, and it ended up earning $52,287,414 overall, well above its $8{{nbsp}}million budget.{{cite web |url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=standbyme.htm |title=Stand by Me |website=Box Office Mojo |date=August 8, 1986 |access-date=17 January 2015 |archive-date=July 15, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180715165631/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=standbyme.htm |url-status=live}}

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 92% based on 64 reviews and a rating average of 8/10. The website's critical consensus reads: "Stand by Me is a wise, nostalgic movie with a weird streak that captures both Stephen King's voice and the trials of growing up."{{Cite web |title=Stand by Me |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/stand_by_me_1986/ |work=Rotten Tomatoes |access-date=September 23, 2022 |archive-date=November 11, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201111223534/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/stand_by_me_1986 |url-status=live}} On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 75 out of 100 based on 20 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".{{cite web |title=Stand by Me Reviews |url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/stand-by-me |website=Metacritic |access-date=2020-10-10 |archive-date=November 11, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201111201751/http://www.metacritic.com/movie/stand-by-me |url-status=live}} Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale.{{cite web |url=https://www.cinemascore.com |title=Find CinemaScore |format=Type "Stand by Me" in the search box |publisher=CinemaScore |access-date=November 28, 2020 |archive-date=January 2, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180102130540/https://www.cinemascore.com/ |url-status=live}}

Reviewing the film for The New York Times, Walter Goodman opined that Reiner's direction was rather self-conscious, "looking constantly at his audience". While the lead actors were "individually likable", Goodman called the film a "trite narrative" and said that "Reiner's direction hammers in every obvious element in an obvious script."{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1986/08/08/movies/rob-reiner-s-stand-by-me.html |title=Movie Review: Rob Reiner's Stand By Me |last=Goodman |first=Walter |date=August 8, 1986 |newspaper=The New York Times |access-date=24 April 2017 |archive-date=April 25, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170425121338/http://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9B02E3DF153AF93BA3575BC0A960948260 |url-status=live}} In his review for the Chicago Tribune, Dave Kehr wrote that there was "nothing natural in the way Reiner has overloaded his film with manufactured drama".{{cite news |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1986/08/22/textbook-drama-trips-up-stand-by-me/ |title=Textbook Drama Trips Up Stand By Me |first=Dave |last=Kehr |date=August 22, 1986 |newspaper=Chicago Tribune |access-date=24 April 2017 |archive-date=April 25, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170425114742/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1986-08-22/entertainment/8603030178_1_stand-film-boys |url-status=live}} In contrast, Sheila Benson called the film "[a treasure] absolutely not to be missed" in her review for the Los Angeles Times.{{cite news |url=http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-stand-by-me-review-20160820-snap-story.html |title=From the Archives: Stand by Me is a summer standout |first=Sheila |last=Benson |date=August 8, 1986 |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |access-date=24 April 2017 |archive-date=September 13, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170913072602/http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-stand-by-me-review-20160820-snap-story.html |url-status=live}} Paul Attanasio, reviewing for The Washington Post, called the acting ensemble "wonderful" and particularly praised the performances by Wheaton and Phoenix.{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1986/08/22/movies/2e418618-ecf8-4252-9985-bf2e62da1dee/ |title=Movies: Stand by Me |last=Attanasio |first=Paul |date=August 22, 1986 |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=24 April 2017 |archive-date=May 19, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170519065147/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1986/08/22/movies/2e418618-ecf8-4252-9985-bf2e62da1dee/ |url-status=live}}

Stephen King was very impressed with the film. On the special features of the 25th anniversary Blu-ray set, King indicated that he considered the film to be the first successful translation to film of any of his works. According to a later interview with Gene Siskel, Reiner recalled that after a private early screening of the film, King excused himself for fifteen minutes to compose himself; he later returned to remark, {{"'}}That's the best film ever made out of anything I've written, which isn't saying much. But you've really captured my story. It is autobiographical.{{'"}}{{cite news |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1986/08/17/meathead-rob-reiner-meets-and-defeats-his-longtime-demons/ |title='Meathead' Rob Reiner Meets And Defeats His Longtime Demons |last=Siskel |first=Gene |author-link=Gene Siskel |date=August 17, 1986 |newspaper=Chicago Tribune |access-date=24 April 2017 |archive-date=April 26, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170426055653/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1986-08-17/entertainment/8603010582_1_actor-turned-director-father-film |url-status=live}}{{cite magazine |last=Greene |first=Andy |title=Stephen King: The Rolling Stone Interview |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=October 31, 2014 |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/features/stephen-king-the-rolling-stone-interview-20141031 |quote=Stand by Me, Shawshank Redemption, Green Mile are all really great ones. | access-date=April 1, 2020 | archive-date=April 23, 2017 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170423080832/http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/features/stephen-king-the-rolling-stone-interview-20141031 | url-status=live}} In a 2016 interview, King said that Stand by Me was his favorite adaptation of his work, alongside The Shawshank Redemption.{{cite news |first=Mike Jr. |last=Fleming |title=Stephen King On What Hollywood Owes Authors When Their Books Become Films: Q&A |website=Deadline Hollywood |date=February 2, 2016 |url=https://deadline.com/2016/02/stephen-king-what-hollywood-owes-authors-when-their-books-become-films-q-a-the-dark-tower-the-shining-1201694691/ |access-date=September 24, 2017 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20160203061225/https://deadline.com/2016/02/stephen-king-what-hollywood-owes-authors-when-their-books-become-films-q-a-the-dark-tower-the-shining-1201694691/ |archive-date=February 3, 2016 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all}}

{{Anchor|Awards|Accollades}}

At the 8th Youth in Film Awards, the film received the Jackie Coogan Award for Outstanding Contribution to Youth Through Motion Picture – Ensemble Cast in a Feature Film (Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman, and Jerry O'Connell).{{cite news |last=Harcum |first=Chris |title=What's On Today |newspaper=nytimes.com |location=USA |date=3 January 2011 |url=https://archive.nytimes.com/query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage-9C00E7DE1338F930A35752C0A9679D8B63.html}}

; Nominations

• Academy Award for Best Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium (Raynold Gideon and Bruce A. Evans){{Cite web |url=https://www.moviefone.com/2016/08/05/stand-by-me-facts/ |title=12 Things You Never Knew About Stand by Me |first=Gary |last=Susman |website=www.moviefone.com |access-date=October 21, 2019 |archive-date=October 21, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191021003101/https://www.moviefone.com/2016/08/05/stand-by-me-facts/ |url-status=live}}
• Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Feature Film (Rob Reiner){{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/01/29/movies/5-directors-nominated-as-best-by-their-guild.html |title=5 Directors Nominated As Best by Their Guild |newspaper=The New York Times |date=January 29, 1987 |access-date=October 21, 2019 |archive-date=October 21, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191021003208/https://www.nytimes.com/1987/01/29/movies/5-directors-nominated-as-best-by-their-guild.html |url-status=live}}
• Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Drama{{Cite web |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/photo-stand-by-me-cast-168878 |title=PHOTO: Stand by Me Cast Reunites 25 Years Later |website=The Hollywood Reporter |date=March 17, 2011 |access-date=October 21, 2019 |archive-date=October 21, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191021003101/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/photo-stand-by-me-cast-168878 |url-status=live}}{{Cite web |url=https://www.goldenglobes.com/film/stand-me |title=Stand By Me |website=www.goldenglobes.com |access-date=October 21, 2019 |archive-date=October 21, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191021003102/https://www.goldenglobes.com/film/stand-me |url-status=live}}
• Golden Globe Award for Best Director (Rob Reiner)
• Independent Spirit Award for Best Film (Andrew Scheinman, Raynold Gideon, and Bruce A. Evans){{cite web |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-03-30-ca-496-story.html |title=Spirit Awards: Year Of Film Independents |date=March 30, 1987 |work=Los Angeles Times |access-date=2014-03-13}}{{cite web |url=https://variety.com/2005/film/awards/independence-days-1117918523/ |title=Independence days |date=February 24, 2005 |work=Variety |access-date=2014-03-13}}
• Independent Spirit Award for Best Director (Rob Reiner)
• Independent Spirit Award for Best Screenplay (Raynold Gideon and Bruce A. Evans)
• National Board of Review Awards 1986 Top Ten Films (awarded){{Cite web |url=http://www.nationalboardofreview.org/award-names/top-films/ |title=National Board of Review Top Films Archives |access-date=October 21, 2019 |archive-date=December 10, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131210135126/http://www.nationalboardofreview.org/award-names/top-films/ |url-status=live}}
• Writers Guild of America Award for Best Adapted Screenplay (Raynold Gideon and Bruce A. Evans){{Cite web |url=https://apnews.com/9195b459938718d52a4b0433a59d8306 |title=Oliver Stone Receives Two Writers Guild Nominations |website=AP NEWS |access-date=October 21, 2019 |archive-date=October 21, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191021003107/https://apnews.com/9195b459938718d52a4b0433a59d8306 |url-status=live}}

In a 2011 piece entitled "25 years of Stand by Me", writer Alex Hannaford opined that "[for] anyone older than about 33, Stand by Me remains one of the greatest films to come out of the Eighties." Hannaford added that the film "has a charm and depth that seems to resonate with each generation".

In 2016, several writers commemorated the 30-year anniversary of the film's release. Rolling Stone's Charles Bramesco called Stand By Me "timeless", "a staple of youthful nostalgia for its deft straddling of the line between childhood and adulthood", and "the rare movie that necessarily gets better with time".{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/movie-news/stand-by-me-at-30-why-this-stephen-king-movie-is-timeless-93647/ |title=Stand by Me at 30: Why This Stephen King Movie Is Timeless |magazine=Rolling Stone |last=Bramesco |first=Charles |date=August 22, 2016 |access-date=25 August 2018 |archive-date=August 25, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180825110331/https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/movie-news/stand-by-me-at-30-why-this-stephen-king-movie-is-timeless-93647/ |url-status=live}} Others described the film as a "coming-of-age classic"{{cite magazine |url=https://time.com/4438015/stand-by-me-30th-anniversary/ |title=Stand by Me at 30: 'Maybe This Is How Rambo Discovered Puberty' |magazine=Time |last=Waxman |first=Olivia |date=August 8, 2016 |access-date=25 August 2018 |archive-date=August 9, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180809144345/http://time.com/4438015/stand-by-me-30th-anniversary/ |url-status=live}}{{cite web |url=https://variety.com/2016/film/news/stand-by-me-30th-anniversary-oral-history-corey-feldman-1201824490/ |title=Stand by Me Oral History: Rob Reiner and Cast on River Phoenix and How Coming-of-Age Classic Almost Didn't Happen |work=Variety |last=Lang |first=Brendan |date=July 28, 2016 |access-date=25 August 2018 |archive-date=October 15, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171015200829/http://variety.com/2016/film/news/stand-by-me-30th-anniversary-oral-history-corey-feldman-1201824490/ |url-status=live}} and as a film that stood at "the apex of the '80s kids' movie boom".{{cite web |url=https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/stand-by-me-turns-30-the-screenwriters-on-184437779.html |title=Stand by Me Turns 30: The Screenwriters on That R Rating and Showing the Movie to Stephen King |last=Alter |first=Ethan |date=August 8, 2016 |work=Yahoo |access-date=25 August 2018 |archive-date=August 25, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180825110407/https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/stand-by-me-turns-30-the-screenwriters-on-184437779.html |url-status=live}}

Brownsville, Oregon has held an annual "Stand By Me Day" since 2007. The event has attracted international participants. On July 24, 2010, a 25th Anniversary celebration of the filming of Stand by Me was held in Brownsville. The event included a cast and crew Q&A session, an amateur pie-eating contest, and an outdoor showing of the film.{{cite news |last=Paul |first=Alex |title=Stand By Me festival slated |url=http://democratherald.com/news/local/article_c38cde7c-9434-11df-8dd3-001cc4c03286.html |newspaper=Albany Democrat-Herald |access-date=December 7, 2012 |date=July 10, 2010 |archive-date=July 8, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140708000837/http://democratherald.com/news/local/article_c38cde7c-9434-11df-8dd3-001cc4c03286.html |url-status=live}}

In 2013, July 23 was designated as Stand By Me Day by the Brownsville Chamber of Commerce.{{cite news |url=http://democratherald.com/news/local/brownsville-gears-up-for-stand-by-me-day/article_2c0927ce-ece0-11e2-9761-0019bb2963f4.html |title=Brownsville gears up for Stand By Me Day |first=Jennifer |last=Moody |date=July 15, 2013 |newspaper=Albany Democrat-Herald |access-date=21 April 2017 |archive-date=December 17, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181217155404/https://democratherald.com/news/local/brownsville-gears-up-for-stand-by-me-day/article_2c0927ce-ece0-11e2-9761-0019bb2963f4.html |url-status=live}} To encourage tourism, the city has embedded a penny in the street at a location where the fictional Vern found one in the film. An advertising mural painted for the movie production has survived.{{cite news |url=http://democratherald.com/albany/years-on-for-stand-by-me/article_ead73260-e4b7-5694-b2fc-e2465266c491.html |title=30 years on for Stand By Me |first=Neil |last=Zawicki |date=July 23, 2016 |newspaper=Albany Democrat-Herald |access-date=21 April 2017 |archive-date=July 26, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170726171824/http://democratherald.com/albany/years-on-for-stand-by-me/article_ead73260-e4b7-5694-b2fc-e2465266c491.html |url-status=live}}

Following the July 2024 Stand By Me Day, its event organizers—after input from businesses, fans, volunteers—decided to schedule the annual event for the fourth Saturday of July.{{Cite web |last=Sanahori |first=Sheeka |date=2024-09-12 |title=Japanese Superfans Flock to This Small City in Oregon Because of Stand by Me |url=https://www.thrillist.com/travel/nation/brownsville-oregon-stand-by-me-japanese-tourists |access-date=2024-09-15 |website=Thrillist}}

{{Anchor|Movies|Film}}

The Oscar-nominated urban drama Boyz n the Hood has several direct references to Stand by Me, including a trip by four young children to see a dead body, and the closing fade-out of one of the main characters. Director John Singleton stated that he included the references because he was a fan of the movie.{{cite magazine |url=https://www.vice.com/en_uk/article/3bw44v/talking-about-boyz-n-the-hood-with-its-director-john-singleton |title=Talking Boyz N the Hood |last=Jones |first=Will |magazine=Vice |date=November 1, 2016 |access-date=18 October 2018 |archive-date=July 20, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180720135626/https://www.vice.com/en_uk/article/3bw44v/talking-about-boyz-n-the-hood-with-its-director-john-singleton |url-status=live}}

Jonathan Bernstein states the pop culture discussions between characters in films by Quentin Tarantino originate in the similar semi-serious banter between the boys of Stand by Me.{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/prettyinpinkgold00bern |url-access=registration |title=Pretty in Pink: The Golden Age of Teenage Movies |first=Jonathan |last=Bernstein |date=February 1997 |publisher=St. Martin's Griffin |location=New York, New York |isbn=0-312-15194-2 |access-date=2 May 2017 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/prettyinpinkgold00bern/page/208 208]–210 |chapter=10 — The Next Generation: Neurotics, Psychotics, Weirdos, Underachievers and Would-be Teen Idols}}

Reviewers have seen an influence from Stand by Me in the 2011 movie Attack the Block, directed by Joe Cornish.{{cite web |url=http://www.scene-stealers.com/reviews/dazed-and-confused-blu-ray-review-attack-the-block/ |title=Dazed and Confused Blu-Ray Finally Out, and Attack the Block |first=Eric |last=Melin |date=October 29, 2011 |website=Scene Stealers |access-date=1 May 2017 |archive-date=April 23, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170423094954/http://www.scene-stealers.com/reviews/dazed-and-confused-blu-ray-review-attack-the-block/ |url-status=live}}

The movie Mud (2012) has a character (Neckbone) who has been called a "perfect fusion of River Phoenix and Jerry O'Connell in Stand by Me".{{cite web |url=http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/mud-2013 |title=Mud (review) |last=Emerson |first=Jim |date=April 25, 2013 |publisher=RogerEbert.com |access-date=1 May 2017 |archive-date=May 13, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170513093208/http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/mud-2013 |url-status=live}} The writer and director, Jeff Nichols, said of the film "Yeah, you know, I basically remade Stand by Me" when defending the work-in-progress to studio executives.{{cite interview |url=https://www.gq.com/story/midnight-special-jeff-nichols |title=The Shot Caller Q+A: Midnight Special Director Jeff Nichols |subject=Jeff Nichols |interviewer=Zach Baron |publisher=GQ |date=25 March 2016 |access-date=1 May 2017 |archive-date=October 6, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171006024424/https://www.gq.com/story/midnight-special-jeff-nichols |url-status=live}}

The Kings of Summer, a 2013 coming-of-age film by Jordan Vogt-Roberts, has been reviewed as being inspired by Stand by Me.{{cite magazine |url=https://entertainment.time.com/2013/05/31/the-kings-of-summer-boys-n-the-woods/ |title=The Kings of Summer: Boys N the Woods |last=Pols |first=Mary |date=May 31, 2013 |magazine=Time |access-date=1 May 2017 |archive-date=December 1, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201165056/http://entertainment.time.com/2013/05/31/the-kings-of-summer-boys-n-the-woods/ |url-status=live}}{{cite web |url=http://www.slashfilm.com/toys-house-review-superbad-meets-stand-by-me-sundance-2013/ |title=The Kings of Summer Review: Superbad Meets Stand By Me [Sundance 2013] |last=Lussier |first=Germain |date=January 24, 2013 |website=Slashfilm |access-date=1 May 2017 |archive-date=May 1, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170501182233/http://www.slashfilm.com/toys-house-review-superbad-meets-stand-by-me-sundance-2013 |url-status=live}}

Love and Monsters (2020) includes an excerpt of the song "Stand by Me" and shortly after a scene involving large poisonous leeches.{{cite web |date=14 October 2020 |first=Jessica |last=Kiang |title=Love and Monsters Review: Fun Times During the End Times |url=https://variety.com/2020/film/reviews/love-and-monsters-review-1234804420/ |website=Variety |access-date=October 31, 2020 |archive-date=December 25, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201225001554/https://variety.com/2020/film/reviews/love-and-monsters-review-1234804420/ |url-status=live}}

Dan Mangan's song "Rows of Houses" (2011) is based on the film and takes the perspective of Gordie Lachance.{{cite magazine |date=September 27, 2011 |author= |title=Dan Mangan "Row of Houses": Video for the Canadian singer-songwriter's new single "Row of Houses" |magazine=Rolling Stone |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/videos/dan-mangan-row-of-houses-20110927 |access-date=September 15, 2017 |archive-date=August 27, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160827235423/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/videos/dan-mangan-row-of-houses-20110927}}

In 1987, following the success of Stand by Me, Reiner co-founded a film and television production company and named it Castle Rock Entertainment, after the fictional town in which the film is set.{{cite web |last=Herman |first=Karen |url=http://www.emmytvlegends.org/interviews/people/rob-reiner# |title=Interview with Rob Reiner |website=Archive of American Television |date=November 29, 2004 |access-date=June 1, 2013 |archive-date=May 11, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130511084640/http://www.emmytvlegends.org/interviews/people/rob-reiner |url-status=live}}

• Seinfeld, the first television show produced by Reiner's Castle Rock production company, featured banter between Jerry Seinfeld and George Costanza that was reminiscent of the dialogue between the protagonists of Stand by Me.
• The plotline of "The Blunder Years", a 2001 episode from the thirteenth season of The Simpsons, revolves around a repressed childhood trauma in which Homer Simpson, along with his friends Lenny and Carl, discover a body blocking an inlet for the Springfield Quarry.{{cite web |url=http://www.simpsonsarchive.com/episodes/CABF21.txt |title=The Blunder Years |author1=Maxtone-Graham, Ian |date=December 9, 2001 |publisher=Simpsons Archive |access-date=1 May 2017 |archive-date=June 12, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170612112017/http://www.simpsonsarchive.com/episodes/CABF21.txt |url-status=live}}
• The Rick and Morty episode "The Ricklantis Mixup" makes references to the film with four multi-verse Mortys, and another reference during a campfire.{{cite web |url=https://moviepilot.com/posts/4026874 |title=Stand By Me: 5 Times It Inspired Pop Culture |last=Gallen |first=Sean |date=9 August 2016 |website=Movie Pilot |access-date=1 May 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161114093743/http://moviepilot.com/posts/4026874 |archive-date=November 14, 2016 |df=mdy-all}}{{cite web |url=https://moviepilot.com/posts/4021709 |title=The True Story Behind Stephen King's The Body And Stand By Me |last=Lai |first=Kristin |date=8 August 2016 |website=Movie Pilot |access-date=1 May 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161210014151/http://moviepilot.com/posts/4021709 |archive-date=December 10, 2016 |df=mdy-all}}
• The web television series Do You Want to See a Dead Body? is inspired by the film, and named after a quote from it.{{cite web |last=Gajewski |first=Ryan |title=Rob Huebel Talks Getting Naked With Justin Long on Malibu Beach for His New Show |url=https://www.thewrap.com/rob-huebel-justin-long-see-dead-body/ |website=The Wrap |access-date=December 21, 2017 |date=November 21, 2017}}{{cite web |last=Martin |first=Garrett |title=YouTube Red Stakes Its Comedy Ground with Rob Huebel's Dead Body and Ryan Hansen Solves Crimes |url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2017/11/youtube-red-stakes-its-comedy-ground-with-rob-hueb.html |website=Paste |access-date=December 21, 2017 |date=November 29, 2017}}
• In the Family Guy season 7 episode "Three Kings" which aired on May 10, 2009, the first segment of the episode parodies the whole film.

The film is referenced in Pokémon Red, Green, Blue, and Yellow for the Nintendo Game Boy, as well their Game Boy Advance remakes, Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, where the player character's mother is watching the movie on TV.{{Cite web |url=https://www.nintendo.co.jp/nom/0007/taidan1/page04.html |title=田尻智さん（ゲームフリーク）VS 石原恒和さん（クリーチャーズ）対談 |work=Nintendo Online Magazine |date=July 2000 |access-date=February 20, 2021 |archive-date=January 9, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210109145632/https://www.nintendo.co.jp/nom/0007/taidan1/page04.html |url-status=live}} Tajiri: "[...] when you go down to the 1st floor [of the player's house] in Pokémon [Red and Green Version], your mother is watching the movie Stand By Me on TV." (田尻：「たとえば『ポケットモンスター』で最初に1階へ降りると母親がテレビで映画の『スタンドバイミー』を観ているように」) When interacting with the TV, the player character says: "There's a movie on TV. Four boys are walking on railroad tracks. I better go too." This reference exists in both the original Japanese versions and the English localizations, though the reference changes to The Wizard of Oz in the remakes when the female player character is selected.{{Cite web |url=https://legendsoflocalization.com/qa-does-japanese-pokemon-reference-stand-by-me |title=Does Japanese Pokémon Reference Stand By Me? |publisher=Legends of Localization |date=March 15, 2016 |access-date=February 20, 2021 |first=Clyde |last=Mandelin |archive-date=January 18, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210118202337/https://legendsoflocalization.com/qa-does-japanese-pokemon-reference-stand-by-me/ |url-status=live}}

{{Reflist}}

{{notelist}}

{{Wikiquote}}

{{Commons category}}

• {{IMDb title|0092005|Stand by Me}}
• {{TCMDb title|18513|Stand by Me}}
• {{Mojo title|standbyme|Stand by Me}}
• [http://www.historicbrownsville.com/content/BR2_tour_stand.html Brownsville, Oregon Stand by Me film locations] from Brownsville Chamber of Commerce
• {{cite web |url=http://www.thennowmovielocations.com/2012/10/stand-by-me.html |title=Stand By Me |author= |date=October 2012 |website=Then & Now Movie Locations [blog] |access-date=13 April 2017}}

• {{cite magazine |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3-cCAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA58 |title=Roughing It |last=Denby |first=David |author-link=David Denby |date=August 18, 1986 |magazine=New York Magazine |access-date=1 May 2017 |pages=58–59}}
• {{cite magazine |url=https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/keep-standing-by-me |title=Keep Standing by Me |last=Franco |first=James |author-link=James Franco |date=August 1, 2013 |magazine=Vice |access-date=1 May 2017}}

{{Rob Reiner}}

{{Media based on Stephen King works}}

{{Different Seasons}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stand by Me (film)}}

Category:1986 films

Category:1980s adventure films

Category:1980s buddy drama films

Category:1980s coming-of-age drama films

Category:1980s teen drama films

Category:1986 drama films

Category:American buddy drama films

Category:American comedy-drama films

Category:American coming-of-age films

Category:American road comedy-drama films

Category:American independent films

Category:Columbia Pictures films

Category:Films about friendship

Category:Films based on short fiction

Category:Films based on works by Stephen King

Category:Films directed by Rob Reiner

Category:Films scored by Jack Nitzsche

Category:Films set in 1959

Category:Films set in the 1950s

Category:Films set in Oregon

Category:Films shot in California

Category:Films shot in Oregon

Category:1980s English-language films

Category:1980s American films

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Category:Rail transport films

Category:1986 independent films

Category:English-language independent films

Category:English-language adventure films

Category:English-language buddy drama films