Some subgenres see pretty clear divides run down their middle according to certain criteria. One is the buddy comedy, where depending on the film’s intent to target male or female audiences, there will be a pretty safe difference in the kind of comedy used. Look at Dumb and Dumber and Clueless, each one caters safely to one gender or the other, though both films can arguably be enjoyed by both. Then you have the coming of age drama where this divide persists. Again you have a great parallel between Stand by Me and Now & Then, stories about revisiting a key point in youth. As a guy, I may be somewhat biased, but for my money both Dumb and Dumber and Stand by Me win in their respective categories by miles; Stand by Me however is miles ahead of its counterpart and stands up to the test of time in many ways.
Told from the perspective of Gordie’s older self (Richard Dreyfuss), a writer, we revisit him and his friends at age twelve as they go on a journey into the wilderness to find the dead body of a kid they’d heard was hidden therein. Gordie (Wil Wheaton), Chris (River Phoenix), Teddy (Corey Feldman), and Vern (Jerry O’Connell) trek through wilderness and along train tracks as they talk about every little thing a child on the verge of his physical and mental maturity can come up with, all while dealing with the demons and troubles plaguing their lives at home. As their voyage progresses, the band of teenaged misfits (Kiefer Sutherland, Casey Siemaszko, Gary Riley, Bradley Gregg) responsible for the youth’s disappearance, begin to worry about whether someone will find the corpse and go to move it. There’s a final showdown between the kids and the teens, but it’s immaterial when compared to the exploration of their friendship during their hike. If ever there was a film that epitomized the idea that “life’s a journey, not a destination” Stand by Me is it.
The performances in the film, especially considering the leading cast of child actors, are impressive. The most notable among the four are Wheaton and Phoenix who deliver truly great characters (especially Phoenix), whereas Feldman and O’Connell just layered their characters with ham. Getting a decent performance out of a young actor is difficult, and it’s as much due to their inexperience and a director’s lack of experience in instructing them to get just the right amount of nuance. Rob Reiner did it right though, but he also had great help from the likes of Phoenix and a solid older supporting cast (including a brief role for John Cusack).
Even though the film has been remastered for its Blu-ray transfer in honor of the film’s 25th anniversary, it doesn’t do much to help the film’s presentation. There’s a noticeable degradation of the film and the promise of depth that comes with HD is never fulfilled. The grainy look of the film tugs at the edges of the screen and it makes you wonder if this film was really a good match for high-def. Perhaps the audio restoration was the most advantageous, but beyond a soundtrack of oldies, the death knell of an oncoming locomotive, and a recurring sample of the film’s titular song “Stand by Me”, the film isn’t exactly audio heavy. In fact, in quite a few places it’s the silence that makes the onscreen happenings more powerful.
Blu-ray Bonus Features
The singular Blu-ray exclusive is a picture-in-picture commentary track with Reiner, Feldman, and Wil Wheaton. I’ve got to say, while I can appreciate the presence of Reiner and Wheaton, Feldman’s presence isn’t one I would have preferred. Perhaps more interesting to hear from would have been Richard Dreyfuss, John Cusack, or Kiefer Sutherland. Beyond that, the other extras are ported from an older release including the featurette “Walking the Tracks: The Summer of Stand by Me”, an audio commentary by Reiner, and the music video for “Stand by Me”.
"Stand by Me - 25th Anniversary" is on sale March 22, 2011 and is rated R. Drama. Directed by Rob Reiner. Written by Stephen King (novel), Raynold Gideon (screenplay). Starring Corey Feldman, Kiefer Sutherland, Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Jerry Oconnell.
