STAND BY ME

STAND BY ME



After thinking about this movie, I decided to watch it for the billionth time.

Sometimes called a "coming of age" film, Stand By Me has become something of an obsession in my life. Rob Reiner crafted a masterpiece from Stephen King's short story. You will find a lot of interesting film ideas that are simple but affective.
One of which happens when our protagonist Gordy LaChance is walking down the street in the small Maine town. You will find that Gordy is walking on the sidewalk but seemingly going nowhere due to an easy camera effect. This is a summation of the better part of the movie - going somewhere without actually going anywhere. The movie - to me - has nothing to do with the 4 friends finding Ray Brauer's dead body, but finding out who they are and who each one is.
This film envokes many ideas in the viewer without really having to try. It wraps many themes but the strongest is our sense of mortality and the power of friendship. What are we without that which we are remembered by? This, in a sense, is what immortality is. What not of anyone if they are not remembered for their good where-with-alls and their bad?

A few things -

Everyday by Buddy Holly is something of a strange childhood song that will forever be haunting and stunning to me. When I saw this film in the theatres (just before my first communion), I was absorbed by the time period and the music. Of course, like the nerd that I was, I had to get the soundtrack. The money from my first communion was plentiful and afforded that pleasure. I would play Everyday and tight rope walk the edges of my waterbed frame for hours. Making the rounds from one end of the waterbed frame to next until the song was over. Then, I would rewind the tape and play it again. And again. And again.
Strange that when I heard it used in Gummo by Harmony Korine it had much of deeper meaning during the montage he had created during the film. But I always thought it belonged to me and it always will.

When Vern finally spots Ray Brauer's body by the back Harlow road, Gordy voice over states that none of them could breathe. Since the first time I watched this film, I would hold my breath during that part wanting to feel like the rest of the 4 boys. I still hold my breath during that part. It's almost a silent acceptance of being alive I guess.

Mostly this film filled my mind with the experience of being a young boy and curious of death and mortality. For the better part, it makes me think of my own experiences - my own best friends when I was making the "change" from a boy into a teenager. But always, it will remind me of the friends I had when I was twelve and the fact that they were some of the best friends I had ever had. But unlike the last few moments of the film, I still have good friends and I feel that they are as good as I had when I was twelve. Of course, we're all grown and I don't think like I did when I was twelve. But sometimes, sometimes I still do.

I GIVE STAND BY ME A NETFLIX RATING OF 5 STARS