Stand by Me
1 Oscar Nominations·National Film Registry
Rent/Purchase
After learning that a boy their age has been accidentally killed near their rural homes, four boys decide to go see the body. Gordie, Vern, Chris, and Teddy encounter a mean junk man and a marsh full of leeches, but they also learn more about one another and their very different home lives. Just a lark at first, the boys' adventure evolves into a defining event in their lives.
What critics thought
Stand by Me landed as a genuine crowd-pleaser and has only grown in reputation since, but its original reception was more divided than nostalgia suggests. Audiences and many critics responded warmly to the young ensemble and the film's emotional honesty, while a vocal minority found Reiner's direction heavy-handed and the material manipulative rather than genuinely felt.
“looking constantly at his audience”
Walter Goodman·The New York Times
“nothing natural in the way Reiner has overloaded his film with manufactured drama”
Dave Kehr·Chicago Tribune
“[a treasure] absolutely not to be missed”
Sheila Benson·Los Angeles Times
Genres
Adventure, Drama
Cast & Crew
DirectorRob Reiner
StarringWil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman, Jerry O'Connell, Kiefer Sutherland
ComposerJack Nitzsche
Stand by Me
1 Oscar Nominations·National Film Registry
After learning that a boy their age has been accidentally killed near their rural homes, four boys decide to go see the body. Gordie, Vern, Chris, and Teddy encounter a mean junk man and a marsh full of leeches, but they also learn more about one another and their very different home lives. Just a lark at first, the boys' adventure evolves into a defining event in their lives.
What critics thought
Stand by Me landed as a genuine crowd-pleaser and has only grown in reputation since, but its original reception was more divided than nostalgia suggests. Audiences and many critics responded warmly to the young ensemble and the film's emotional honesty, while a vocal minority found Reiner's direction heavy-handed and the material manipulative rather than genuinely felt.
“looking constantly at his audience”
Walter Goodman·The New York Times
“nothing natural in the way Reiner has overloaded his film with manufactured drama”
Dave Kehr·Chicago Tribune
“[a treasure] absolutely not to be missed”
Sheila Benson·Los Angeles Times
Genres
Adventure, Drama
Cast & Crew
DirectorRob Reiner
StarringWil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman, Jerry O'Connell, Kiefer Sutherland
ComposerJack Nitzsche
Rent/Purchase