Based upon Stephen King's novella, I was a bit stunned to discover that the film was way out of King's trademark horror fest. Stand By Me is a story about the tests of friendship, self-discovery and the gruelling matter of growing up. Having watched this film 19 years after it was made, living in the recent 21st century, the story made a kind of appeal to me, knowing that I had once been a kid who had childhood friends, usually going out into adventures, doing silly nonsense like games and stuffs. It's a film that mostly everybody could really relate to, especially us boys. Four friends who agreed to go out into an expedition to find the body of a lost teenager in the wilderness, wanting to become heroes in their local sleepy town. As they set out for an unforgettable two-day adventure, they forged a unique bond of friendship that would stay with them forever. They march along railtracks, they "dodge" trains, they swim in mud, they got attacked by leeches, they pour out family sentiments, they fight their rural gangstas, they battle personal devils, and of course discover an unsual courage within themselves that would withstand any predicament that would pass along the way. It's actually a good film, but not really that awe-inspiring good. I like the ending, a bit melodramatic but still fine. I dig the song too, Stand By Me. It just went into me that the original title of this film was "The Body" and I think the filmmakers had done such a solid job for replacing the bloody title, making it more sound like a film about life, not a horror film, or somewhat like a soft-porn film. I don't like the way it sounds, "The Body". Too horrible for a title of this film. Anyway, the young actors did also compact performances. Mind them, they were really young back then in 1987. Jerry O'Connell was really young and chubby (remember the guy who played the title role in Kangaroo Jack? The guy who starred alongside Tom Cruise in Jerry Maguire?). He played the scaredy-cat Vern Tessio, and he played with the role well. Also, River Phoenix was unexpectedly young too, who went into the shoes of the the tough boy Chris Chambers. I think he is the best character here, playing such a sturdy boy who also had heartaches in life. The once unknown Wil Wheaton played the sensitive Gordie Lachance, who struggled about his family, especially his father, who constantly underestimates his existence under his own brother's shadow, played by the younger John Cusack. The last member of the group was Corey Feldman who played the effervescent and haughty Teddy Duchamp. All of these four friends created a friendship that would last a lifetime, bringing such a great ode to life's unforgettable period: childhood.

A wonderfully crafted drama, based on Stephen King's genius hell of a brain.

Rating: A-