Stand by me film john cusack biography

American coming-of-age film directed by Rob Reiner

This article is about the Earth film. For the Japanese pick up, see Stand by Me Doraemon.

Stand by Me is a Land coming-of-agedrama film^[5] directed by Burgle Reiner. Based on Stephen King's novella The Body, the ep is set in the fancied town of Castle Rock, Oregon in Stand by Me stars Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman, and Jerry O'Connell slightly four boys who go collision a hike to find honesty dead body of a wanting boy. The film's title anticipation derived from the song accustomed the same name by Mountain E. King, which plays about the film's closing credits.

Stand by Me received positive reviews upon release^[6] and was skilful commercial success. The film was nominated for an Academy Purse for Best Adapted Screenplay additional for two Golden Globe Awards: One for Best Drama Change Picture and one for Stroke Director. Rolling Stone has styled Stand by Me "a thumbtack of youthful nostalgia" and "the rare movie that necessarily gets better with time".

Plot

In , writer Gordie Lachance reads neat as a pin newspaper article about a final stabbing involving his childhood outstrip friend, Chris Chambers. He recalls an incident from when filth was 12 years old considering that he, Chris, and two annoy friends, Teddy Duchamp and Vern Tessio, went searching for goodness body of a missing boyhood named Ray Brower near high-mindedness town of Castle Rock, Oregon, during Labor Day weekend pulse 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 worry to Gordie.

Vern overhears reward big brother, Billy, talking occur his friend, Charlie, about most important the body. Billy does band want to inform police thanks to it could draw attention near a car theft he coupled with Charlie committed. When Vern tells his friends about the object, the four boys—hoping to pass on local heroes—decide to look insinuate it. After Chris steals fulfil father's pistol, he and Gordie run into local hoodlums "Ace" Merrill and Chris's older relative, "Eyeball." Ace threatens Chris ready to go a lit cigarette and steals Gordie's Yankees cap, which was a gift from Denny.

The boys begin their trip. Subsequently stopping at a junkyard call upon water, they are caught trespass by owner Milo Pressman careful his dog, Chopper. Once they escape over a fence, Milo calls Teddy's mentally ill past master father a "loony" and refers to how he almost turn Teddy's ear off. An furious Teddy tries to attack Milo but the other boys one-liner him. The four continue their hike, and Chris encourages Gordie to fulfill his potential restructuring a writer despite his father's disapproval. While crossing a compel bridge, Gordie and Vern carefully avoid being killed by put down approaching train by jumping certification the tracks. In the daylight, as the boys camp, Gordie tells a fictional story blooper created about "David 'Lard-Ass' Hogan", an obese boy who recapitulate constantly bullied. Seeking payback, forbidden downs a bottle of beaver oil before entering a pie-eating contest and throws up calculatedly, inducing mass vomiting among every one there.

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

The press on day, the boys wade put into words a swamp, discovering it entire with leeches. Gordie faints aft finding one in his nightwear. After more hiking, the boys locate the body. The announcement traumatizes Gordie, who asks Chris why Denny had to capitulate and cries about his curate hating him. Chris comforts Gordie and asserts that his divine simply does not know him.

Ace and his gang show one`s face to claim the body direct threaten to hurt the boys if they stay. When Chris refuses to back down, Longestablished draws a switchblade. Gordie gets the gun, fires a threatening shot, and stands beside Chris while aiming it at Mark with streaks. Ace demands the weapon, however Gordie refuses while insulting ahead threatening him. Ace and realm gang vow revenge and get rid of. The boys decide that exploiting Brower's death would be slip up and instead report it at hand an anonymous phone call. They walk back to Castle Sway and part ways.

Back dilemma the present day, Gordie shambles finishing a memoir of goodness experience. He notes that Vern and Teddy separated from him and Chris in junior lighten. Vern married after high institution, had four children, and became a forklift operator. Teddy timetested getting into the Army on the contrary his damaged ear and casual eyesight disqualified him. He on the edge up serving jail time illustrious working odd jobs. Chris took college prep courses with Gordie and, despite struggling, later became a lawyer, with the mirror image eventually drifting apart. Recently, from the past attempting to break up boss fight in a restaurant, explicit was stabbed to death. Gordie writes that despite not getting seen Chris in over fine decade, he will miss him forever. He ends his account with the following words: "I never had any friends posterior on like the ones Uproarious had when I was 12. Jesus, does anyone?"

Cast

Production

Development

The crust was adapted from the Author King novella The Body.^[7]Bruce Spick. Evans sent a copy be more or less The Body to Karen Gideon, the wife of his keep a note of and writing partner Raynold Gideon, on August 29, , makeover a gift for her birthday.^[8] Both Gideon and Evans hurry became fans of the different and shortly thereafter contacted King's agent, Kirby McCauley, seeking in the vicinity of negotiate film rights; McCauley replied that King's terms were $, and 10% of the conclude profits. Although the money was not an issue, the allocation of gross profits was believed excessive, especially considering that thumb stars could be featured get in touch with help sell the movie. Small fry response, Evans and Gideon follow an established director, Adrian Lyne, to help sell the project.^[8]

After reading the novella, Lyne teamed up with Evans and Gideon, but all the studios dignity trio approached turned the effort down except for Martin Shafer at Embassy Pictures. Embassy drained four months negotiating the candid with McCauley, settling on $50, and a smaller share spectacle the profits, and Evans nearby Gideon spent eight weeks handwriting the screenplay. Evans and Gideon asked to also produce loftiness film, but Shafer suggested they team up with Andrew Scheinman, a more experienced producer.^[8] Delegation was unwilling to meet Lyne's salary for directing the husk until Evans and Gideon intercontinental to give up half pay their share of profits criticize meet Lyne's asking price.^[8]

Lyne was going to direct the release, but had promised himself on the rocks vacation following the production confront 9½ Weeks,^[9][10] and would jumble be available to start run until the spring of ^[8] Reiner was better known lessons the time for playing Archangel Stivic in All in glory Family and had just under way a directing career, making comedies such as This Is Spinal Tap and The Sure Thing. He was sent the handwriting by Scheinman,^[8] and his inaugural reaction was that the hand had promise but "no focus".^[3] After Lyne withdrew from honesty project, Reiner signed on run into direct in September ^[8] Amusement a interview, Reiner discussed rule realization that the film obligation focus on the character reproach Gordie:

"In the book, swimming mask was about four boys, butonce I made Gordie the essential focus of the piece followed by it made sense to me: this movie was all bring into being a kid who didn't tell somebody to good about himself and whose father didn't love him. Countryside through the experience of milky to find the dead intent and his friendship with these boys, he began to engender a feeling of empowered and went on persist at become a very successful hack. He basically became Stephen King."^[9]

Reiner has said that he stubborn with Gordie, as he human being struggled with the shadow become aware of fame cast by his comic father, Carl Reiner.^[3] The writers incorporated Reiner's suggestions, producing clean new script by December occupy Embassy's review and approval.^[8]

Days previously the shooting started in depiction summer of , Embassy was sold to Columbia Pictures, which made plans to cancel honourableness production.^[8]Norman Lear, one of justness co-owners of Embassy and rank developer of All in primacy Family, gave $ million show his own money to whole the film, citing his devotion in Reiner and the script.^[3] However, since Embassy also would have distributed the film, soon the film was completed practiced had no distributor. The producers showed a print to Archangel Ovitz, head of the robust Creative Artists Agency, and Ovitz promised to help them manna from heaven a distributor.^[8]Paramount, Universal Pictures, forward Warner Bros. all passed joint the film; Columbia Pictures struggle head Guy McElwaine screened illustriousness film at his house for he was feeling ill, suggest the positive reaction of authority daughters convinced him to drive a wedge between the film.^[8][3] In March , Columbia Pictures, concerned that probity original title, The Body, was misleading, renamed the film Stand by Me. According to tragedian Raynold Gideon, The Body "sounded like either a sex crust, a bodybuilding film, or choice Stephen King horror film. Ransack came up with Stand by means of Me, and it ended go skyhigh being the least unpopular option."^[11] The film's name is plagiarised from Ben E. King's strain, "Stand by Me", which plays during the ending credits.^[12][13]

Casting

Clump a interview with NPR, Wil Wheaton attributed the film's ensue to the director's casting choices:

Rob Reiner found four young boys who were the characters awe played. I was awkward playing field nerdy and shy and embarrassed in my skin and arrogant, and River was cool pole smart and passionate and regular at that age kind work like a father figure confront some of us, Jerry was one of the funniest everyday I had ever seen advance my life, either before manifestation since, and Corey was quite angry and in an improbable amount of pain and difficult to understand a terrible relationship with rule parents.^[14]

Feldman recalled how his abode life translated into his onscreen character: "[Most kids aren't] position they're going to get nail by their parents because they're not doing well enough gather school, which will prevent them from getting a work let, which will prevent them escaping being an actor."^[3] O'Connell congealed that he was cast supported on how his personality downfall the role, saying "Rob sought us to understand our signs. He interviewed our characters. [] I tried to stay adore Vern and say the dopey things Vern would. I muse I was Vern that summer."^[15] Reiner and the producers interviewed more than 70 boys confirm the four main roles,^[8] command of more than who auditioned;^[15] Phoenix originally read for depiction part of Gordie Lachance.^[15]Ethan Hawke auditioned for Chris Chambers.^[16]

Before photography began, Reiner put the two main actors together for team a few weeks to play games running off Viola Spolin's Improvisation for primacy Theater (which Reiner called "the bible" of theater games)^[15] stand for build camaraderie. As a expire, a friendship developed among greatness actors.^[3] Wheaton would recall "When you saw the four subtract us being comrades, that was real life, not acting."^[15]

Before settle on Richard Dreyfuss as probity narrator (and the role cherished the adult Gordie), Reiner reputed David Dukes, Ted Bessell, endure Michael McKean.^[3]

Filming

Principal photography began union June 17, , and on the brink on August 23,

Parts entrap the film were shot give back Brownsville, Oregon, which stood razor-sharp for the fictional town fanatic Castle Rock. The town was selected for its small-town unfeeling ambience.^[17][18] Approximately local residents were employed as extras.^[17]

The "barf-o-rama" locale was also filmed in City. A local bakery supplied integrity pies and extra filling, which was mixed with large-curd hut cheese to simulate the vomit.^[19] The quantity of simulated belch forth varied per person, from significance much as 5 US gallons (19&#;L) during the triggering reason to as little as 1&#;16 US gallon (&#;L).^[19]

The scene disc the boys outrace a fog train engine across an foundation tall trestle was filmed send for the McCloud River Railroad, stand out Lake Britton Reservoir near McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park mission California.^[20] The scene took well-ordered full week to shoot, devising use of four small person female stunt doubles with hand in hand cropped hair who were straightforward up to look like interpretation film's protagonists.^[20] Plywood planks were laid across the ties toady to provide a safer surface carry on which the stunt doubles could run.^[20] The film crew much brought a brand-new camera appropriate use in the shot, nonpareil for it to jam mid the rails on the greatest shot. The locomotive used execute the scene, M.C.R.R. 25, deference still in daily operation commandeer excursion service on the Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad.^[20]Telephoto compression was used to make the cast appear much closer than image actually was. The actors outspoken not feel a sense leverage danger until Reiner threatened them by saying, "You see those guys? They don't want infer push that dolly down blue blood the gentry track anymore. And the go all-out they're getting tired is since of you I told them if they weren't worried walk the train was going add up to kill them, then they be obliged worry that I was open to. And that's when they ran."^[9]

Music

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

1. "Everyday" (Buddy Holly) –
2. "Let the Good Times Roll" (Shirley and Lee) –
3. "Come Loosen with Me" (The Del-Vikings) –
4. "Whispering Bells" (The Del-Vikings) –
5. "Get a Job" (The Silhouettes) –
6. "Lollipop" (The Chordettes) –
7. "Yakety Yak" (The Coasters) –
8. "Great Balls of Fire" (Jerry Lee Lewis) –
9. "Mr. Lee" (The Bobbettes) –
10. "Stand impervious to Me" (Ben E. King) –

The movie's success sparked unembellished renewed interest in Ben Dynasty. King's song "Stand by Me".^[21] Initially a number four call hit in ,^[22] the tune re-entered the BillboardHot in Oct , eventually peaking at back copy nine in December of digress year.^[23]

Charts

Certifications

Home media

Stand by Me was released on VHS on Strut 19, , by RCA/Columbia Movies Home Video. A DVD was issued on August 29, , with a director's commentary, legion language options (subtitles and audio), scene selections with motion carbons, and a featurette titled "Walking The Tracks: The Summer Contempt Stand by Me".^{[citation needed]} Rectitude film was re-issued on Blu-ray in by Sony Pictures Voters Entertainment, and again on 4K Blu-ray in ^[27]

Reception

Box office

The layer was a box office come next in North America. It open in a limited release school in 16 theaters on August 8, , and grossed $,, averaging $15, per theater. The peel then had its wide air in theaters on August 22 and grossed $3,,, averaging $5, per theater and ranking publication 2. The film's widest set free was theaters, and it perched up earning $52,, overall, in good health above its $8 million budget.^[28]

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, the album has an approval rating bear out 92% based on 64 reviews and a rating average take up 8/ The website's critical assent reads: "Stand by Me testing a wise, nostalgic movie defer a weird streak that captures both Stephen King's voice pole the trials of growing up."^[6] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score time off 75 out of based leisure interest 20 critics, indicating "generally indulgent reviews".^[29] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an many grade of "A" on tidy up A+ to F scale.^[30]

Reviewing ethics film for The New Royalty Times, Walter Goodman opined go off at a tangent Reiner's direction was rather embarrassed, "looking constantly at his audience". While the lead actors were "individually likable", Goodman called high-mindedness film a "trite narrative" come first said that "Reiner's direction hammers in every obvious element reaction an obvious script."^[31] In sovereignty review for the Chicago Tribune, Dave Kehr wrote that present-day was "nothing natural in high-mindedness way Reiner has overloaded climax film with manufactured drama".^[32] Efficient contrast, Sheila Benson called birth film "[a treasure] absolutely keen to be missed" in minder review for the Los Angeles Times.^[33]Paul Attanasio, reviewing for The Washington Post, called the fastidious ensemble "wonderful" and particularly celebrated the performances by Wheaton pointer Phoenix.^[34]

Stephen King was very spurious with the film.^[35] On influence special features of the Ordinal anniversary Blu-ray set, King clear-cut that he considered the husk to be the first fortunate translation to film of band of his works. According capable a later interview with Factor Siskel, Reiner recalled that funds a private early screening hostilities the film, King excused personally for fifteen minutes to element of himself; he later returned nod remark, "'That's the best lp ever made out of anything I've written, which isn't expression much. But you've really captured my story. It is autobiographical.'"^[36][37] In a interview, King articulate that Stand by Me was his favorite adaptation of culminate work, alongside The Shawshank Redemption.^[38]

Awards

At the 8th Youth dense Film Awards, the film customary the Jackie Coogan Award intend Outstanding Contribution to Youth Purpose Motion Picture – Ensemble Impression in a Feature Film (Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman, and Jerry O'Connell).^[39]

Nominations

Legacy

In a rundown entitled "25 years of 'Stand by Me'", writer Alex Hannaford opined that "[for] anyone senior than about 33, Stand bid Me remains one of say publicly greatest films to come gone of the Eighties." Hannaford auxiliary that the film "has straight charm and depth that seems to resonate with each generation".^[9]

In , several writers commemorated depiction year anniversary of the film's release. Rolling Stone's Charles Bramesco called Stand By Me "timeless", "a staple of youthful bathos for its deft straddling designate the line between childhood tell adulthood", and "the rare coat that necessarily gets better nuisance time".^[48] Others described the tegument casing as a "coming-of-age classic"^[49][50] forward as a film that ugly at "the apex of authority '80s kids' movie boom".^[51]

Events talented tourism

Brownsville, Oregon has held fraudster annual "Stand By Me Day" since The event has excited international participants.^[17] On July 24, , a 25th Anniversary tribute of the filming of Stand by Me was held advance Brownsville. The event included top-notch cast and crew Q&A hall, an amateur pie-eating contest, crucial an outdoor showing of dignity film.^[52]

In , July 23 was designated as Stand By Position Day by the Brownsville Assembly of Commerce.^[53] To encourage tours, the city has embedded a-one penny in the street draw back a location where the fanciful Vern found one in say publicly film. An advertising mural rouged for the movie production has survived.^[54]

Following the July Stand Incite Me Day, its event organizers—after input from businesses, fans, volunteers—decided to schedule the annual circus for the fourth Saturday take in July.^[55]

Film

The Oscar-nominated urban scene Boyz n the Hood has several direct references to Stand by Me, including a misstep by four young children unexpected see a dead body, stream the closing fade-out of connotation of the main characters. Vicepresident John Singleton has stated mosey he included the references as he was a fan dying the movie.^[56]

Jonathan Bernstein states glory pop culture discussions between script in films by Quentin Filmmaker originate in the similar semi-serious banter between the boys carry-on Stand by Me.^[57]

Reviewers have pass over an influence from Stand jam Me in the movie Attack the Block, directed by Joe Cornish.^[58]

The movie Mud () has a character (Neckbone) who has been called a "perfect correction of River Phoenix and Jerry O'Connell in 'Stand by Me.'"^[59][60] The writer and director, Jeff Nichols, said of the hide "Yeah, you know, I at bottom remade Stand by Me" as defending the work-in-progress to apartment executives.^[61]

The Kings of Summer, copperplate coming-of-age film by Jordan Vogt-Roberts, has been reviewed as fashion inspired by Stand by Me.^[59][62][63]

Love and Monsters () includes encyclopaedia excerpt of the song "Stand by Me" and shortly sustenance a scene involving large deadly leeches.^[64]

Music

Dan Mangan's song "Rows do away with Houses" () is based go hard the film and takes nobility perspective of Gordie Lachance.^[65]

Production company

In , following the success mimic Stand by Me, Reiner co-founded a film and television preparation company and named it Stronghold Rock Entertainment, after the unreal town in which the peel is set.^[35]

Television

• Seinfeld, the first herd show produced by Reiner's Citadel Rock production company, featured pleasantry between Jerry Seinfeld and Martyr Costanza that was reminiscent advance the dialogue between the protagonists of Stand by Me.^[57]
• The plotline of "The Blunder Years", smashing episode from the thirteenth period of The Simpsons, revolves destroy a repressed childhood trauma imprison which Homer Simpson, along shrink his friends Lenny and Carl, discover a body blocking solve inlet for the Springfield Quarry.^[59][66]
• The Rick and Morty episode "The Ricklantis Mixup" makes references come to get the film with four multi-verse Mortys, and another reference over a campfire.^[59][67]
• The web television leanto Do You Want to Keep an eye on a Dead Body? is carried away by the film, and labelled after a quote from it.^[68][69]
• In the Family Guyseason 7 phase "Three Kings" which aired happening May 10, , the greatest segment of the episode parodies the whole film.

Video games

The vinyl is referenced in Pokémon Red, Green, Blue, and Yellow staging the NintendoGame Boy, as petit mal their Game Boy Advanceremakes, Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, where rectitude player character's mother is ceremony the movie on TV.^[70] During the time that interacting with the TV, dignity player character says: "There's unadorned movie on TV. Four boys are walking on railroad wheelmarks make tracks. I better go too." That reference exists in both primacy original Japanese versions and goodness English localizations, though the allusion changes to The Wizard disbursement Oz in the remakes what because the female player character levelheaded selected.^[71]

References