Stand by Me
Movie, 1986, Castle Rock, Set in 1959
Stand by Me is #10 of 42 in release order and #33 of 42 in chronological order in the Stephen King Universe.
The story
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.
Stand by Me recap
Stand by Me (1986) follows four 12-year-old boys from Castle Rock who hike along the railway tracks in 1959 to find the body of a missing boy. Rob Reiner directs, with Richard Dreyfuss narrating as the adult Gordie Lachance, now a writer who has just read of an old friend's death. Young Gordie (Wil Wheaton), grieving a brother his parents favoured, sets out with Chris Chambers (River Phoenix), a smart boy written off for his family's reputation, hot-tempered Teddy Duchamp (Corey Feldman) and nervous Vern Tessio (Jerry O'Connell), who overheard where the body of Ray Brower lies. Along the way they outrun a junkyard dog, escape a train on a trestle, pull leeches off themselves in a swamp and tell stories by the campfire. Chris urges Gordie to keep writing. Teenage hoodlum Ace Merrill (Kiefer Sutherland) and his gang head for the body too.
Stand by Me ending explained
Stand by Me ends with the boys finding Ray Brower and walking home. Ace's gang arrives to claim the body, and Chris and Gordie face them down with a gun. The boys report the body anonymously and go their separate ways. The adult Gordie says Teddy and Vern drifted off, while Chris became a lawyer and was stabbed to death trying to break up a fight. Gordie finishes writing the story and goes out to play with his son.
Post-credits scenes
No. Stand by Me has no mid- or post-credits scene.
Where to watch Stand by Me
Stand by Me is streaming on Philo in the US. You can rent or buy it on Amazon, Apple TV, and Google Play.
Ratings
IMDb 8.1/10, Rotten Tomatoes 89%
Where it fits
- Release order: after Firestarter, before The Running Man.
- Chronological order: after Cujo, before Needful Things.
What to watch before Stand by Me
In release order, the essentials before Stand by Me (1986) are The Dead Zone (1983) and Cujo (1983).
Cast
- Wil Wheaton as Gordie Lachance
- River Phoenix as Chris Chambers
- Corey Feldman as Teddy Duchamp
- Jerry O'Connell as Vern Tessio
- Kiefer Sutherland as Ace Merrill
- Casey Siemaszko as Billy Tessio
- Gary Riley as Charlie Hogan
- Bradley Gregg as Eyeball Chambers
- Jason Oliver as Vince Desjardins
- Marshall Bell as Mr. Lachance
- Frances Lee McCain as Mrs. Lachance
- Bruce Kirby as Mr. Quidacioluo
Directed by Rob Reiner.