Stand By Me (1986)
12-month trend
12-month trend
Monthly article views
2025-09 to 2026-08
Four boys embark on a journey to find the body of a missing boy in a fictional Oregon town.
The story
In 1959, in the fictional town of Castle Rock, Oregon, four boys—Gordie, Chris, Vern, and Teddy—decide to go on a journey to find the body of a missing boy named Ray Brower. The boys believe that finding the body will make them local heroes. They set out on a trek through the woods and near train tracks, facing various challenges along the way, including encounters with local bullies and the dangers of the wilderness. The story follows their journey as they navigate the complexities of their friendship and the transition from childhood to adolescence.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
The film begins in 1985 with Gordie Lachance reading about the murder of his childhood friend, Chris Chambers. The narrative then shifts to a flashback in 1959, where Gordie and his friends Vern, Chris, and Teddy hear about a missing boy, Ray Brower. They decide to find Ray's body to become local heroes. During their journey, they encounter the town bully, Ace, and his gang, and face various obstacles like a guard dog and a train. They eventually find Ray's body and decide to report it anonymously. The story concludes in 1985, where Gordie, now a writer, reflects on his friendship with Chris, who died in a tragic accident, and laments the loss of the bond they shared as children.
- Original title
- The Body
- First release year
- 1986
- Runtime (minutes)
- 89
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Rob Reiner
- Writers
- Raynold Gideon · screenplay; Bruce A. Evans · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Wil Wheaton · Gordie LaChance; River Phoenix · Chris Chambers; Corey Feldman · Vern Tessio; Jerry O'Connell · Teddy Duchamp
- Genres
- coming-of-age drama; adventure
- Themes
- coming-of-age; friendship; loss; transition from innocence to adulthood
- Tone and mood
- warm; witty; nostalgic
- Premise and plot tags
- road movie; buddy drama; adventure
- Source material / true-story basis
- Stephen King's 1982 novella The Body
- Reception
- The film received positive reviews and was a commercial success, being described as a 'staple of youthful nostalgia' and a 'coming-of-age classic'.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 8 · scale: 10 · review count: 148; Metacritic · score: 75 · scale: 100 · review count: 20
- Awards and nominations
- Jackie Coogan Award · Outstanding Contribution to Youth Through Motion Picture – Ensemble Cast in a Feature Film · won; Academy Award · Best Adapted Screenplay · nominated; Golden Globe Award · Best Director · nominated; Independent Spirit Award · Best Film · nominated; Independent Spirit Award · Best Director · nominated; Independent Spirit Award · Best Screenplay · nominated; Writers Guild of America Award · Best Adapted Screenplay · nominated
- Production trivia
- The film's title is derived from the 1961 song of the same name by Ben E. King.; The 'barf-o-rama' scene used a local bakery's pies and cottage cheese to simulate vomit.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
Your lists
Loading your lists…