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'Stand by Me' (1986) Film Review

Revisiting the Classic Coming-of-Age Story

By Sarah DevinePublished 5 years ago 3 min read
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It's the summer of 1959, and four 12-year-old boys are hanging about in a tree-house, using secret knocks, making racist jokes about the French, and using gay slurs. Ah, the fifties. Filmed in the eighties.

The first time I attempted to watch Stand by Me, I stopped before the boys even left the tree-house; the slurs against homosexuality and the mentally disabled were bothering me, as was the victimisation of one of the boys—not-so-coincidentally the largest member of the group. This is a common challenge in watching older films; sensibilities change, things that were once acceptable are (rightly so) no longer acceptable. It's jarring to the viewer.

That should not stop you from watching this film, if you have yet to see it (or revisiting it if you have). It is one of the most honest, captivating coming-of-age films to ever grace the screen—what else would you expect from the director who would go on to helm The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally, Misery and A Few Good Men?

It follows the four boys on their quest to find a dead body, report it, and thus become heroes in their community... but was it ever going to be that simple? Of course not. For one thing, there’s a knife-wielding Kiefer Sutherland—then only twenty—lurking about. Despite him, the main source of drama comes from each of the boys carrying their own trauma: one is grieving the loss of his beloved brother, one comes from the wrong side of the tracks—so to speak—, one has an abusive father, and one is very clearly the victim of the group.

As is customary in coming-of-age tales, they're on a journey to find something, but they end up... DUN DUN DUN... finding themselves. However, unlike a lot of coming-of-age films, it doesn't force its characters on that path; instead letting them breathe through the screen and discover each other's true selves in their own time (that it manages to do so in 89 minutes is something of a miracle).

The emotional vulnerability of the characters is what makes this film truly remarkable. Like most twelve-year old boys, the characters try to keep their emotions hidden, but the transformative nature of their journey keeps them bubbling under the surface; it's only a matter of time before they spill out. When they do, it's with heart-breaking honesty—raw, unguarded and impactful—and with such tenderness that it may well leave an indelible mark on you.

This is not to say that the film is overly emotional or saccharine; in a rare feat for its genre, the characters act their age. They insult each other’s mothers, use foul language and use unsophisticated comebacks that would only occur to... well, twelve-year-old boys. Even in moments of high emotion, they are children; they speak like children; they express their emotions like children—this is what makes it profound. There is no pontificating, no elaborate metaphors, just young boys desperately searching for understanding within each other—and desperately afraid at the same time.

The film is a balancing act that doesn't feel like one; the emotional intensity never clashes with the playful banter. Instead, they embrace each other, flowing into each other so effortlessly that the whole experience feels natural as if a camera just happened to be there, catching whatever unfolded. That might be its greatest accomplishment.

Stand by Me is a classic for a reason. If you can make it past the outdated, offensive language, you will see a startling portrayal of humanity in characters that aren't often afforded it. I can't tell you how it will make you feel, but it will make you feel.

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About the Creator

Sarah Devine

Actor. Dreamer. Poet. Writer. Bisexual. Activist. Movie lover. Dancer. Lover. Fighter. Dog mother. Woman. Human.

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