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Stephen King is one of the most popular and prolific authors of all time, best known for his horror novels. From Carrie to It, Stephen King’s work has been turned into movies and TV shows for many years. But one of King’s favorite adaptations is sadly leaving Netflix on Mar. 1: Stand by Me.
Stand by Me is a coming-of-age drama film starring a group of child actors who would later become international stars. Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman, and Jerry O’Connell star in Stand by Me as a group of young friends who go looking for the alleged dead body of a missing young boy in Castle Rock.
The story is told as an extended flashback sequence, after an adult Gordie learns of the death of his childhood friend, Chris, and remembers the summer of 1959, when they went looking for the body of Ray Brower. A member of their friend’s group, Vern, overhears his brother talking about finding the body of the missing boy, though he didn’t report it.
Gordie and his friends decide to look for the body themselves, hoping to become local heroes in the process. But while Stand by Me sounds more like a gory adventure film, the story that unfolds is one of friendship, childhood trauma, and human connection. As they look for Ray Brower’s body, Gordie and his friends share their darkest secrets.
Stand by Me is a beautiful coming-of-age film about a group of kids in a town where they seemingly have no escape or future, but they forge one anyway. The film puts a heavy emphasis on the friendships people have as children, and as one of the final lines of the movie says, nothing compares to the friends you have when you’re twelve.
The classic film was primarily filmed in Oregon, and Brownsville served as the fictional town of Castle Rock.
Stand by Me Is One of the Highest-Rated Stephen King Adaptations
Stand by Me is an adaptation of Stephen King’s novella, The Body, and remains one of his highest-rated adaptations. Stand by Me currently holds a Certified Fresh 88% Tomatometer score based on critics’ reviews, and an even more impressive 94% Popcornmeter score based on audiences’ reviews. Stephen King himself said it’s his favorite adaptation.
In an interview with Rolling Stone Magazine, Stephen King quickly chose Stand by Me as the best film based on one of his books. King explained that the movie was not expected to be a success, and it received a limited release in theaters. However, Stand by Me went on to gross $52.3 million against an $8 million budget.
Stand by Me is a timeless coming-of-age film that many can relate to. Stephen King said the film, directed by the late Rob Reiner, moved him to tears, and called the story “deeply autobiographical” in his Rolling Stone interview.
Stephen King is one of the authors Hollywood adapts more than others. However, not all adaptations were successful, and even more, King didn’t like all of them. Luckily, the Rob Reiner one was among his favorites, which also included Frank Darabont’s films, The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile. Most recently, the filmmaker King resonated most with is Mike Flanagan, who has three adaptations on the way: the limited series Carrie, the TV show The Dark Tower, and a new feature adaptation of The Mist.
Fans in the United States can watch Stand by Me on Netflix before it leaves the streaming service on Mar. 1.
