Boyhood Interrupted
For the final Ollywood AP, I analyzed the film Stand by Me by Rob Reiner, released in 1986. It is a boyhood coming-of-age film set in the 1950s. In this class, we have gone through the entire process of film making from start to finish - pre-production, production, and post-production. This analysis includes all of the elements from those three phases of production, such as film editing and cinematography. This AP is in the form of a podcast with an accompanying slideshow and sound clip from the movie. Pardon me if my voice pauses or gets quiet or slow at some points. I hope you enjoy!
Melis, Matt. “How Stand by Me Became a Timeless Coming-of-Age Movie.” Consequence of Sound, Consequence of Sound, 26 Nov. 2018, consequenceofsound.net/2016/08/how-stand-by-me-became-a-timeless-coming-of-age-movie/.
“Stand By Me (1986) Music Soundtrack & Complete List of Songs | WhatSong Soundtracks.” What-Song, www.what-song.com/Movies/Soundtrack/802/Stand-By-Me.
TRANSCRIPT
Hello, I will be critiquing the film Stand by Me - a coming of age drama directed by Rob Reiner that was released on August 8, 1986, starring River Phoenix, Wil Wheaton, Jerry O’Connell, and Corey Feldman as the main characters. This film was based off Stephen King’s novel, The Body.
The film is set in the year 1959. It begins with a junior high boy named, Vern Tessio, who accidentally stumbles into a conversation between his older brother and friend talking about a dead body of a local boy who was hit by a train. He goes to tell his friends, Chris Chambers, Gordie Lachance, and Teddy Duchamp, about what he just overheard. They all decide to pack up and hit the road to search for the body. Throughout the journey, they run into all sorts of situations and predicaments that bring the boys closer together. But, little do they know, the older boys have also decided to look for the body to receive local fame and glory.
Starting off with the costumes in the film, they were very characteristic of the 1950s. The costumes depicted what you would assume of these characters early on. Chris’s costume made him look tough and worthy of being the leader of their gang. Gordie’s costume made him not look like the strongest type, but the noblest. Vern’s costume made him look like the “messenger” of the group. A.K.A, the one who always goes to the “special hideout” yelling, “Hey Guys!”. Lastly, Teddy’s costume portrayed the pride he has for the military and his father’s service.
Not forgetting to mention the production design, it was very pretty. Large beautiful landscapes, wide sunny fields, and tall forests. I kept wondering where this movie was taking place, and then I learned it was Oregon. The production design really placed emphasis on the natural beauty of the surrounding area and the feeling of rural, small town life.
Moving on, the cinematography included a lot of wide angle shots to show the beautiful scenery, or to show the miles these four kids are walking. It, sometimes, captured all of the kids’ facial expressions at once, which is really useful in a film like that. The boys did seem like they were trying to be adults in the movie. They smoked cigarettes and yelled out curse words sometimes, but truly, they were just a bunch of junior high kids.
Their acting, at times, was impressive...especially in the most dramatic moments, with their crying and laughing. It made a huge impact on the setting of each scene. The lighting was also beautiful, giving off the sense of adventure with something waiting at the end of it. At certain points, like the time the boys were camping out at the fire, the bonfire gave off a mood of fear and wonderment.
Next is the the effectiveness of the films editing, like in the scene when Gordie has a bad dream. The editing made everything look very white and murky as if the scene itself was trying to represent being unconscious. Plus, the immediate flash that occured when Gordie’s Father quickly turned to him in the dream was like a sign that he was about to say something that will put a big affect on Gordie.
There was no score in the movie, but there was a soundtrack of popular songs from the 50s, including its name sake Stand by Me by Ben E. Lee. When the boys were walking on the train tracks, the song Everyday by Buddy Holly plays. The song helped the scene capture the boys’ innocence on a summer day and the beauty of the landscape.
In one scene, the boys made the decision to cross a treacherous train bridge rather than walking miles around it. Halfway across the bridge, the faint sound of an approaching train startled the boys. The looping sound effect of a large locomotive chugging towards them with horns blaring became increasingly louder, and the boys’ footsteps and voices became quieter.
The approach used to contextually analyze this film is generic. This film is representative of a drama and utilizes an expected formula. There are two things that make this film a drama. First, the boys’ expressed emotions. Second, the situations they experience that strengthen their bonds. Throughout the movie, the boys’ bonds grew in intense and emotional ways, like the time they built their trust by taking turns keeping watch, or built their understanding by sharing each others family relationships. Being put through certain situations does force people to work with one another. This movie had no fancy bells and whistles. It was a coming of age movie with realistic relationships and events.
Matt Melis from Consequence of Sound said it best: “Together, King and Reiner created one of the rare films about children that treats the bonds, fears, and pains of youth with the same emotional depth and weight reserved for movies about adults. It’s a boyhood coming-of-age story that doesn’t rely on nostalgia — that understands that a trip into the woods with buddies can reroute lives and that sometimes boys begin to become men only because life leaves them no alternative.” (How Stand by Me Became a Timeless Coming of Age Movie)
Starting off with the costumes in the film, they were very characteristic of the 1950s. The costumes depicted what you would assume of these characters early on. Chris’s costume made him look tough and worthy of being the leader of their gang. Gordie’s costume made him not look like the strongest type, but the noblest. Vern’s costume made him look like the “messenger” of the group. A.K.A, the one who always goes to the “special hideout” yelling, “Hey Guys!”. Lastly, Teddy’s costume portrayed the pride he has for the military and his father’s service.
Not forgetting to mention the production design, it was very pretty. Large beautiful landscapes, wide sunny fields, and tall forests. I kept wondering where this movie was taking place, and then I learned it was Oregon. The production design really placed emphasis on the natural beauty of the surrounding area and the feeling of rural, small town life.
Moving on, the cinematography included a lot of wide angle shots to show the beautiful scenery, or to show the miles these four kids are walking. It, sometimes, captured all of the kids’ facial expressions at once, which is really useful in a film like that. The boys did seem like they were trying to be adults in the movie. They smoked cigarettes and yelled out curse words sometimes, but truly, they were just a bunch of junior high kids.
Their acting, at times, was impressive...especially in the most dramatic moments, with their crying and laughing. It made a huge impact on the setting of each scene. The lighting was also beautiful, giving off the sense of adventure with something waiting at the end of it. At certain points, like the time the boys were camping out at the fire, the bonfire gave off a mood of fear and wonderment.
Next is the the effectiveness of the films editing, like in the scene when Gordie has a bad dream. The editing made everything look very white and murky as if the scene itself was trying to represent being unconscious. Plus, the immediate flash that occured when Gordie’s Father quickly turned to him in the dream was like a sign that he was about to say something that will put a big affect on Gordie.
There was no score in the movie, but there was a soundtrack of popular songs from the 50s, including its name sake Stand by Me by Ben E. Lee. When the boys were walking on the train tracks, the song Everyday by Buddy Holly plays. The song helped the scene capture the boys’ innocence on a summer day and the beauty of the landscape.
In one scene, the boys made the decision to cross a treacherous train bridge rather than walking miles around it. Halfway across the bridge, the faint sound of an approaching train startled the boys. The looping sound effect of a large locomotive chugging towards them with horns blaring became increasingly louder, and the boys’ footsteps and voices became quieter.
The approach used to contextually analyze this film is generic. This film is representative of a drama and utilizes an expected formula. There are two things that make this film a drama. First, the boys’ expressed emotions. Second, the situations they experience that strengthen their bonds. Throughout the movie, the boys’ bonds grew in intense and emotional ways, like the time they built their trust by taking turns keeping watch, or built their understanding by sharing each others family relationships. Being put through certain situations does force people to work with one another. This movie had no fancy bells and whistles. It was a coming of age movie with realistic relationships and events.
Matt Melis from Consequence of Sound said it best: “Together, King and Reiner created one of the rare films about children that treats the bonds, fears, and pains of youth with the same emotional depth and weight reserved for movies about adults. It’s a boyhood coming-of-age story that doesn’t rely on nostalgia — that understands that a trip into the woods with buddies can reroute lives and that sometimes boys begin to become men only because life leaves them no alternative.” (How Stand by Me Became a Timeless Coming of Age Movie)
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