Facts You Should Know About Stand By Me

Stand By Me was one of the greatest movies ever made.

It influenced every coming of age movie in one way or another, and there were several lessons that Stand By Me has taught us. The most thought-provoking message was that the friends you make when you are 12 years old are irreplaceable.

Here are five facts you may know about Stand By Me.

It Was a Dark Movie

Coming out of a Stephen King novel, you would expect that this movie would not be an average coming of age film but a horror, however, It featured several dark topics that could still happen in today’s era.

It put the young characters right into the path of danger once they stumbled upon a dead body in the woods that was near some train tracks. The mere idea of going through that ordeal in such an isolated area would frighten grownups, let alone four 12-year-old boys.

The Characters

The characters in the movie have unique chemistry between them that could never have been replicated by any other actors; It was a stroke of pure luck that their dynamic friendship gave way to such amazing acting. Although the young boys actively play jokes on each other, the viewer is always made well aware of the undeniable fact that they are inseparable.

Each character was unique in their own way, and they each brought some special qualities to the table; Teddy was the hilarious one, Gordie was the leader, Chris was the wise one, and Vern was just shy. Together, the characters played out well.

Stand By Me Changed How We Perceived Boys

The media and movies at that time portrayed men/boys to be strong figures who hardly showed any emotions, and they had the ability to push through any hurdles in life without even breaking a sweat. Stand By Me changed this stereotype and showed us the raw, unfiltered emotions of what goes on in the heads of most humans.

The boys can be seen shedding tears and crying in several segments of the movie, the interesting point to note is how none of the friends tease each other with pointless comments such as ‘walk it off’ or ‘man up’. Instead, they console their friend with comforting words and powerful advice.

Adrian Lyne Was Going To Direct The Movie

The director of Fatal Attraction, Adrian Lyne, was originally approached to direct Stand By Me, but he wanted to go on a vacation. The honor of directing the film went to Rob Reiner who recently had retired as an actor to become a director.

Coca-Cola Almost Scrapped the Movie

When Coca-Cola acquired Embassy Pictures, the original production company behind Stand By Me, they announced their decision to cut the financing for Stand By Me.

Norman Lear, one of the three original owners of Embassy Pictures, stepped up to foot the film’s $8 million budget. The money was funded entirely out of his own personal money. In hindsight, this was arguably the most financially sound decision he ever made.