It's a coming-of-age road movie set in rural Oregon in the summer of 1959 and 1986. Richard Dreyfuss narrates the story as "The Writer" in 1986. The film follows four 12-year-old friends just before they are about to enter grade seven. Chris Chambers (River Phoenix) is the natural leader, but comes from a nasty family with a poor reputation. Gordie Lachance (Wil Wheaton) is skinny and unathletic but creative and imaginative. His beloved older brother, Dennis (John Cusack), has recently died in an automobile accident, and his parents (Marshall Bell & Frances Lee McCain) have not recovered. Teddy Duchamp (Corey Feldman) is impetuous and has been abused by his father, who is now in a mental institution. Vern Tessio (Jerry O'Connell) is chubby and somewhat clueless.
Vern has heard that his older brother, Billy (Casey Siemaszko), and a friend (Gary Riley), have discovered the body of a missing boy their age some distance away near a railroad track. Billy is part of a group of juvenile delinquents led by Ace Merrill (Kiefer Sutherland).
The film follows the trek of the four boys overnight and into the next day. They have several adventures, a close call with a train on a trestle over a river, and a scary night in the woods. We also see illustrated a story told that night by Gordie about a boy named Lardass (Andy Lindberg). In parallel, we see Ace's gang decide to return to the body and the final confrontation between the boys and the gang. Ultimately, The Writer summarizes what happened to the boys when they grew up.
The four boys are magnificent in their roles, though some of their shared adventures stretch the imagination. Their dialogue as 12-year-olds is outstanding. The juvenile delinquents are a bit stereotyped, but they look "right" for the era. The soundtrack uses many popular songs from the era. I had forgotten how good "Stand by Me" was.
Vern has heard that his older brother, Billy (Casey Siemaszko), and a friend (Gary Riley), have discovered the body of a missing boy their age some distance away near a railroad track. Billy is part of a group of juvenile delinquents led by Ace Merrill (Kiefer Sutherland).
The film follows the trek of the four boys overnight and into the next day. They have several adventures, a close call with a train on a trestle over a river, and a scary night in the woods. We also see illustrated a story told that night by Gordie about a boy named Lardass (Andy Lindberg). In parallel, we see Ace's gang decide to return to the body and the final confrontation between the boys and the gang. Ultimately, The Writer summarizes what happened to the boys when they grew up.
The four boys are magnificent in their roles, though some of their shared adventures stretch the imagination. Their dialogue as 12-year-olds is outstanding. The juvenile delinquents are a bit stereotyped, but they look "right" for the era. The soundtrack uses many popular songs from the era. I had forgotten how good "Stand by Me" was.
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