Essential Adaptations: Mike Epifani on STAND BY ME

Kate Hagen
The Black List Blog
2 min readApr 20, 2018

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STAND BY ME (1986) has always been my GOONIES (1985), and after having watched both as an adult, I can confidently say that STAND BY ME is the superior film by miles. It’s also one of the few instances where my adult self agrees with my childhood cinematic tastes (eighth grade Mike was liable to vehemently defend 2004’s THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT.)

Stephen King movies are pretty much either incredible, essential films or just utter garbage that should not have been made. For every SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION (1994), there’s a THE MANGLER (1995), and say what you will about THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT, but I’d watch it three times before sitting through SECRET WINDOW (2004) again.

STAND BY ME is the former, a family-friendly, coming-of-age slice of pure gold that’s a must-watch, especially if you haven’t been able to get past what you believe is a subjective opinion about THE GOONIES. It’s not an opinion. It’s fact.

Corey Feldman’s best film is STAND BY ME. Period. Hell, Kiefer Sutherland’s best movie is STAND BY ME. And you know what? John Cusack plays Wil Weaton’s character’s dead older brother. He’s in the movie for maybe five seconds. And it’s probably John Cusack’s best movie too. Why not? It’s arguable.

The story is simple: four young boys at a hyper-formative age embark on a journey to find a missing boy’s dead body that a young, delightfully chubby Jerry O’Connell overhears is just down them train tracks yonder over there now.

And spoiler, whether or not they find the dead body, they find themselves on the way. Don’t you worry about that.

But perhaps simplicity is the key to a great Stephen King adaption. The more mumbo jumbo, the more caffeine pumping through its veins, the higher the likelihood of getting another MAXIMUM OVERDRIVE (1986)…which King himself directed while in the throes of his cocaine habit…so that might not be the best example. Or maybe it’s the perfect one.

And maybe STAND BY ME is the perfect Stephen King adaption, making it easily essential, and borderline offensive if you haven’t seen it. And, Wil Weaton is an awesome writer now.

STAND BY ME can be streamed with a Starz or DirecTV subscription, or for rent on all the major channels.

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