Stand by Me (1986) MOVIE REACTION! FIRST TIME WATCHING!! 

River Phoenix was one of the greatest acting talents of the 90's. Joaquin named his boy River after him. Says it all. RIP River Phoenix the worlds a sadder place without you ♥

When I was twelve there were 4 of us who were best friends, much like the movie. Fortunately at age 55, we are all still good friends. Although cancer took one of us 5 years ago, the 3 of us remain as tight as ever.

Nice of Shaun to stop Tom from crying at the end by bursting in to song. A true friend.

So Rob Reiner directed Stand by Me, then immediately after directed Princess Bride, When Harry met Sally, and then Misery... man was batting a thousand

"Childhood is over when you know you're gonna die." That quote comes to mind when I watch this film.

The Richard Dreyfuss narration elevates the film to another level, especially at the end.

I love how even though they would tease each other they weren't ashamed of consoling each other

Gotta give props to Will Wheaton and Jerry O'connell.

I feel like singing along to Ben E. King's Stand By Me with the end credits is only way to calm down after watching this movie, because I'm usually very emotional or in tears by the end 😂😂 it's just such a classic, resonated with me as a little kid and will forever be nostalgic for me as an adult 😌

This movie is such a nostalgia bomb. Nostalgia for the 80’s, nostalgia for the 50’s, nostalgia for River..

Just thinking about this film gets me all teary eyed, it's so damn moving. (Especially now with the added tragedy of what some of the child actors went through in real life, not specifically from this film, but from how they were treated in the industry and by their own parents, as child stars). As far as I remember, this is Steven King's favourite film adaptation of any of his stories, and he's notorious for not liking a lot of them, so that says a lot.

RIP River phoenix the legend

It's sad that Chris died in the same way that he almost died as a teen, a stabbing in the neck.

Lol, having a "conniption fit" is just a classy way of saying losing your sh*t

Another coming-of-age film starring River Phoenix is "Running on Empty." A phenomenal performance by him that got him nominated for an Oscar. What a talent! He would've been a huge star had he lived.

I haven't seen this movie since I was a kid, but this reaction brought me to tears!! One thing I picked up on is Gordy is writing the book about this adventure, likely because he heard about Chris's death a week before. This movie is adult Gordy coping with the loss of Chris by telling the story of their coming-of-age.

One of those perfect movies. Can’t think of a single edit or performance I’d change.

It cracks me up when people say Stephen King is demonic and then lose their minds when they realize one of their fave movies “Stand by Me” was created by SK. The denial on their faces is PRICELESS. Brijouxsolo

Another major recurrent theme in King's work is that of bad parents, fathers in particular. You should watch IT, which is basically this story but with a monster. It's both a drama and a horror story, and touches on similar themes of childhood friendship and nostalgia, as well as how kids see adults as villains, especially at home. It makes me wonder what his own home life must have been like.

"Stand by Me" is a modern classic that has stood the test of time. I think this was Rob Reiner's first feature film. River Phoenix was such a talented actor and it's bittersweet watching this movie now knowing that he died so young and with so much promise. I would suggest you check out "My Own Private Idaho" if you want to see another stellar, career defining performance from him.

I was about 12 when this movie came out and I remember really liking it. The older I get the more I like it. It's a 9 for me. The acting by the kids was great!

'He was stabbed in the throat - he died almost instantly' *fades away* I've seen this movie 20+ times since I was a kid and that moment breaks me every time.

This is one of my mom’s favorites, so I grew up with this classic. River Phoenix was such a gem, of both an actor and a human being, that the world lost too soon. The friendship between Gordie and Chris in particular as well as River himself remind me of my own childhood best friend who also died of a heroin OD; gentle, friendly, and always thinking of others. Beautiful movie that so many people around the world can relate to in one way or another. You feel damn near the entire emotional spectrum.

This film is the embodiment of melancholy for me. It somehow manages to give me memories that I don't even have? And I always feel warm inside yet so sad when it ends.

What it lacks in production & budget it makes up for with heart & performances. The dialogue is funny and relatable at times, tragically relatable at others. One of my favourite films.

This film still has me fighting back the tears everytime I see it. I usually find child actors performances a bit cringeworthy to watch but the performances in this film are A+ . RIP River 😢

One of my favourite King adaptations is another drama one, Dolores Claiborne. I find it often overlooked, and I've loved it since I saw it in my teens. Kathy Bates is phenomenal in it too.

You never would have guessed that Stephen King, the master of horror, wrote such an incredible and introspective story such as this.

My CATHOLIC Grade school , what you would call Primary School, had a screening of this for us. Even with all the cursing it was so powerful we were “made” to watch this as young children. If you want some great River Phoenix movies, try Running on Empty and Mosquito Coast.

As a GenXer River's death affected me more than Cobain's. I remember looking forward to seeing the roles he took as he got older, then to lose him so needlessly broke my heart. Another film I love of his is Running on Empty. Most of us at that time had the friend with the fun hippy parents. However, some of us also had the friend with the mysterious hippy parent you wondered about.

Stand By Me and The Goonies were filmed in my home state (Oregon) when I was a kid in the 80s. They really define my childhood. I grew up on a cul-de-sac with a bunch of other kids and we were always trying to make adventures of our own thanks to these. I love them! I’m always so devastated by the end of Stand By Me, knowing the ending for River Phoenix wasn’t too far off.

This is a film that means a lot to me and one I played on repeat as a kid. I upgraded my patreon tier just to watch this early :) Great reaction. It's a 9/10 film for me. It's even just as powerful today as an adult as it was when I was a kid but for different reasons. You really do never have friends like the ones you had when you were twelve...

8.2 for SBM?! Whuuuut? “Carrie” is one of the best King film adaptations by far. Can’t believe you haven’t watched it yet. Plus, it’s directed by De Palma. Get to it! 😎

Been waiting for the boys to watch this more than any other. Perfect film to exemplify their cinematic friendship. And they, too, will one day utter those three powerfully eloquent words: "Jesus, does anyone?"

River was an incredible actor even at a young age! Also, I hear those vocals Shaun ☺️

This is my all time favorite movie. We wore out many VHS copies back in the day. So quotable and filled with heart and humor.

There are films you show off because you love them, they have such pathos heart and great dialog and great scenes. This will always be THAT kind of film to me.

This film is an all time classic and was always a favorite growing up.... it even inspired a female version in the 90s "Now & Then" ... where a group of tweenage girls in the 70s go on an adventure to find a kid that has passed away but is a cold case. Granite it's not as serious of a movie as "Stand By Me" ..... but it's a 90s gem

I saw this many many years ago, and despite knowing that Chris dies, it still felt like a gut punch when Gordy tells the story of his death.

OMG I've never clicked so fast!!! I adore this movie so so much. I'm 39 and have been watching this movie since I was 11. One of my absolute favourites.

This film was such an integral part of my childhood. I watched it so many times. So good

The chemistry between Chris & Gordy was incredible. River Phoenix, Will Wheaton, Corey Feldman and Jerry O’ Connell became best friends while filming Stand By Me. The younger boy actors had amazing chemistry. The older dudes didn’t much care about, they were bullies. Dang, Stephen King writes about so many bullies in his novels. I was never aware of that. Corey Feldman was a Hollywood child actor in so many movies up to his teenage years. He met another young actor. His name was also Corey. It’s not a joke. Corey Haim also a child actor. He was in Stephen King’s Silver Bullet. The Corey’s made several movies together. One 1983’s fav The Lost Boys. I think the two Corey’s met on that movie set and became best buds. They were inseparable. Corey Haim was an drug addict went to a treatment center was not successful, Corey H overdosed and died instantly. Corey Feldman was shattered over his death. He walked away from acting for a few years. Corey Feldman appeared in the 2011Kathy Perry music video for “ Last Friday Night” with 90’s pop Princess Debbie Gibson. I grew up in the 70’s. I grew up on Corey Feldman movies. R.I.P. Corey Haim I don’t remember the year he passed away.

The way King can equally scare you and bring tears to your eyes with his stories - that's the most impressive thing a writer can achieve

I lost it at the in memoriam for Vern's comb. 😂 Too funny... This is one of my all time favorites and I've loved it ever since I saw it when I was roughly the same age as the characters. It's such a great movie that I revisit every year around the end of summer.

All 4 boys give great performances. Corey Feldman has jokes made about him now, but his career is pretty legendary.The Goonies is classic, as is Stand By Me. Gremlins and Lost Boys are also massive hits. He voiced Donatello in the TMNT movies (until 3, I think), he voiced young hound in Disney's The Fox and the Hound, he was in a Friday the 13th, he was one half of 'the Coreys'. The Burbs, License to Drive, and Dream a Little Dream are pretty popular 80s films, as well. An extremely impressive filmography...the kid owned the 80s.

And some people (who probably don't even read his books) continue to pigeon hole SK as strictly a horror writer!! He's so much more.....

Probably the greatest coming of age movie ever. All 4 of the kids are absolutely phenomenal in this. All went on to stuttering adult careers except Phoenix obviously. Will Wheaton Star trek TNG and big bang theory, Jerry O'connel TV show sliders and scream 2 and do I need to say about Corey Feldman. Its such a pity River died so young as he was just as talented as his brother, maybe even better.

I always say and I will say it again... Every male, boy, guy, man should see this movie at least once. I saw this in 1986 at age 18 when it was first released and I instantly became a River Phoenix fan. He was gone way too soon. He was so talented. Check out his Oscar nominated role in Running on Empty. Other of his movies worth watching: I Love you to death, Dogfight, My own private Idaho, Sneakers, and The Thing Called Love...he sings in this one. It will be 29 years since he passed away this Halloween and imagine what his body of work would be like today. RIP River.

This film always makes me feel so sad and honestly just hopeless. I’ve had 3 good friends pass away while in high school and when I watched this film back then it destroyed me and I wasn’t right for weeks.

I think River would have had Leonardo DiCaprio's Career if he had lived R.I.P

I can't believe you didn't give this a 10/10. It's one of my top all time films. Deep and meaningful on so many amazing levels. I saw it first in the 80's as a young adult and I have seen it numerous times since and I am always so impressed. Maybe you had to grow up in the 50'and 60's as I did and Stephen King did to really 'get' it. It was such a different time of innocence. Richard Dreyfus as the older Will Wheaton, who did go on to be a writer of their childhood adventure, maybe in honour or his lost friend Chris, was brilliant narrating the story as he looked back. R.I.P.River...never forgotten.

Oh shit I never realized that Gordie's older brother was John Cusack

Definitely do the Kathy Bates Stephen King classics DOLORES CLAIBORNE and MISERY.

I remember watching this as a kid and all I remembered was dodging trains, leeches, and barfarama. My kid brain just glossed over the abuse and dysfunction.

Movie Trivia: According to director Rob Reiner and actor Wil Wheaton, each of the 4 child actors were chosen because of their similarities to the characters they are portraying. Each role came naturally to the young actors because they were in a sense playing different versions of themselves. River Phoenix was wise beyond his years in real life due to his unusual upbringing and having been raised in (and ultimately escaping from a cult).

I grew up in the 90s and although this movie was a little old by then I always watched Stand By Me, The Sandlot, and Now and Then in a row . They all have the same coming of age beats but not in a cheesy 80s Pretty in Pink way but more in the Breakfast Club kinda way. They have serious undertones and showcase how even kids deal with messy families, or events that shape them into who they are as adults.

THE definitive coming-of-age film. When I have any sons, I'll be sure to introduce them to it.

River Phoenix was Chris, Jerry O' Connell was Vern, Corey Feldman was Teddy, Will Wheaton was Gordy, Kiefer Sutherland was the gang leader, John "Ace," Casey Siemaszko was Billy - Vern's brother, John Cusack - Dennis "Denny," Bradley Gregg was Richard " Eyeball" - Chris' brother, Gary Riley was Charlie, Jason Oliver Lipsett was Vince.

Makes me sad thinking of all the amazing performances we never got to see from River Phoenix due to his early death.

Conniption Fit: "Anger or panic expressed verbally loudly and with overt bodily gestures."

THIS MOVIE FUCKING ROCKS

I got my love of Stephen King from my grandma and this was one of her favorite films. We watched this together many times and just recently, I introduced my kids to it. They loved it just as much as I hoped they would.

Man I always have to cry so hard everytime I see this movie. I also saw this movie when I was eleven or twelve. Usually I don't say that phrase that much but it kinda changed my life a bit. I thought more about how people seem to be on the outside and what they may be really struggling with. And damn I just love Stephen King.

I knew it 3:40!!! I was waiting for it 🤣🤟🏾. This is classic, BULLTRUE!!! 👍🏽

Absolutely love this film, and your reactions were heartwarming. 😊💜

11:08 Apparently River once said that compared to Joaquin his own acting talent was minuscule or words to that effect. Nice to know he was always supportive of him. Years before this they'd stared together playing brothers in a short TV movie about a dyslexic boy.

This may have already been pointed out or you may already have known it but the kid that played Vern, Jerry O'Connell, slimmed down and played in lots of movies sometimes as sort of a heartthrob. He was in at least one movie to which you reacted Scream 2 ( Sid's boyfriend who gets killed) and was in Joe's Apartment, Jerry Mcquire, and Kangaroo Jack not to mention TV serials Sliders and My Secret Identity.

I can watch this movie over and over and my reaction is as fresh as the first time, more nuanced as I get older, but just as fresh all the same. Thanks for choosing this movie to watch.

I find rating a film based on what other people might think very strange. Don't worry about anyone else! You do you m8!

The Cure, Camp Nowhere, House Arrest, The Sandlot, The Neverending Story, etc... So many great nostalgic movies about growing up.

That scene when the train comes I literally feel like I’m about to pass out it’s so intense.

one of my all time favorite movies. never gets old. always makes me cry.

This my favourite film of all time. Tom, I'm glad you gave it such a high rating. The cast are incredible, especially being so young. When the kids were auditioning for roles in Stranger Things the creators had them audition with scenes from Stand By Me.

I remember watching Stand By Me with my Dad way back in 1986 when i was 8 years old. My Dad said this movie reminded him of his younger years. Now i'm in my 40's this movie takes me back to my youth just as it did for my Dad. Stand By Me is a marvelous movie, timeless in it's appeal across generations of people. Love this movie. Great video guys 👍

I had almost forgotten how much this movie meant to me. Even though this isn't a traditional story for young girls, it stuck with me and it influenced the kind of person I wanted to be. I stood up to bullies, I tried to do the right thing and when I didn't, I owned up to it. These are the kinds of movies that you want your young people watching because it instills positive values without preaching and gives those values real life context and consequences. It's a hell of a movie.

One of my all-time favourites. Saw it in the cinema at least 10 times the year it came out (something we did back in the 80s). Watched it on Sky Cinema a couple months ago for the first time in decades and it was as good as I remember it. So chuffed you both loved it. ❤️

This is my favorite film of all time. So happy you guys watched & enjoyed it overall.

I've seen this movie probably 50x over the years. Those boys still make me cry all these years later. Excellent movie..

Conniption fit is when someone has a tantrum, when someone doesn’t get their way

11:47 Will Wheaton said that when they were filming that scene River was having trouble with it so the director told him to image a time or think back to a time when he had been wronged and no one had done anything about it, and then it was either that River came away from that talk in tears or it was that after they filmed that scene he couldn't stop crying. Will wondered if it might have anything to do with the cut his parents were in when he was little, if something had happened to him.

This movie has one of the greatest soundtracks. Richard Dreyfuss was a great choice to narrate the film & the acting was on point. Jerry O'Connell played Vern & Jon Cusack played Gordie's brother. I was 15 when this came out. I give this film an 8.8

This is a powerful movie if your personal life reflects some of these childhood experiences. I grew up with a tight group of friends (boys and girls). Always together. Played, cried and fought together but love and acceptance were the threads that kept us together through our lives thus far. Senior citizens now and now spread all over the world we do still come together in our FB page. Imagine that! You do not have to share your history with childhood friends: they ARE your history. The most talented among us tried to stop a robbery and was murdered. We speak his name always to keep his memory alive. Beloved Ricardo Urquizu, you are missed every day brother. Every. Day. RIP. Thank you for this video lads. Forgive this old lady for sharing such heartfelt memories. Feel free to delete. 🙏💖

You mentioned Keifer Sutherland, River Phoenix and Corey Feldman. But don't forget Wil Wheaton, Jerry O'Connell, Richard Dreyfus as the narrator and John Cusack. Vern's line still haunts to this day, "Do you guys wanna see a dead body?" The look on their faces when Jerry delivers line was absolutely stellar. Love this film! "Chopper, sick balls!" lol

That last line, typed not spoken remains in my heart to this day. I was 10 when the short story was published and 14 when this movie came out.

One of my favorite Stephen King movies that aren't horror themed.

King got his inspiration for this from a traumatic childhood event, that he himself doesn't really remember, because it was so bad, but his mom told him later. Apparently, when he was around 4 years old, he watched his friend get hit and ripped up by a train, right in front of his face. His mom said he didn't speak for a long time after coming home from that.

"He doesn't hate you. He just doesn't know you." Wow.

Vern is played by Jerry O'Connell, who would go on to play Sydney's hunky boyfriend in Scream 2 a decade later. Quite the glow up!

Thanks for this reaction, guys! :-) This is one of my favourite all-time films! I think I saw it for the first time as a child, probably a bit sooner than I should have done, honestly ;-) at least in terms of not really getting some of the more subtle nuances of the narrative :-) Yet, it remains a film that I can still go back too all these years later, and feel emotional. There's a certain sense of nostalgia and melancholy that comes along with watching it now, though; I still keep in contact with quite a few of the friends I had back when I was 12. Or at least where they are in their lives, thanks to social media. Yet it is very few of them that I actually talk to on a day-to-day basis; I guess the great wheel of life just kept on spinning, and our roads diverged at one point or another... I suspect this is true for most people, which is why the narrative seems to resonate with so many people, of several generations. So this story is equally beautiful, and sad, for me, personally. :-( :-) Again, thank for this reaction, Shaun for watching it again, and Tom, for the first time :-)

It's been a long time since I read "The Body" but from what I remember the movie is pretty much on par except that it was Chris holding the gun on Ace.. not Gordie.. I believe Stephen King thought it was one of the best adaptations of his works at the time.

What an absolute CLASSIC! 😍😭✨ Watched it all the time growing up as a kid. But it only get’s better with age!

Guys its the 50th anniversary of 1 of the most controversial movies ever made...banned in the UK for over 20 years.....the 1971 classic " CLOCKWORK ORANGE" by Stanley Kubrick

Rob Reiner directed two great Stephen King adaptations, with this and "Misery." I'd have to say the best is still "The Shining," with "Shawshank" pretty close. A very underrated King adaptation is "Cujo." Although if you want to see a total crap but kinda fun Stephen King film ( and it is a Stephen King film because he directed it) watch "Maximum Overdrive."

Rob Reiner's commentary on this movie is great, with a lot of behind the scenes tidbits. When filming the scene on the train trestle, Wil Wheaton (Gordie) and Jerry O'Connell (Verne) just weren't giving Reiner what he wanted as far as the fear of them running from a train. After a few takes, Reiner proceeded to go off on them so badly about the fact they were wasting film (he was mostly joking), that they both got upset and started crying. The very next take was the one that ended up in the film. When River Phoenix (Chris) was telling the milk money story, there was a similar issue where Reiner just wanted something a bit more. He told River to think about a time when an adult he'd trusted had let him down, and use that memory in the scene. River went off by himself for a few minutes, and when he got back, he delivered that amazing take. From start to finish, this is a great film that continues to hold up after all these years.

Unforgettable indeed. Watched this one growing up and love it.

This was one of my favs as a kid. Mainly for the jokes and stuff but now as an adult i charish how they showed REAL friendship between young boys. They always end up making them in love with one another now a days. This is real

I was 12 when this movie was released and I saw it with my best friends. We totally felt like we were watching ourselves. EDIT: I highly recommend reading the Stephen King short story. The movie is very true to the story but the book have an even sadder ending.

The friends you have through your most formative years stay with you forever.

Wil "Gordy" Wheaton was both physically & emotionally abused by his parents during the making of this film. That is why his performance is so raw and real talking to River "Chris" Phoenix about his parents.

Yes!!! One of my favourite ever films with one of my favourite ever songs