Some stories can really stand the test of time.  Last summer I got to see Flipped, the newest film from writer/director Rob Reiner.  While I did admire that film and found it cute for young audiences, I do not necessarily see it as a coming-of-age classic.  However, it was nice to see Reiner assemble a good movie again, after many years of duds.  It reminded me of his period from the mid-80s to the early 90s where Reiner was consistently making great films; including This is Spinal Tap, When Harry Met Sally…, The Princess Bride, Misery, A Few Good Men, and the film under review here:  Stand By Me.

Stand by Me is an adaptation of the novella, The Body, by Stephen King, and is told as a story in flashback by one of the lead characters, played and narrated as an adult by Richard Dreyfuss.  The majority of the film is set in Castle Rock, Oregon, 1959.  Gordy, Chris, Teddy, and Verne (Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman, and Jerry O’Connell) are all best friends about to enter high school.  Gordy is the sensitive writer; Chris is tough, coming from an abusive home; Teddy is the most eccentric and physically scarred on his ear, due to his mentally ill father; and Verne is the overweight worrywart.

The plot is set in motion once Verne informs the others about the dead body of a missing teenager located somewhere in the woods.  The boys set out on a two-day journey that turns into a coming-of-age odyssey, as they find many obstacles in their path, including junkyard dogs, swamps, and a bully (a young and menacing Kiefer Sutherland) and his gang.  This journey also leads to the boys discovering more about themselves and the strength that they have as friends.

It is hard to say why this film has achieved such a high standing, but if I had to guess, it probably has to do with a certain relatable quality.  Even with its time and setting, it is the friendship and camaraderie that probably garners the most response.  The chemistry between all four leads is spot on, with all of the young actors doing very good work.  For a film like this, that aspect was easily the most important factor to get right and Reiner has done a wonderful job finding young actors who could pull off convincing work as good friends.

Along with the work by the young actors, including Sutherland as well, who really is quite threatening as the bully, the film is made better by its solid screenplay.  The film has many memorable moments that stem from how quotable the film is, how much fun it is to hear the boys banter, and how strong each character’s monologue moment is.  There are signature moments for each of the boys in the film, with a particular notice going to River Phoenix, the best actor of the bunch.  It really is a shame that Phoenix died so young, as his work here (among other performances he gave as a young actor) really showed his potential for the future.

The film also has a nice journey aspect that finds a few moments of excitement for the boys, including a signature train sequence and the unfortunate swamp situation.  It is not that these scenes are necessarily relatable, but the idea that we are following this group of boys through some of the important moments in their lives is enough to keep every viewer very involved.  That being said, moments like these add to the sense of fun that this movie establishes, later balancing out the film with the more heartfelt moments involving the boys’ personal lives.  Gordy in particular spends much of the film dealing with the death of his older brother (played briefly, but effectively by John Cusack), which has led to a troubled relationship with his own father.

I have always found this to be a very watchable film.  I have seen it many times, quote a lot of the lines from the film, and seem to always let it play if I happen to stumble across it on TV.  It clocks in at a little over 90 minutes, and could be watched by almost anyone.  It is a well made feature that does a good job of telling a story about good friends going on a small adventure.  Regardless of the R-rating (which is due to language), I am sure that a younger audience will continue to be able to enjoy this film over time.  It is one of the classic coming-of-age-type films to see and easily one of the most enjoyable ones to watch.

Despite its age, the film looks very good on Blu-ray.  With a touch of grain in spots and a muddy moment during one scene involving special effects, which is only natural, the film still manages to look first-rate throughout its runtime.  With the boys spending most of the film traveling through the woods and over railroad tracks, the video quality does manage to present a lot of browns and greens, which it does quite well.  The 1080p AVC encode presentation appears to have done fine justice to a film deserving of a good transfer.  Really, this is probably the best that Stand by Me can look.

The audio track for this film is perfectly acceptable as well.  As it is a dialogue driven film, there is nothing that really needs to blow me away in terms of the quality, besides being properly mixed.  Along with the DTS-HD HD MA 5.1 track, this disc also curiously includes the English original Mono mix as well.  I don’t think I’ll ever need to switch over to this one, but I guess that is a nice option to have.  The disc also includes a Spanish and Portuguese audio track, along with several subtitle options.

There is not a large number of extra features on this disc, and most of them have been ported over from the previous DVD release (which also means they are in standard definition – bleh), but it does have one very good exclusive feature to the Blu-ray.  The disc is also BD Live enabled and features MovieIQ.

The extras include:

Blu-ray exclusive:  25 Years Later:  A Picture-In-Picture Commentary Retrospective with Director Rob Reiner and Actors Wil Wheaton & Corey Feldman.  This was the highlight bonus for me.  While the picture-in-picture aspect was unnecessary, it was very interesting to hear about the thoughts from each participant, particularly in the way they reflect on how this movie has affected their careers and their thoughts on River Phoenix.  It is also a good listen as well, funny at points, with rare moments of pause.  And it is always fun to hear mentions of how young, fat Jerry O’Connell would go on to become skinny and married to Rebecca Romijn.

Walking the Tracks:  The Summer of Stand by Me.  This is a near 40 minute behind the scenes look at the film, with interviews with many involved in its making, including Stephen King.  This is a fine extra for those wanting to learn a little more about the film.

Audio Commentary with Director Rob Reiner.  While not entirely necessary, given how interesting the first commentary is, a few new facts can be learned by listening to this track as well.

Stand by Me Music Video.  A nice music video, featuring clips from the film.

Trailers for other Sony Titles.

I am not saying this is a favorite film of mine, but it does fall into a different category that features other films I have watched many times over, despite how good they are.  It does help that Stand by Me is a very good film, coming from a director who was at the top of his game at that time.  Anyone who has not seen this film should go and check it out now, as this new Blu-ray is a pretty great way to experience it.  The video and audio qualities are both well handled and the extras, particularly the new commentary, manage to flesh out the film even further.