For four decades now, Stand By Me has been one of the defining films on childhood. Adapted from a Stephen King short story, by master filmmaker Rob Reiner, it’s a bittersweet tale of the end of innocence, in which four 1950s boys – Will Wheaton’s Gordie, River Phoenix’s Chris, Corey Feldman’s Teddy, and Jerry O’Connell’s Vern – head off on a quest to see a dead body in the woods. What follows is one of the most heartfelt depictions of friendship ever brought to the screen.
To mark the film’s 40th anniversary – and the recent passing of its legendary director – the new issue of Empire takes a deep-dive into the making of Stand By Me, speaking to its stars and screenwriters about the creation of a classic.
You can read the full oral history in The Mandalorian And Grogu issue, on sale Thursday March 12 – pre-order here – but for now here’s an extract, with the cast talking about the bonds they formed with the beloved Reiner.
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From June to August of 1985, Stand By Me shot in Oregon and Northern California. The cast and crew enjoyed 60 days of continuous sunshine as they went about capturing the boys’ hijinks while also mapping out their loss of innocence as they confront splintering friendships, untrustworthy adults, and death. Through it all, director Rob Reiner became a father figure to his young cast.
Jerry O’Connell (Vern Tessio): Rob is probably the single-most important thing that’s ever happened to me. I was a kid who was hyperactive, and I was always getting in trouble for interrupting. My mother used to say, “Why don’t you shut up and sit on your hands?” That was the mantra of my childhood. Well, the first day on set, we’re shooting the scene where we’re throwing the pebbles into the can. The scene was about to cut and we were just goofing around. I ad-libbed, “Great, spit at the fat kid.” Rob yelled, “Cut,” and ran over. I thought, “Oh shit, I forgot to shut up and sit on my hands. Day one and I already fucked up.” And Rob said, “Hey, fellas, you see what Jerry’s doing here? You see how he’s adding to this scene? That’s what I want every day.” And for the first time in my life, someone was telling me, “Hey, man, I don’t want you to shut up and sit on your hands. I want you to be you.”
Corey Feldman (Teddy Duchamp): Rob… we had that bond and trust. He was amazingly kind-hearted, very, very funny. I had also gotten to work with Steven [Spielberg, on Gremlins and The Goonies] and Joe Dante [Gremlins] and had a really nice bond with them. And of course with Richard Donner [The Goonies]. You know, I really built this surrogate family of positive male role models around me. Richard Donner paid for my rehab.
John Cusack (Denny Lachance): It was a very, very special time. I could tell they were making a great film. All four of [the boys] were very special. The script was great. I knew having worked with Rob on The Sure Thing how he creates conditions where the only thing actors can do is flourish. There’s no fear, no mistakes. All you have to do is show up and open up. I wouldn’t have anything without Rob. He spoiled me for other directors and films because [I thought] everybody cared as much as he did. He was a big brother, a friend, a father.
Wil Wheaton (Gordie Lachance): Rob was one of the first men in my life who treated me like a person. He believed in me. I wanted to make him proud. He was a father figure and also like a really big, fun kid. The train trestle location was so cool. There was a lot of energy and excitement around the whole scene (Gordie and Vern have to outrun a thundering train). We were having too much fun with it.
O’Connell: There was nothing scary about that situation (the train was a long way off, the distance flattened by using a long lens to shoot). It was pure joy!
Wheaton: So the third time we go through it, Rob just bellows at us in a voice I’d never heard: “You guys are fucking up my movie.” He pointed at the crew: “These men are hot and tired, and if you’re not afraid of that fucking train, then you better be afraid of me.” We burst into tears. The next thing I know, the camera’s rolling. When he cuts, Rob comes over and he hugs us and says, “That was great, you guys, perfect.” I was hugging him. I didn’t want to let go.
O’Connell: He got such a great performance out of us. He was the actors’ director.
Read more in The Mandalorian And Grogu issue, on sale Thursday March 12. Order a copy online here.
