Four Boys In Search Of A Dead Body In The Woods. Classic Stephen King, Right?
For those unfamiliar with the author's work at the time (1986), they might have expected something horrific to emerge from the quest into the unknown. What ghoulish terrors awaited our intrepid youngsters? What would be the monster lurking in the woods? For those aware that this film was a Stephen King adaptation, they may have taken their pillows into the cinema to hide behind.
And yet this was something different. There were no monsters, no nightmares brought frighteningly to life. There was no real terror to speak of. Instead, audiences were treated to a tender coming age of story about four boys uncovering far more than a dead body in the woods. Instead of monsters, these boys uncovered the inner recesses of their souls. They discovered the freedom to be themselves, and they learned the true meaning of friendship. This film was something special, and it was Stephen King at his most relatable. Adapted from his short story The Body, and directed by Rob Reiner, this was an Oscar-nominated film that resonated with many audiences then, and one that many of us still treasure today.
We don't watch Stand By Me with pillows over our faces. Instead, we watch it with handkerchiefs clutched in our hands, and with our hearts open to nostalgia. As we watch the four boys, Gordie Lachance, Chris Chambers, Vern Tessio, and Teddy Duchamp, embark on their adventure, we are reminded of the people we were when we were their age. When we watch them play childish games, sing theme tunes from TV series of the day, and bond with one another, we are reminded of the games we played, the shows we watched, and of the friends that shaped who we are today. We are reminded of our own adventures, and the joys and pains that we experienced when we were growing up.
And we might ask ourselves: Where did my friends go? What became of them in this thing we call life? And we might also ask ourselves: What became of the young actors who brought the teenage heroes of Stand By Me to life? Where are they now?
While we can't tell you where your old friends are (you will have to use Facebook to find those answers), we can tell you a little about the actors who stole our hearts in the now-classic Stephen King movie.
Wil Wheaton
Wil Wheaton was 14-years old when he starred in his breakout role, that of Gordie Lachance, in this hit movie. It wasn't his first film. He already had minor roles under his belt, including one in The Last Starfighter, but his role as Gordie is still one that he is most remembered for today. He was the heart and soul of the film, a sensitive boy still grieving over his brother's death, and struggling to cope at home because of a lack of attention from his grief-affected parents.
Like many of King's characters, Gordie was an aspiring writer, and at the film's coda, we learn (from the narration of the older version of his character played by Richard Dreyfuss), that he later found success as an author. But what about the actor himself? Well, he continued to act for a time, with his most prominent role being that of Wesley Crusher in Star Trek: The Next Generation. He then stopped acting to work for a tech company for a time but later made small comebacks in various television shows. Like the character he portrayed in the film, he has also had some success as a novelist. You can now catch him on the hit online show, Tabletop, where he plays board games with a variety of celebrity guests.
Jerry O' Connell
Jerry's film career began with his role as Vern in Stand By Me, but fans of the loveable character probably won't recognize him today. Slightly overweight in the movie, O' Connell shed his puppy fat to become one of the hottest actors today. In the film, he was a podgy kid, always the butt of the other boys' jokes, but in real life, he is now a bona fide Hollywood hunk with a successful career behind him.
After the events of the film, Vern remained in his small town, but in real life, the actor who portrayed him went onto great things. You might remember Jerry from his role as Quinn Mallory in television show Sliders. And you might also know him from such films as Kangaroo Jack and Piranha 3D. He still works today and has a wide array of film and television roles behind him. A quick glance at his IMDB page will tell you that he's not as big a star as he could have been, but he has still turned in good work since his role as Vern, the small-town boy that many of us could relate to.
Corey Feldman
The wild child in the film, and a wild child in real-life too. Corey Feldman was already a star before his turn as troubled teen Teddy Duchamp, as he was familiar to many through his roles in Gremlins and the 1985 adventure movie, The Goonies. With another standout turn in Stand By Me, Feldman's career went from strength to strength, with turns in hit movies such as The Lost Boys, The Burbs, and Dream A Little Dream. Unlike the character he played in Stand By Me, who remained in his home town, assumedly forever, he hit the big time. However, this was at a cost.
Feldman experienced the darker side of Hollywood, with early addictions to drugs and alcohol. He saw his close friend Corey Haim fall prey to these addictions too, and as Corey Feldman's shocking documentary reveals, saw his friend fall into decline because of the alleged sexual abuse he suffered. Feldman has battled hard to fight his demons ever since and continues to work today. While his film roles have been sparse in recent years, he has spent a lot of time working on his music career, and has received acclaim for his work in support of animal rights.
River Phoenix
As spiritual leader and rebel Chris Chambers, River Phoenix turned in one of the greatest roles of his then young career, with an emotionally real performance that was advanced for his age. It wasn't his first role. He had already made appearances in a number of television shows, and in 1985 he had starred in the hit kids sci-fi movie Explorers, but Stand By Me gave him the opportunity to show audiences what he was really capable of.
River Phoenix became a regular fixture on our screens, and he is well remembered for his role as young Indy in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, as well as for his performances in such adult fare as My Own Private Idaho and Dogfight. Sadly, during the making of what would be his final film, Dark Blood, Phoenix passed away at the age of 23 after a drug overdose on a sidewalk outside a popular Hollywood nightclub. For fans of the actor, this was crushing news, and many of us to this day still remember with fondness, and with more than a little sadness, one of the greatest young actors that has ever graced our screens. The depth of pain is especially felt by viewers of Stand By Me, as his character Chris Chambers, also came to an untimely end after the events of the film.
Rest in peace River Phoenix, we salute you!