Why Rob Reiner Considers Stand By Me To Be His Most Personal Movie [Exclusive]
There aren't many directors quite like Rob Reiner, who has helmed a considerable number of beloved classics from across a variety of genres. His directorial debut was "This is Spinal Tap," a mockumentary considered by many to be one of the best ever made. "The Princess Bride" is a comedic fantasy romance that has been quoted for generations, while "When Harry Met Sally" has become a cultural phenomenon. There are serious films like "Misery" or "A Few Good Men," and his latest feature is "Albert Brooks: Defending My Life," a hilarious documentary about the life and career of one of America's greatest performers. But then there's "Stand By Me," the coming-of-age classic based on Stephen King's "The Body."
"Stand By Me" follows a friend group of pre-teen boys who go on the adventure of a lifetime over Labor Day Weekend 1959 to find the potential dead body of a missing boy. With an all-time great cast of young actors — Wil Wheaton (Gordie Lachance), River Phoenix (Chris Chambers), Corey Feldman (Teddy Duchamp), and Jerry O'Connell (Vern Tessio) —"Stand By Me" earned an Oscar nomination for "Best Adapted Screenplay" and the approval of Stephen King himself. There's not much to say about "Stand By Me" that hasn't already been said.
/Film's Jeremy Smith recently spoke with Reiner in an exclusive interview, and the Academy Award-nominated filmmaker confessed that "Stand By Me" is the film he's made that means the most to him. We certainly don't disagree with the decision, but hearing the reason behind this choice will certainly give you full-body butterflies in the way that only a Rob Reiner movie can.
'I don't know if it's my best, but it's the one that means the most to me'
Smith asked Reiner which of his films he considers the most underrated, but the director took the opportunity to discuss how much he loves "Stand By Me," albeit admitting, "I don't think it's underappreciated; people love that movie." He's right. Rolling Stone, Reader's Digest, Empire, and Parade have all labeled it one of the best films of all time, and it currently boasts a 92% on Rotten Tomatoes. But the love of "Stand By Me" isn't reliant on groundbreaking technical feats or Blockbuster special effects — it's just a movie about what it means to grow up. "I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was 12. Jesus, does anyone?" remains one of the most poignant lines ever uttered in a coming-of-age film, and a timeless quote that resonates even today.
"That's the one that means the most to me, that has the most emotional connection for me of all the films I've made," Reiner told Smith. "I don't know if it's my best, but it's the one that means the most to me." Obviously determining the "best" is wholly subjective, but "Stand By Me" is certainly up there. But the reason the film resonated so deeply with Reiner is because the story reflected his own life. "I was 12 in 1959. I had three other friends; I didn't go through what they did, but I also had the feeling of not knowing how my father felt about me," he said. The film is remembered as a story of friendship, but it's also one about that awful feeling in childhood when you realize your parents are also human beings with faults.
The main theme of Stand By Me
As the narrator and therefore point-of-view of the film, Gordie's (Wil Wheaton) complicated relationship with his father is always simmering underneath the surface of everything that happens in the story. It's also one of the connective tissues between the film and Reiner's own life. As he told Smith, "And that is a main theme in the film where [Wheaton] says, 'My father doesn't love me,' and the character played by River Phoenix says, 'No, no, he loves you. He just doesn't know you. He doesn't understand you.' So I had those feelings when I was growing up, and that became the basis for the film."
Combining the personal connection to his own lived experiences, "Stand By Me" is also a tonal rollercoaster in the best way possible. This is a movie that will have you laughing about a vomit-filled pie-eating contest scene and then crying your eyes out and wanting to call your best friend from 6th grade. "There's a lot of humor in it, but there's also melancholy and emotion and nostalgia and all of that," Reiner explained. "And that is more of a reflection of who I am than any of the others, I think."
"Albert Brooks: Defending My Life" is now available to stream on Max.