Rob Reiner's evocative rites-of-passager is still memorable for the performances of its four young stars. And even the fact that half of the cast now reside deep in the Where Are They Now? File (Wil Wheaton? Corey Feldman?) can't diminish the emotional power at its core. Shawshank aside, this is the best non-horror Stephen King adaptation of the bunch.
DVD Extras:
Director's commentary, behind-the-scenes featurette, talent profiles, music-only soundtrack, Stand By Me music video.The best part of this disc is by far the featurette, which has the surviving cast members and Rob Reiner recalling the shoot. Occasionally it feels a little like standard talking-head sound-bites, but there are some genuinely funny and touching moments. Sadly, the commentary repeats most of the better information, so whichever one you watch ends up spoiling the other. Still a rewarding purchase.
