[Movie] My life in cinema began when I watched 'Stand by Me' at age 12

The person who gave me unconditional compassion
[Stand by Me](1986 / USA / Director: Rob Reiner)

■ Genre / Coming-of-age, Friendship, Adventure
■ Enjoyability for everyone / ★★★★★ (Low barrier to entry)
■ Aftertaste / ★★★☆☆ (Sad, but deeply moving)

(These are my personal impressions)

※ The following contains spoilers for the movie

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I love movies. I couldn't live without them.
But if asked, "What is your favorite film?", it depends on whether we're talking about Japanese or foreign films, and while I could choose by genre, it's very difficult to pick an overall number one.

Furthermore, if someone asks for a recommendation, I struggle. Since it depends on the person's tastes, how much of a film buff they are, their age, and their background, this also requires time to think.

--But, if asked "What made you fall in love with movies?", I can answer immediately.

It was watching 'Stand by Me'.

When I watched this movie, I was 12 years old, the same age as the boys who are the protagonists.
Unfortunately, it wasn't in a theater, but on a rental video, but this was, without a doubt, what you could call a shock.

I was a truly ordinary elementary school student, and I was struck to the core by the adventure that four boys of the same age unfolded in a far-off town—or rather, not so much the adventure, but the very "act of living" itself.
Because there was a "child's life" there that was completely different from the anime and TV dramas I had been watching aimlessly until then, and I felt like I could even sense their breathing.

(1) A rough summary... A two-day adventure of boys with many troubles

The structure of the movie itself is very simple.

The setting is 1959 America (it might be easier to imagine if you think of it as Showa 34 in Japan), in a small fictional town called Castle Rock in Oregon—with a population of 1,281.
A group of four close friends (so-called bad kids) who live there—Gordie, Chris, Teddy, and Vern—go on a small adventure deep into the forest for a certain purpose.

Most of the scenes consist of the four boys and the forest scenery they walk through, and while the movie itself is sometimes introduced as a "summer adventure," it is actually an event that takes place over almost two days.
There aren't many characters other than the boys, so I think even elementary school students (especially in the upper grades) can fully understand the story itself.


During the adventure, they enter a restricted area and are almost attacked by a fierce dog (?), have to dash to avoid being hit by a train, and get leeches stuck all over their bodies (and sensitive areas) after entering a swamp... the happenings that occur one after another are fun just to watch.

--However, the lives of these boys, glimpsed through their childlike smiles, are quite tough, and it really tugs at your heartstrings.

(2) The main point is here... The death of a beloved brother, adults who aren't on their side, and the pain in their hearts

Of the four, the central characters, Gordie and Chris, are dealing with serious family issues.

Gordie, who loves to write stories, not only lost his beloved older brother Denny in an accident a few months ago, but is also suffering from the feeling that he is not loved by his father.
His late brother was the only one in the family who understood Gordie's talent. He was a brother so full of love that he even gave him his prized hat. Just this alone is enough to make me cry.

On the other hand, Chris has a delinquent older brother and, because of his family background, is labeled a bad kid by those around him. He acts tough, but he is actually a kind and intelligent boy. When there was a theft of lunch milk money in class, no one knew what Chris went through after being branded the culprit.

In the extraordinary experience of an adventure, the two gradually reveal their true feelings. They are about to become middle school students and are standing at a crossroads where they must choose between a "college prep track" or a "vocational track," and their worries are deep.

--Watching it, I think that as children's suffering, it is no different from today.


And in the midst of that, while walking through the forest, Chris encourages Gordie, who is acting out and saying that writing stories doesn't matter, in an incredibly straightforward way.

(Since I am not good at English, I will quote the dubbed lines from when it was broadcast on terrestrial television below)

(3) The biggest highlight... A world of only children, the beauty of exposed souls

--The inner thoughts that are gradually revealed.
And at night, in front of the campfire, with Teddy and Vern sleeping beside them, Gordie and Chris talk just the two of them.

There, the unbelievable fact that Chris confessed was that he had returned the stolen class milk money to the homeroom teacher out of remorse, but the teacher pocketed the money, and he remained the culprit...

Yes, this movie is not just a refreshing story of friendship.
It features adults who are not on the side of children as much as possible (the owner of the general store where Gordie shops also easily hurts Gordie. I wish he hadn't said anything...).
Someone has to scoop that up. Because, in reality, it's not something that should be talked about while crying, just by children, in the forest at night.

Children have no weapons in their hearts. The simplest clothing possible—T-shirts and jeans—and the great nature that is just there, exist as if they were the exposed souls of the boys—that is how I think of this movie now.

When I rewatched this movie the other day, I cried at this campfire scene again.


When I first saw it, at 12 years old, I was simply overwhelmed by the boys' presence.
I couldn't put it into words well at the time, but even if it's a movie, even if it's fiction, even a child can understand that there is a piece of truth in it. That's how much Chris and Gordie were alive in the movie.

(4) The end of the adventure... and I realize, this is what movies are—they show us such condensed drama!

And so, dawn broke, and after various things happened the next day, although it turned out differently than they had first imagined, the four of them—Gordie and the others—somehow managed to finish their adventure safely and return to Castle Rock.

Vern and Teddy head home separately. Gordie and Chris, who are left behind, look out over the town from the hill and talk.

—What did this two-day adventure bring them?


After that, Gordie and Chris went on to higher education. It is said that Chris eventually worked hard, graduated from university, and even became a lawyer... isn't that amazing? The strength of his spirit was real. And Gordie became a writer.


It goes without saying, but I think what influences your life the most is what you want to do and what choices you make.
Gordie and Chris stripped away the difficulties caused by their environment and lived according to their own souls. But if they hadn't had each other when they were 12, would they have been able to believe in themselves and survive?


—After watching it, the overall impression I had as a 12-year-old was, 'Movies are amazing!'


This is what movies are—they show us such condensed drama.

I want to watch so many more movies!

I was completely hooked. And in my late teens, I spent most of my money at video rental shops and movie theaters (and bookstores). That became part of my flesh and blood.

After I started working and became in charge of movies at a magazine editorial department, I learned a lot, but no matter how much my environment changed or how much I aged, the reason my passion for movies never faded is because the emotion of watching 'Stand by Me' at age 12 was always by my side.

By the way, through this movie, even as a child, I feel like I understood 'male friendship' a little bit.
Even while swearing at each other with dirty words (!) and kicking each other's butts while walking (lol), they are bonded at a deep level...that kind of friendship is probably difficult for women.

(5) Famous lines & famous final scene... 'Isn't it like that for everyone?'

This film adopts a style where Gordie, now a writer, writes down his childhood memories as a novel. While this narrative structure is not uncommon, I believe it achieves an unparalleled effect in this film.

And the final words that the writer Gordie uses to conclude his novel are wonderful. I cannot imagine any other ending for this film.

In the original English, it goes:

—this is how it goes. The first half literally translates to 'I have never had friends like the ones I had when I was twelve since then,' but the latter half, 'Jesus, does anyone..,' is a very English expression, so when understood in Japanese, the nuance varies depending on the translator.
I have also watched several dubbed versions, and there are some patterns where they only show the 'English text displayed on a computer screen' without having it narrated. That feels a bit lonely.

Everyone has their own preference for which translation—subtitled or dubbed—they like or which nuance feels right, but I quite like the dubbed translation that was broadcast on terrestrial television a few years ago, so I would like to write that down here.

And then, the writer Gordie, having finished his novel, leaves the room, and the film's title track, Ben E. King's masterpiece 'Stand by Me', begins to play.

(6) The theme song 'Stand by Me,' which is absolutely part of the film, is worth listening to until the very end

This incredibly famous theme song. The English word 'darling' sung in the chorus is hard to find a perfect Japanese translation for. This is because it changes depending on who is singing and who they are singing to. However, overall, I think it means 'my precious one.' So, for this film, it means 'friend.'


When listening to it, it matches the content of the film so well that you might think the movie was just a grand music video to enjoy this song. The lingering feeling, like quietly closing a treasure chest while remembering the famous scenes, is simply irresistible.

If there were a 'Championship for works where the film's content and ending song are perfectly integrated,' this would be number one for me (It is very disappointing when it's broadcast on terrestrial TV and the song gets cut off halfway... I want them to play it to the end).

Stand by me... stay by my side.

Someone who accepts your immature, undefined self and gives you unconditional kindness simply because you are a 'precious person.'

For Gordie in this film, the person who did that for him was a boy of the same age who was similarly scarred in his heart.

I am who I am today because you were there. No matter how many times I rewatch it, the message I can feel from this film is very simple.

Life needs someone like this, and I find myself wishing that I could be that kind of person for someone else, too.


—Isn't that the case for everyone?

Please feel free to check this out as well