During the 1980s, famous horror author Stephen King published almost 20 books filled with gore, monsters and horrible trauma. One book in the mix was different. In 1982, King published “The Body.” The story comes from a collection of Novella’s called “Different Seasons.” The story is not about the supernatural or horror, but is instead a novella about childhood and coming of age. The novel instantly gained a cult following, cementing itself in King’s catalog of his best works.
Just four years later, in 1986, a movie adaptation of the novella, called “Stand By Me,” was released. The movie did great in theaters and cemented its spot in film history. All around, people thought it was a good family movie and another Stephen King classic, but I would say it is missing the entire point of the novel. “Stand By Me” lacks the theme of “The Body.”
“Stand By Me” tells a story about Gordie and his friends as they go on an adventure to look for a missing kid in the woods. That is about it. Now, if one were to look at “The Body,” they would see a tale about Gordie going through a pivotal moment in his life as he realizes that he needs to mature and escape from the prison of the town he lives in.
Throughout “The Body,” it is evident that Castle Rock, Maine, the town in which Gordie and his friends grew up, is not a good place. Everyone there works in the factory right outside of town and lives a life of mediocrity. Gordie is faced with a challenge. One part of him wants to sit and rot in Castle Rock with his friends, while the other wants to go be a writer and chase his dreams. This dilemma is not as strong in “Stand By Me” as it is in “The Body” in my opinion.
Instead, “Stand By Me” tells a story about Gordie and his friends going out and being kids, showing off the wonders of boyhood and warming the hearts of fans worldwide. There is nothing objectively wrong about this, but it really takes away from the theme of the novella.
Looking back on “The Body,” the reader will notice how there is an obvious schism dividing the group of main characters. Gordie is the gifted child who gets good grades and is in high school and college-level classes, while Teddy, Vern and Chris all take the shop classes to prepare them to work in the factory when they are adults.
Throughout the novel, there is an internal conflict within Gordie on what to do with his life. This is until Chris gives Gordie a speech about not letting his dreams die and how he needs to leave this town before he rots like everyone else. While the speech is still in the movie, I think the dynamic between Chris and Gordie is not as emotional as in the book. It really takes away from the viewing experience, in my opinion.
Even with the lacking theme and all of its flaws, I will still say that “Stand By Me” is a great film. Even though it does not explore the deeper themes rooted in its source material, it still delivers a great story of friendship and adolescence.