Editing Stand by Me (film) (section)

==Production==

===Development===
[[File:Stand By Me theMovie Original Tshirt for the Cast and Crew.jpg|thumb|"The Body" was the original name of the movie based on the novel, with Embassy Pictures heading production. T-shirts bearing the name and company were given to the cast and crew.]]
The film was adapted from the Stephen King novella ''[[The Body (King novella)|The Body]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.etonline.com/all-the-stephen-king-easter-eggs-in-hulus-castle-rock-from-shawshank-to-sissy-spacek-106674 |title=All the Stephen King Easter Eggs in Hulu's ''Castle Rock'' – From Shawshank to Sissy Spacek |website=Entertainment Tonight |access-date=April 16, 2019 |archive-date=February 15, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190215160028/https://www.etonline.com/all-the-stephen-king-easter-eggs-in-hulus-castle-rock-from-shawshank-to-sissy-spacek-106674 |url-status=live}}</ref> [[Bruce A. Evans]] sent a copy of ''The Body'' to Karen Gideon, the wife of his friend and writing partner Raynold Gideon, on August 29, 1983, as a gift for her birthday.<ref name="CT-861121">{{cite news |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1986/11/21/how-stand-by-me-was-almost-left-standing-at-the-gate/ |title=How ''Stand By Me'' Was Almost Left Standing At The Gate |last=Scott |first=Vernon |date=November 21, 1986 |newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]] |agency=United Press International |access-date=24 April 2017 |archive-date=April 25, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170425115616/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1986-11-21/entertainment/8603270806_1_novella-stand-bruce-evans |url-status=live}}</ref> Both Gideon and Evans quickly became fans of the novella and shortly thereafter contacted King's agent, [[Kirby McCauley]], seeking to negotiate film rights; McCauley replied that King's terms were $100,000 and 10% of the gross profits. Although the money was not an issue, the share of gross profits was considered excessive, especially considering that no stars could be featured to help sell the movie. In response, Evans and Gideon pursued an established director, [[Adrian Lyne]], to help sell the project.<ref name="CT-861121" />

After reading the novella, Lyne teamed up with Evans and Gideon, but all the studios the trio approached turned the project down except for Martin Shafer at [[Embassy Pictures]]. Embassy spent four months negotiating the rights with McCauley, settling on $50,000 and a smaller share of the profits, and Evans and Gideon spent eight weeks writing the screenplay. Evans and Gideon asked to also produce the film, but Shafer suggested they team up with [[Andrew Scheinman]], a more experienced producer.<ref name="CT-861121" /> Embassy was unwilling to meet Lyne's salary for directing the film until Evans and Gideon agreed to give up half of their share of profits to meet Lyne's asking price.<ref name="CT-861121" />

Lyne was going to direct the film, but had promised himself a vacation following the production of ''[[9½ Weeks]]'',<ref name="Telegraph11" /><ref>{{cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-rLZaTs5AY |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200705071056/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-rLZaTs5AY&feature=youtu.be&t=1191|archive-date=July 5, 2020 |title=Rob Reiner – Archive Interview Part 6 of 8 |work=Foundation Interviews |date=March 20, 2008 |access-date=October 8, 2017 |via=[[YouTube]]}}</ref> and would not be available to start production until the spring of 1986.<ref name="CT-861121" /> Reiner was better known at the time for playing [[Michael Stivic]] in ''[[All in the Family]]'' and had just started a directing career, making comedies such as ''[[This Is Spinal Tap]]'' and ''[[The Sure Thing]]''. He was sent the script by Scheinman,<ref name="CT-861121" /> and his initial reaction was that the script had promise but "no focus".<ref name="Variety">{{cite news |url=https://variety.com/2016/film/news/stand-by-me-30th-anniversary-oral-history-corey-feldman-1201824490/ |title=''Stand by Me'' Oral History: Rob Reiner and Cast on River Phoenix and How Coming-of-Age Classic Almost Didn't Happen |last=Lang |first=Brent |date=July 28, 2016 |newspaper=Variety |access-date=23 April 2017 |archive-date=October 15, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171015200829/http://variety.com/2016/film/news/stand-by-me-30th-anniversary-oral-history-corey-feldman-1201824490/ |url-status=live}}</ref> After Lyne withdrew from the project, Reiner signed on to direct in September 1984.<ref name="CT-861121" /> In a 2011 interview, Reiner discussed his realization that the film should focus on the character of Gordie:

<blockquote>"In the book, it was about four boys, but...once I made Gordie the central focus of the piece then it made sense to me: this movie was all about a kid who didn't feel good about himself and whose father didn't love him. And through the experience of going to find the dead body and his friendship with these boys, he began to feel empowered and went on to become a very successful writer. He basically became Stephen King."<ref name="Telegraph11" /></blockquote>

Reiner has said that he identified with Gordie, as he himself struggled with the shadow of fame cast by his comedian father, [[Carl Reiner]].<ref name="Variety" /> The writers incorporated Reiner's suggestions, producing a new script by December 1984 for Embassy's review and approval.<ref name="CT-861121" />

Days before the shooting started in the summer of 1985, Embassy was sold to [[Columbia Pictures]], which made plans to cancel the production.<ref name="CT-861121" /> [[Norman Lear]], one of the co-owners of Embassy and the developer of ''All in the Family'', gave {{no wrap|$7.5{{nbsp}}million}} of his own money to complete the film, citing his faith in Reiner and the script.<ref name="Variety" /> However, since Embassy also would have distributed the film, once the film was completed it had no distributor. The producers showed a print to [[Michael Ovitz]], head of the powerful [[Creative Artists Agency]], and Ovitz promised to help them find a distributor.<ref name="CT-861121" /> [[Paramount Pictures|Paramount]], [[Universal Pictures]], and [[Warner Bros.]] all passed on the film; Columbia Pictures production head [[Guy McElwaine]] screened the film at his house because he was feeling ill, and the positive reaction of his daughters convinced him to distribute the film.<ref name="CT-861121" /><ref name="Variety" /> In March 1986, [[Columbia Pictures]], concerned that the original title, ''The Body'', was misleading, renamed the film ''Stand by Me''. According to screenwriter Raynold Gideon, ''The Body'' "sounded like either a sex film, a bodybuilding film, or another Stephen King horror film. Rob came up with ''Stand by Me'', and it ended up being the least unpopular option."<ref>{{cite book |title=Stand By Me'' DVD Booklet'' |publisher=Columbia TriStar Home Video |date=2000}}</ref> The film's name is derived from Ben E. King's 1961 song, "Stand by Me", which plays during the ending credits.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://screenrant.com/stand-by-me-ending-explained/ |title=Stand By Me Ending Explained |website=screenrant.com |last=Laguerre-Lewis |first=Kayla |date=September 1, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://insessionfilm.com/classic-movie-review-stand-by-me/ |title=''Stand By Me'' Remains Sentimental |website=insessionfilm.com |last=Battestella |first=Kristin |date=June 6, 2024}}</ref>

===Casting===
In a 2011 interview with [[NPR]], Wil Wheaton attributed the film's success to the director's casting choices:{{blockquote|Rob Reiner found four young boys who were the characters we played. I was awkward and nerdy and shy and uncomfortable in my skin and sensitive, and River was cool and smart and passionate and even at that age kind of like a father figure to some of us, Jerry was one of the funniest people I had ever seen in my life, either before or since, and Corey was unbelievably angry and in an incredible amount of pain and had a terrible relationship with his parents.<ref>{{cite interview |last=Wheaton |first=Wil |subject-link=Wil Wheaton |interviewer=David Greene |title=All Things Considered |url=https://www.npr.org/2011/08/06/139025610/stand-by-me-a-love-letter-to-childhood-innocence |work=[[National Public Radio]] |publisher=[[WNPR]] |location=[[Meriden, Connecticut]] |date=August 6, 2011 |access-date=August 6, 2011 |archive-date=March 9, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180309120338/https://www.npr.org/2011/08/06/139025610/stand-by-me-a-love-letter-to-childhood-innocence |url-status=live}}</ref>}}

Feldman recalled how his home life translated into his onscreen character: "[Most kids aren't] thinking they're going to get hit by their parents because they're not doing well enough in school, which will prevent them from getting a work permit, which will prevent them from being an actor."<ref name="Variety" /> O'Connell agreed that he was cast based on how his personality fit the role, saying "Rob wanted us to understand our characters. He interviewed our characters. [...] I tried to stay like Vern and say the stupid things Vern would. I think I was Vern that summer."<ref name="CT-860925" /> Reiner and the producers interviewed more than 70 boys for the four main roles,<ref name="CT-861121" /> out of more than 300 who auditioned;<ref name="CT-860925" /> Phoenix originally read for the part of Gordie Lachance.<ref name=CT-860925>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1986/09/16/movies/how-4-boys-in-stand-by-me-became-a-film-team.html?pagewanted=all |title=How 4 boys in ''Stand by Me'' became a film team |last=Harmetz |first=Aljean |date=September 16, 1986 |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=24 April 2017 |archive-date=August 23, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160823215231/http://www.nytimes.com/1986/09/16/movies/how-4-boys-in-stand-by-me-became-a-film-team.html?pagewanted=all |url-status=live}}</ref> [[Ethan Hawke]] auditioned for Chris Chambers.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/nov/16/ethan-hawke-my-first-screen-partner-overdosed-on-sunset-boulevard-river-phoenix-was-a-big-lesson-to-me |title=Ethan Hawke on regrets, race and surviving Hollywood: 'River Phoenix was a big lesson to me' |last=Freeman |first=Hadley |date=November 16, 2020 |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |access-date=November 19, 2020 |archive-date=November 18, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201118215822/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/nov/16/ethan-hawke-my-first-screen-partner-overdosed-on-sunset-boulevard-river-phoenix-was-a-big-lesson-to-me |url-status=live}}</ref>

Before filming began, Reiner put the four main actors together for two weeks to play games from [[Viola Spolin]]'s ''Improvisation for the Theater'' (which Reiner called "the bible" of theater games)<ref name="CT-860925" /> and build camaraderie. As a result, a friendship developed among the actors.<ref name="Variety" /> Wheaton would recall "When you saw the four of us being comrades, that was real life, not acting."<ref name="CT-860925" />

Before settling on Richard Dreyfuss as the narrator (and the role of the adult Gordie), Reiner considered [[David Dukes]], [[Ted Bessell]], and [[Michael McKean]].<ref name="Variety" />

===Filming===
[[File:Brownsville 090709 254 (3920802011) (cropped).jpg|thumb|right|Bridge on the road leading into [[Brownsville, Oregon]], which was used for the [[penult]]imate scenes (2009)]]
[[Principal photography]] began on June 17, 1985, and ended on August 23, 1985.

Parts of the film were shot in [[Brownsville, Oregon]], which stood in for the fictional town of Castle Rock. The town was selected for its small-town 1950s ambience.<ref name="Paul">{{cite news |url=http://democratherald.com/news/linda-mccormick-can-tell-you-all-about-the-film-stand/article_969658c6-4345-50ad-baf9-7be813f44844.html |first=Alex |last=Paul |title=Linda McCormick Can Tell You All About the Film ''Stand by Me'' |newspaper=Albany Democrat-Herald |date=July 20, 2016 |access-date=21 April 2017 |archive-date=September 28, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160928030335/http://democratherald.com/news/linda-mccormick-can-tell-you-all-about-the-film-stand/article_969658c6-4345-50ad-baf9-7be813f44844.html |url-status=live}}; special section, pg. S2.</ref><ref name="Locations">{{cite web |url=http://www.fast-rewind.com/locations_standbyme.htm |title=Stand By Me Filming Locations |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=2015 |website=Fast Rewind |access-date=13 April 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170414083129/http://www.fast-rewind.com/locations_standbyme.htm |archive-date=April 14, 2017}}</ref> Approximately 100 local residents were employed as extras.<ref name="Paul" />

The "barf-o-rama" scene was also filmed in Brownsville. A local bakery supplied the pies and extra filling, which was mixed with large-curd [[cottage cheese]] to simulate the vomit.<ref name="ew-blueberry-pie">{{cite magazine |url=http://ew.com/article/2016/05/12/stand-by-me-blueberry-pie/ |title=''Stand by Me'' turns 30: The blueberry pie scene gets an oral history |first=Joe |last=McGovern |date=May 12, 2016 |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |access-date=2 May 2017 |archive-date=December 26, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161226150945/http://ew.com/article/2016/05/12/stand-by-me-blueberry-pie/ |url-status=live}}</ref> The quantity of simulated vomit varied per person, from as much as {{convert|5|gal|L}} during the triggering event to as little as {{convert|1/16|gal|L}}.<ref name="ew-blueberry-pie" />

[[File: The "Stand By Me" bridge at Lake Britton (6729363339).jpg|thumb|The [[McCloud Railway|McCloud River Railroad]] [[trestle bridge]] across [[Lake Britton]] in [[California]], which was used for the train chase scene (2012)]]

The scene where the boys outrace a steam train engine across an 80-foot tall trestle was filmed on the [[McCloud Railway|McCloud River Railroad]], above [[Lake Britton|Lake Britton Reservoir]] near [[McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park]] in California.<ref name="train">{{cite news |url=http://democratherald.com/news/bend-attorney-helped-drive-stand-by-me-train/article_2ea5a666-b948-598f-a38f-1049da066670.html |first=Alex |last=Paul |title=Bend Attorney Helped Drive ''Stand By Me'' Train |newspaper=Albany Democrat-Herald |date=July 20, 2016 |access-date=21 April 2017 |archive-date=September 26, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160926012441/http://democratherald.com/news/bend-attorney-helped-drive-stand-by-me-train/article_2ea5a666-b948-598f-a38f-1049da066670.html |url-status=live}}; special section, pp. S3, S8.</ref> The scene took a full week to shoot, making use of four small adult female [[stunt double]]s with closely cropped hair who were made up to look like the film's protagonists.<ref name="train" /> Plywood planks were laid across the ties to provide a safer surface on which the stunt doubles could run.<ref name="train" /> The film crew even brought a brand-new camera for use in the shot, only for it to jam between the rails on the first shot. The locomotive used for the scene, [[McCloud Railway 25|M.C.R.R. 25]], is still in daily operation for excursion service on the [[Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad]].<ref name="train" /> [[Perspective distortion (photography)|Telephoto compression]] was used to make the train appear much closer than it actually was. The actors did not feel a sense of danger until Reiner threatened them by saying, "You see those guys? They don't want to push that dolly down the track anymore. And the reason they're getting tired is because of you... I told them if they weren't worried that the train was going to kill them, then they should worry that I was going to. And that's when they ran."<ref name=Telegraph11>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/8566133/25-years-of-Stand-by-Me.html |title=25 years of ''Stand by Me'' |last=Hannaford |first=Alex |date=June 13, 2011 |newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]] |access-date=13 April 2017 |archive-date=May 21, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180521030244/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/8566133/25-years-of-Stand-by-Me.html |url-status=live}}</ref>