The media product that I have chosen to analyze is the movie Stand By Me. This movie is a coming of age film set in the late 1950’s. The film describes a journey that four boys take through the woods near their hometown to see the dead body of another boy, close to their own age. The movie is told through the flashbacks and recollections of the main character, Gordie, a freelance writer. The kids find out about the dead body when one of the boys, Vern, overhears his older brother discussing the body of a missing boy, after accidentally coming across it in the woods with his friend. The gang of lead characters decide to go see the body themselves, a journey requiring two days of walking. During this time, the boys become so close, telling each other all their secrets, their dreams, and their struggles. Their overcoming of difficulties along the way, and their companionship as friends are strong themes within the storyline. The main message in this movie is to keep your friends close and do what you think is right, even if others might not. This movie may seem like a younger crowd’s movie, but since it is rated R, the main audience would have to be adults. The writers probably wanted the movie to be a reflection of what the viewers’ lives were like when they were kids so that they could relate to the movie and emjoy it that much more.
I really like how this movie gives so much detail about each of the four boys. Viewers feel like they actually know the boys and therefore feel sympathy towards them in their struggles. For example, the narrator introduces all of the boys in the beginning of the film. Introducing Chris Chambers, he says, “Chris Chambers was the leader of our gang and my best friend. He came from a bad family and everyone just knew he'd turn out bad, including Chris.” The narrator also gives lots of details about himself as a boy. Describing his brother’s death, he says, “In April my older brother Dennis had been killed in a Jeep accident. Four months had passed but my parents still hadn't been able to put the pieces back together again.” This gives the audience more background into what Gordie’s childhood was like. I honestly don’t think there is anything about this movie that I don’t like, or would change. The story is so well written, and it really hits home. It is one of my favorite movies of all time, and I would recommend it to anyone looking to watch a good movie.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJ7Zi6jg8wM
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092005/
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