A sleeper hit when released in 1986; Stand by Me is based on Stephen King's novella "The Body" (from the book Different Seasons); but it's more about the joys and pains of boyhood friendship than a morbid fascination with corpses. It's about four boys ages 12 and 13 (Wil Wheaton; River Phoenix; Corey Feldman; Jerry O'Connell) who take an overnight hike through the woods near their Oregon town to find the body of a boy who's been missing for days. Their journey includes a variety of scary adventures (including a ferocious junkyard dog; a swamp full of leeches; and a treacherous leap from a train trestle); but it's also a time for personal revelations; quiet interludes; and the raucous comradeship of best friends. Set in the 1950s; the movie indulges an overabundance of anachronistic profanity and a kind of idealistic; golden-toned nostalgia (it's told in flashback as a story written by Wheaton's character as an adult; played by Richard Dreyfuss). But it's delightfully entertaining from start to finish; thanks to the rapport among its young cast members and the timeless; universal themes of friendship; family; and the building of character and self-esteem. Kiefer Sutherland makes a memorable teenage villain; and look closely for John Cusack in a flashback scene as Wheaton's now-deceased and dearly missed brother. A genuine crowd-pleaser; this heartfelt movie led director Rob Reiner to even greater success with his next film; The Princess Bride. --Jeff Shannon