How the Characters of ‘Stand By Me’ Reflected the Real Lives of the Actors Who Played Them

An absolutely fascinating video essay by The Back Focus looks at the 1986 Rob Reiner film Stand By Me, specifically how similar each actor's background, home life, and trauma was to the character they played.

What makes Stand By Me so powerful, even decades later?...we take a closer look at how each actor's real-life trauma, background, and personality aligned with their character in eerily perfect ways.

He also spoke about how Reiner as director gently coaxed the stellar performances out of his young cast, which included Jerry O'Connell, Wil Wheaton, Corey Feldman, and the late River Phoenix. The narrator dedicated separate sections to each actor, easily connecting the common traits of actor to character.

We explore behind-the-scenes stories, interviews, and the raw emotional weight each child brought to the screen-sometimes unknowingly reliving their own pain.