21 - "Stand By Me" (1986)

    Just like the previous film on the list, Good Will Hunting, I have already done a full review of Stand By Me on my blog back in March. It was one of my first posts actually. So please go back and read that to get my full thoughts on the film. Once again I just want to take a quick moment to praise the acting by the young men in this film, especially the late River Phoenix. What a future he had in front of him. It's such a shame he was lost due to some bad choices at a young age. He is brilliant in this film as Chris Chambers, the leader of the four boys who go searching for a dead body. Wil Wheaton, Corey Feldman and Jerry O'Connell are also perfectly cast as Gordie, Teddy and Vern respectively. The movie is based on a novella by Stephen King titled "The Body" and is one of the best coming-of-age stories to hit the big screen. As I mentioned in my full review, I grew up with a group of kids very much like this, so it hits home and holds a special place in my heart. Stand By Me is simply a wonderful film, one of the best of the 80's, and a permanent fixture at the top portion of my list.