FILM STUDY – STAND BY ME

Write your answers in reply to each of the following questions about the film Stand By Me.Where possible refer to incidents from the film to support what you say.

Character Study

  • Fill out the following chart about the characters.

Gordy / Chris / Teddy / Vern
Clues about their home life
Their personalities
  • Now, choose a character in the film that has particular appeal to you. Justify your choice. (Ask yourself such questions as – Why do I like him? Is he like me? Is he like someone I know?)
  • From whose point of view do we witness the events in the film? What signs are we given of the narrator’s present life-style and status?

Themes

  • Describe how each of the following incidents in the film might relate to the theme of developing a sense of male identity.

Entering the wood yard–

Sleeping in the woods–

The confrontation with Ace and his gang–

  • Think about the abusive language and contexts of jokes used by the boys in both gangs. Have they anything in common with how they insult each other? What do they suggest about their values and their sense of male identity?
  • The train plays an important part in the boys’ journey to find the body. What role does the train play in the narrative of the boys’ loss of innocent/quest? (In particular, consider the incident on the bridge).
  • In what ways do you think that this film qualifies as one that deals with the issue of ‘coming of age’?

Adopt the voice of Chris, Gordie or Teddie. Choose one of the following writing prompts:

Gordie: "He's not a thief", you plead to your father (talking about Chris). Why do you say this, and what makes you and Chris best friends? Write a letter to your father that explains the ‘real’ Chris and why you’re best friends.

Gordie or Chris: You are in your last year of high school and you have been chosen to be the valedictorian of your graduating class. Write a speech reflecting back on your high school experience and particularly the summer when you found the body. Be sure to make references as to how the events have impacted your life and changed your outlook on life.

Gordie: You are in your first year of high school. You have just been given your first creative writing assignment. You are asked to discuss your views on friendship. Using the events in your grade 7 year as a backdrop you start to think about what you will write…

Teddie: It’s one week since you found the body. You open your journal and begin to write about why you had to see it through…what your motivation was…and why this journey was so important to you?

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