Stand by Me

743 Words3 Pages
Many of Stephen King's novels and short stories have been turned into big Hollywood blockbuster movies. The outstanding film Stand By Me is a great example as it keeps the audience entertained at all times. It is the story of four boys who decide to walk down some train tracks to go look for the dead body of a boy named Ray Brower. The movie uses suspense to keep the plot moving and the audience guessing. It also uses humour occasionally to make viewers laugh and to relieve some of the tension built up by the suspense. Finally, it presents believable characters like Gordie LeChance, played by Will Wheaton, and Chris Chambers, played by River Phoenix, as real people. Therefore, suspense, humour, and the ability to present characters as real people make Stand By Me a highly entertaining film. First, the plot of the movie is captivating because of the suspense. This is what compels the audience to keep watching, as the viewers never know what is around the next corner. The scene with the boys crossing a bridge one hundred feet above a river when train comes steaming along is a good example of suspense. When the boys see the train, Chris and Teddie are able to get out of the way but Vern falls down crying on the tracks. As a consequence, the audience doesn’t know if Vern will be able to get up in time and they fear for his life. However, Gordie doesn’t allow his friend to quit and he ends up helping Vern to get to the other side of the bridge narrowly missing the train. This gains Gordie the respect of his friends and makes the audience breathe a sigh of relief. It is the use of suspense in scenes like this one that makes the film entertaining for an audience. Humour is another entertaining feature of Stand By Me. Just when viewers think that things are too bleak, a little humour is added to relieve the tension. When Gordie loses a coin toss,

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