The One With the 40th Anniversary of Stand By Me

 

 

 

One of Kiff's favorite movies is Stand By Me. It is the coming of age movie from the 1980s that we had Kiff (and Bri) watch one day shortly after we came back from a summer trip. Exactly what allure the movie had on Kiff initially is still unclear...however, all we know it has inspired him to love movies, movie making, and the concept of creating stories on the screen. It truly has been life changing for him.

 As a result, when Emmie and I saw an ad online that the three living boys were coming back together to tour the country and celebrate the 40th anniversary of the movie (it came out in 1986), we couldn't help but jump at the chance to get Kiff tickets for his birthday. And, when they released a chance to meet and take a picture with them, we definitely bit.

Little did we know what an amazing night we would have. We had the chance to watch the movie with a large crowd at Lynn Auditorium. The place was packed. It was clear that most people had seen the movie before, but many hadn't seen it in decades (including the gentleman next to me, who I chatted with a few times). As a result, it was an incredible shared experience. There were oohs at the leeches, fear when they were running away from the train, and somberness when they found the body.

However, the real treat was a Q and A session with Jerry O'Connell, Corey Feldman, and Wil Wheaton. They sat together, with a moderator, as well as an empty chair to remember River Phoenix, who they all clearly loved. He was their defacto leader. They shared some amazing stories and joked with each other...Jerry made fun of Corey's favorite movie experience, The Goonies, and then Corey joked about his flick Kangaroo Jack. We learned that Corey and Wil both had tough experiences growing up that helped them related to their characters. And, Wil actually has anxiety when speaking to others.

The experience was such a one-of-a-kind experience that it was hard not to be moved. It was clear that the experience meant a lot to them, too, because Corey took a picture of the crowd at the end (they stayed long after the time) and posted it on Facebook. I even commented on the post...and got a thumbs up by Corey :) If you look close (I posted it above) you will see me and the glare glinting on my glasses (what alliteration). Overall, such an amazing experience.