One of the timeless films of the 80s turns 40 this year. It was one of the best “coming-of-age” dramas of all time. This is “Stand by Me”. What started as a three-stop tour last year has expanded into a second tour with seven more stops, offering a wonderful experience for fans of the movie.

Saturday night in North Bethesda, the Music Center at Strathmore is where lifelong friends Jerry O’Connell, Corey Feldman, and Wil Wheaton brought their amazing film to the DMV. We were the second stop of the tour, and the people who were all in attendance were in for a treat.

The evening started with the showing of the 1986 classic film. I’ll have to admit it was the very first time I got to not only see the film on a big screen but also see it with over 2,000 people in the music center, and the feeling of laughing, crying, cheering, and reciting the words to the movie was extraordinary. Once the credits rolled, the audience cheered as the cast members’ named popped on the screen. Then, a new card came on the screen – a dedication to legendary director Rob Reiner, who we lost back in December. In addition, a stagehand added an empty black director’s chair with Reiner’s name on it.

After a 15-minute intermission, the fun really began. Producer, professor and proud Gen Xer Dan Pasternack played moderator to the festivities and introduced the actors one by one. Jerry who played Vern Tessio took the mic and stated that he has something to reveal to the audience and to our surprise he wore the same shirt as he did in the film and it fits in nicely. While Corey threw out cherry Pez to the audience. “This is a profound experience” said O’Connell as he and his fellow castmates were amazed the audience was returning the favor by listening to them.

Another exciting moment came when Corey Feldman, who played Teddy Duchamp, shared insights into the burned prosthetic ear he wore in the film. Even though he brought a replica of the ear, the original was sold at an auction for $3500 to a special fan by the name of Jordan Peele, yes, THAT Jordan Peele. The show-and-tell wouldn’t be complete without Wil Wheaton, who played Gordie Lachance, who joked about bringing a leech from the movie, but instead he pulled off his shirt and put on Gordie’s shirt to the audience’s delight. We even got a real treat when the three reenacted the train scene.

Once the cool, crazy fun had settled, we got into the questions. Among the questions asked were those focused on casting and whether they liked their characters. Wil told us about Rob’s direction during filming and how he brought them up to the set for a couple of weeks prior to building camaraderie. Corey talked about his standout moment as Teddy. The inspiration for one of his famous lines actually came from Dan Aykroyd in an early 1980’s film. He said that it was “pure brilliance, sheer excellence,” and we couldn’t agree more. Reiner had truly given the four young actors the opportunity to create a line to define each of their characters.

Then came the moment that we could not escape, the loss of director Rob Reiner. O’Connell said to the audience, “It’s so cathartic that I speak for all of us up here, watching it with all of you and coming out. It’s such an experience, especially after what just happened. It is so helpful to all of us, and that said, I watched the whole movie. Wil mentioned that ever since we lost Rob, we have been talking every day.

We also saw some “In case you missed it” moments with scenes you may have missed. Honestly, after seeing the scenes, it was crazy that I now have to rewatch the scenes to catch those moments many years later. As a bonus, we got a crazy tidbit about the character “Ray Brower” – both Corey and Wil filled us in.

Another touching moment within the Q&A was hearing their stories of working with River Phoenix, who played Chris Chambers. Corey told us how he knew River before the film and shared how they met during auditions when they were younger. “River and I were very much those non-stage kids. Like we were not play by the rules stage actors in which those stage moms say “Oooh, don’t play with that kid. Don’t tell how much they’re making.” Whatever stuff they were playing. River and I were very organic. We’re both the type of kids who grabbed a football and we would go play in the parking lot. We were also very friendly and we just had this bond immediately”

The amazing panel continued throughout the night with more questions, including a true-or-false segment based on facts found on IMDb. Dan mentioned that Rob said this movie was his favorite and most personal. They closed out the night by letting Rob have the final words from his talk, courtesy of The Television Academy, talking about the movie. “Stand By Me was the first movie that I did where I realized that I actually have a chance at being successful at what I like to do. It was the first time that I did a movie that really reflected my personality.”

Being here tonight and seeing the three actors laughing, joking, and telling amazing stories of such a great film makes me appreciate it even more. This is a must-see and once again, one of the best movie screening talks I have ever witnessed. If you’re a fan of the film, Rob Reiner, or the four actors, go see it and experience it!

Final Grade: A+

Stand By Me: the film and its stars 40th Anniversary will continue for five more stops ending in Chicago on June 14th. For more information on tickets and VIP – go to https://www.standbymelive.com/

About The Author

Dean Rogers

Editor-in-Chief/Entertainment Reporter

I knew early on that I wanted to take my place among the stars. One day, my mother saw me reading The Washington Post at a very young age. Who would have known that it would be the building blocks of my journey? Since that day, I dedicated my life to learn all that is learnable. I read everything from encyclopedias to books to dictionaries to magazines. I’m also an avid television viewer, with my favorite genre being game shows. If you’ve seen me on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire or Wheel of Fortune, then you know that this interest has served me well!

My unique style of reporting began back in junior high school, when I started to chronicle the events that shaped my life. Whether it was the annual family vacation or the local science fiction convention, I shot numerous pictures and recorded my thoughts so I could truly appreciate the history. During my senior year at Friendly High, I wrote what was to be my first masterpiece, “Advanced Space Academy – A One Week Journey.” I sent the eleven-page article back to the U.S. Space Camp staff. The article was highly praised for being “one of the best written articles in the history of U.S. Space Camp.” From then on, I knew what I wanted to do for rest of my life — to be a reporter.

Since then, I have trained in Broadcast Journalism at Bowie State University (2008) in Bowie, MD, earning a B.S. in Communications. I gained experience in news production and editing through field experiences with Bowie Community Media Corporation, Prince George’s Community Television, and Bowie State University Television. I also wrote scripts for a variety of quiz shows for over five years.

As a lifelong movie buff, I now see close to 100 films every year. I took this love of movies to the next step when I became a co-host for Eclipse Magazine TV in the fall of 2005. While at EMTV, I interviewed celebrities, worked on red carpets, and attended a wide variety of movie screenings. In January 2009, I took a leap of faith and started my own entertainment news magazine, The Rogers Revue. Shortly afterward, my lifelong journey of studying the silver screen and writing about what I learned finally earned me a place in the Washington Area Film Critics Association.

All of this has led me here, giving you the latest entertainment news for the DMV and the entire nation, and I am truly excited for whatever will come next.

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