From the distant 1986 to the present day, the popularity of “Stand by Me” has traversed entire generations unscathed, and the reception has always been so favorable that it has cultivated numerous unwavering enthusiasts around the world.
Alert: Spoiler! Most likely, if you’re reading this article, you’ve already seen “Stand By Me.” However, if you haven’t, please note that by continuing to read the article, you might encounter significant spoilers!
Contents
Stand By Me Themes
The movie’s narrative backdrop revolves around the adventure lived by four boys who chase the bizarre and somewhat eerie idea of being the first to recover the lifeless body of a missing peer, thus becoming heroes in the eyes of their community. The screenplay, seemingly simple, is nevertheless enhanced by thrilling plot twists and enriched by a perfect blend of substantial elements such as friendship, fear of the future, regret, the desire to live, the pain of death, adolescent restlessness, and inner growth.
These numerous and delicate themes, which each of us has intimately dealt with at least once in our adolescence or later in adulthood, are treated with style and ease. Rob Reiner’s film, set during a warm American summer in 1959 and narrated with a voice-over by the writer and protagonist of the story himself, is made even more magical by the wonderful backdrop provided by the lush and unspoiled western region of the beautiful state of Oregon, as well as the lesser-known but equally stunning northern California.
Where Was Stand by Me Filmed?
In the opening scenes of the film, the protagonist himself, Gordie Lachance (Wil Wheaton), introduces the place where he lives with his family and the rest of the group: “I was living in a small town in Oregon called Castle Rock. There were only 1,281 people, but to me it was the whole world.” In reality, the name of the town is taken from the original story, “The Body,” created by the genius of Stephen King and included in the collection of novellas “Different Seasons.”
In the film directed by Rob Reiner, however, the town used for the filming is Brownsville, actually located in Oregon. Also in this beautiful western state of the United States, a significant part of the journey on foot that Gordie undertakes with his inseparable friends Chris Chambers (River Phoenix), Teddy Duchamp (Corey Feldman), and Vern Tessio (Jerry O’Connell) is set. The now legendary railroad bridge that the four hurry to cross is located in Northern California, on Lake Britton, along the Great Shasta Rail Trail.
Brownsville (Oregon) Locations
If you go to Brownsville (about an hour and a half drive from Portland), you will be impressed by how time seems to have stopped in the mid-eighties. The buildings have remained almost identical to the time when they were captured in the cult movie, and along Main Street, you can find numerous spots where many opening and closing scenes were filmed.
As you enter the town, you immediately encounter the iron bridge that appears twice in the movie: first, when Billy (Casey Siemaszko) tells Eyeball Chambers (Bradley Gregg) what he had learned about the body of the missing young boy; and in the closing scenes of the film, when the four heroes return home exhausted from their journey and realize that, “We’d only been gone two days, but somehow the town seemed different… smaller.“
If a stranger were to tell you they saw a penny on the pedestrian crossing at the intersection with Park Avenue, it could very well be a fan just trying to point out the exact spot where Vern finds a lucky penny on the ground. Behind this same point, you can see the house that Teddy heads towards after bidding farewell to the group.
Arriving in the central area of the town, roughly at the intersection with Spaulding Avenue, you won’t have much trouble spotting the many points immortalized at the beginning of the film: Gordie purchases a copy of “True Police” at the store that is now “Brownsville Pharmacy & Gifts” (411 N Main St.), while just outside the entrance of the present-day “The Brownsville Saloon” (419 N Main St.), Chris courageously confronts Ace (Kiefer Sutherland), the town bully, to defend his dearest friend. The nook where Gordie accidentally shoots a garbage can can be found behind a building at the back of Main Street.
Finally, the tree with its mighty curved branches that shelters the shack where the friends usually gather can be found on the low hill behind Main Street. Leaving your car at the end of Averill Street, the site is easily reachable on foot, just a few steps away. Unfortunately, the treehouse is no longer there, but with a bit of imagination, you’ll hear Vern’s question that sparked the entire adventure echoing: “You guys want to go see a dead body?”
Dorena Lake (Oregon) Locations
The journey on foot, lasting approximately two days and two nights, begins near a massive red iron bridge where the four friends, equipped with sleeping bags to face the nights along the long way, wonder how much road there will be to cover before they find the body of the unfortunate Ray Brower. The group of teenagers, shadowing the local train tracks to be sure of the direction to follow, travel for long stretches along what is now known as the Row River Trail, which was transformed into a beloved bike path around the 1990s by removing the unused rails.
The popular cycling path starts from the charming town of Cottage Grove and arrives, after 16.8 miles and an elevation gain of about 653 feet, in the town of Dorena. This route passes through a lovely forest that entirely lines the northern shore of the serene Dorena Lake.
A few miles after the iron bridge, the four friends, hit by the first pangs of hunger, sit along the tracks to count the spare change they have to buy dinner. In the movie, in the background of this location behind the protagonists, you can see a vast prairie that in the distance is interrupted by a barren mountain dotted with a few sparse groups of conifers.
Today, along the trail near the indicated point, the meadows have given way to trees that obscure much of the view of the landscape seen in the film. However, heading to 78316 Layng Road, you can still observe the same distant mountain and fully appreciate the bucolic character of the place. Further along the same route, in areas adjacent to the lake, other scenes from Stand by Me were filmed.
During their walk, Gordie and Chris, at one point, lag behind the other two members of the group, and Chris, sensing Gordie’s intentions to stay with his “slower” friends rather than attend schools better suited for his writing talent and intellectual level, reproaches his friend in a paternalistic manner: “It’s like God gave you something, man, all those stories that you can make up… and He said, “This is what we got for you. Try not to lose it. Kids lose everything unless there’s someone there to look out for them. If your parents are too fucked-up to do it, then maybe I should”; and then He prophetizes: “You’re gonna be a great writer someday, Gordie, You might even write about us guys, if you ever get hard-up for material!”.
Great Shasta Rail Trail (California) Locations
The Great Shasta Rail Trail is an old railway route, about 80 miles long, that has now been transformed into a trail connecting McCloud to Burney. Along certain segments of this route, some scenes of the movie were set. Specifically, near the Californian town of McCloud, the four friends pass by a large water tank, nourishing themselves with some berries they gather on the way as a substitute for breakfast. Unfortunately, only a few trusses of the rainwater collector remain today; nevertheless, you can still appreciate the marvelous natural landscape characterized by the contrast between the lush, towering conifers and the red earth of the still relatively unknown trail.
Further south, near Lake Britton, the famous suspension bridge that connects the two banks of the Pit River is still standing. Gordie, Chris, Vern, and Teddy decide to cross it to save time and miles, fully aware that if a train were to come along, they would risk a grim fate. The easiest way to reach this engineering marvel is to park your car along Eagle Mountain Lane, Burney, OR, and walk a few steps from there.
Compared to the movie sequence, you’ll find yourself at the end of the bridge, where Gordie and Vern narrowly escape the oncoming train by throwing themselves to the side onto the ground. It’s strictly forbidden and extremely dangerous to climb over the recently installed fences that prevent pedestrians from walking across the viaduct.
Although with some minor limitations, for all those who have loved this extraordinary film, being “inside” this location will undoubtedly feel like an enchanting and magical experience. Being at that point might bring back memories of carefree summer days spent with your childhood friends because, deep down, what Gordie says at the end might be true for you too: “I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was twelve. Jesus, does anyone?”
To add a few more interesting elements to your itinerary, I’d like to point out the most important attractions in the area:
Places to Stay
For the California part of the journey, it’s recommended to stay overnight in the town of Burney and thus visit the McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park, which is home to the stunning McArthur-Burney Falls.
For the Oregon part, the best recommendation is to stay in Cottage Grove, which is only about 43 miles away from Brownsville, the town where Stand by Me was set. The Cottage Grove Inn is a well-rated motel with a great quality-to-price ratio.
From Cottage Grove, you’ll be closer to the Row River Trail, and by renting a bike in town, you can travel the same path taken by the protagonists in the movie. Additionally, in Cottage Grove, some scenes from “Animal House,” a 1978 film featuring the legendary and late John Belushi, were filmed. But that’s a whole different story…
