For the third session of my library's "Read the book, watch the movie" we read Stand By Me by Stephen King. It was one of four short stories in the book The Seasons. I only did read another one, Rita Hayworth and The Shawshank Redemption.
In 1947, in Maine, Andy Dufresne, a banker, is tried and convicted for the double murder of his wife and her lover, despite his claims of innocence. He is sent to Shawshank State Penitentiary to serve a double life sentence. There, he meets Red, a prisoner who is known in the prison for his ability to smuggle in contraband items. Andy asks Red to get him a rock hammer, which he uses to shape rocks he collects from the exercise yard into small sculptures. He later requests a large poster of Rita Hayworth, which he hangs on the wall above his bed. Over the ensuing years, Andy regularly requests updated posters from Red of the latest pin-ups, including Marilyn Monroe and Raquel Welch. Andy tells Red that he likes to imagine he can step through the pictures and be with the actresses.
It is a wonderful, and sad, tale of two friends in prison and how their friendship develops over the years. Ups and downs as with all friendships, and one day the story takes another turn. I don't want to spoil the story so will leave it here. The ending is surprising and maybe give some kind of hope. It has been filmed with Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins.
I am not a big reader of Stephen King, mostly since I hardly read horror stories. I have read Christine though, and liked it very much. The above story and the one below caught my heart I must admit. Very good, emotional and both happy and sad.
Stand By Me got raving reviews as a movie, but I never got around to see it. A writer recalls his childhood memories after he reads about a friends death. He was one of four 12 year-old boys who, in the summer of 1959 in Castlerock Oregon, going for a quest to find the dead body of a local boy gone missing. During their excursion they ponder about their lives, what is important and what they want for the future.
The short story is wonderful, full of feelings and emotions that surround this group of boys. Their time in life, between childhood and adulthood, insecurities, family situations and, above all, the possibilities for a good future. Danger is luring behind them, but difficult to touch upon. A typical Stephen King feature, no doubt. For once I must admit that the movie was probably better than the book, although I enjoyed also the book. The four boys are skilfully portrayed in the movie by Will Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman and Jerry O'Connell. The showing made for an emotional roller coaster and will come down as one of the best films I have seen. It has so much to tell about young people, their feelings and their approach to life. Highly recommended, both short story and movie.
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