[...]
According to Jerry O'Connell, who played the timid Vern Tessio, director Rob Reiner was the driving force behind the boys' performances and fellowship.
"If it wasn't for Rob, the acting wouldn't have been half as good", Jerry states.
"He really wanted us to understand our characters".
Before the actual filming began, Mr. Reiner brought the boys together in an effort to develop a genuine closeness and friendship between them.
He had chosen the four because he believed their personalities would allow them to be the characters rather than just act them.
He had them play theater games to develop trust amongst each other, and even
took them river rafting and to carnivals.
"Rob kept us together", says River Phoenix, who played the group's leader
and peacekeeper Chris Chambers. "The first three weeks were the most fun".
But boys will be boys, and naturally constant harmony was an unrealistic expectation.
"Just like in the movie, we had big fights", River adds, "boys and their egos, like who
got to walk down the railroad first".
But, for the most part, Mr. Reiner's preparations had succeeded.
"When you saw the four of us being comrades, that was real life, not acting", says Wil Wheaton, who played the sensitive Gordie Lachance. Gordie was the boy who found self-acceptance and discovery through Chris's friendship and belief in him.
River and Wil have since remained good friends!
Ironically, Wil lost the part of Harrison Ford's son Charlie Fox, in the movie The Mosquito Coast,
to River. The movie is slated for an early December release.
Jerry O'Connell recently completed an ABC Movie of the Week called Kingdom Chums.
And unforgettable Corey Feldman, who played Teddy Duchamp, is presently at work
on Lost Boys, a vampire movie.
Undoubtedly, the whole Stand By Me experience will leave quite a memorable and lasting impression on all the boys - no matter where their career takes them.
