The film is narrated by protagonist Gordie Lachance as he looks back on the film's events years later as an adult. This gives the story a lens of retrospection, reflection, and nostalgia. Youth begins to take on more meaning because the audience is constantly aware of its fleetingness. It is also a story of the close bonds between best friends at a young age, and even though these friendships might fade over the years, their significance lasts a lifetime. While there are many great quotes in Stand by Me, the best capture these themes in a touching and emotional way.

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15 "You Can Do Anything You Want, Man."

Gordie (Wil Wheaton)

One of the big themes of Stand by Me is these kids feeling trapped by their small-town lives. They want to have fun while they're kids, but they're getting older, and they know that there is a chance they could end up stuck where they live. This is a discomforting thought, as they see what it does to the people who are still there after all these years. Chris is one of the four boys who see no way out, being from a rough family with limited prospects.

Chris tells Gordie as much, as they are sitting together after their adventure and start to get honest about their fears of the future. "I'm never gonna get out of this town am I, Gordie?" Chris asks his friend. However, as a good friend will always do, Gordie tries to pump him up with this quote. Chris isn't so sure, and they simply slap hands before going their separate ways.

14 "Mighty Mouse Is A Cartoon. Superman's A Real Guy."

Teddy (Corey Feldman)

Nothing says friendship like talking about the most nonsensical things, and doing it in a way where both friends are all on board. In this case, the four friends are on their way to see the dead body when Teddy and Vern start talking about two fictional characters. It starts when Verne wonders out loud if Mighty Mouse could beat up Superman. This is a basic debate that happens to this day between comic book fans (Superman vs. the Hulk is a good example). However, this plays out even better.

Teddy seems to think it is ridiculous that Vern could even consider that Mighty Mouse could beat Superman in a fight. That is when Teddy delivers this line, which is equal parts brilliant and equal parts ridiculous. He argues that Mighty Mouse can't win the fight because he is a cartoon, while Superman is a "real guy." This is so perfect, as it shows that these friends are all on a journey that will force them to grow up fast, but at the end of the day, they're all still just kids.

13 "Did Your Mother Have Any Kids That Lived?"

Teddy (Corey Feldman)

When it comes to teens and friendship, kind words and consideration can often take a backseat to insult-throwing, especially when it comes to boys. If Stand by Me shows anything, it is that Gordie, Chris, Teddy, and Verne are used to trash-talking so much that it doesn't really even affect them, as their only response is usually trying to come up with a better one-liner to throw back at each other. Some of the insults are NSFW, but others are just funny jabs.

For this Stand by Me quote, Teddy is making fun of Vern, which he does more than almost anything else. Chris is mostly patient with Vern, and Gordie is usually nice to everyone. However, Teddy is the master of insults, and as a result, he almost always throws them out at others or is on the brunt end of jokes. Here, he gets one on Vern with his line, and the best part is that Vern only responds, "What do you mean?," and he really has no idea he was just insulted.

12 "I Brought It For You Guys."

Vern (Jerry O'Connell)

When the four friends are starting their journey in Stand by Me, they realize that no one brought any food. They argue about the fact that they have nothing to eat and wonder how they'll sustain themselves on the trip. However, as friends do, they also start arguing about who was actually responsible for getting food to begin with, and everybody looks at Vern. That is when Vern tells them that he brought the comb.

They have no idea what to make of this before Teddy throws out a line in which he asks why Vern needs a comb since he doesn't have much hair. Vern's line is so innocent and sweet when he responds, "I brought it for you guys." It was enough to make everyone pause, knowing it wasn't time for more insults. Finally, Chris has them start counting money to see what they can afford. They finally get a few bucks together and get the food before heading out to see the dead body.

11 "I'm Sorry If I'm Spoiling Everyone's Good Time."

Teddy (Corey Feldman)

Teddy was always the one with the most insults, the foulest mouth, and the least consideration for anyone around him. However, he is also someone who does this because he is unhappy and knows he has a bad home life and very little prospects for his future. This moment comes in the movie when the kids are all starting to break down a little on their journey, seeing the hopelessness of the situation, and not knowing what the future holds, for that day and the years to come.

Teddy stops his insults and wisecracks, and he starts to feel a little beaten down. This is something his friends notice, and they are there for him. However, this is not something Teddy is used to or wants. He says he is sorry if his attitude is now ruining the good time that everyone else is having. He knows good and well that everyone is feeling down right then. Chris and Gordie then try to make him feel better with Chris saying they understand and Gordie saying maybe seeing a dead kid "shouldn't be a party" anyway.

10 "You're Gonna Be A Great Writer Someday, Gordie. You Might Even Write ."

Chris (River Phoenix)

Gordie has dreamed of being a writer and making it out of his small hometown, his unhappy home life, and his lack of wealth and prosperity since childhood. However, over the course of the film, he begins to think his dream is "stupid." Chris tries to reassure him that he isn't being foolish for wanting what he does, and that Gordie's doubts are his dad talking. Gordie often talks about his father despite his claims that he doesn't care about him, and this leads to a lot of insecurity and self-doubt.

During the boys' adventure, Chris makes a point of encouraging Gordie to pursue his dream because it's a worthy one and could actually lead to a better life. He jokes that he might write about them if he's running out of ideas, but of course, it's one of the most important experiences of their lives. In the end, Chris's friendly words of encouragement stick with Gordie and it is indeed his friends he chooses to write about when he is older. It makes for a somewhat meta moment, especially since Stand by Me is partially based on writer Stephen King's childhood.

9 "It's What They Think Of Me. I'm Just One Of Those Low-Life Chambers Kids."

Chris (River Phoenix)

Like Gordie, Chris also feels pressure because of his family's name. Gordie tells him that they might go to college together in the future, but Chris says they'd never accept him because of his reputation. Even while he tells Gordie that he doesn't have to listen to his dad, Chris feels weighed down by his own father. All four boys have a different connection with their respective fathers, but it's a central relationship for all of them and shapes their characters.

This Stand by Me quote represents a heartbreaking moment looking at a child who sees a bleak future he cannot escape simply because of how the world sees him. Chris is usually the strong center of the group, but he allows himself to have a moment of vulnerability with his best friend, sharing the worries he has about his life.

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8 "You Guys Wanna Go See A Dead Body?"

Vern (Jerry O'Connell)

The adventure in Stand by Me begins when Vern asks his friends if they'd like to see a dead body. The body is Ray Brower's, a missing local boy who was found by Vern's older brother and his friend. Vern overhears them talking about it early in the film, but the older boys are afraid to report it because they recently stole a car. Vern decides to start a search of his own, hoping that he and his friends will become local heroes.

The bravery required to set out alone, without adults or proper supplies, speaks to the recklessness and fearlessness of youth, which is the driving force of the entire story. Though a dark concept, this line ignites the adventure and gives that feeling of being young and going along with something exciting and a little dangerous. It also adds a small bit of a horror element expected in a Stephen King adaptation.

7 "We'd Only Been Gone For Two Days But Somehow The Town Seemed Different, Smaller."

Older Gordie (Richard Dreyfuss)

A fascinating aspect of Stand By Me is how this adventure seems both grand and epic as well as insignificant to the boys. By the end of the story, they are ready to go back to their regular childhood lives, but there is also a sense that this experience profoundly changed them in ways they cannot fully grasp. The boys spend the Labor Day weekend of 1959 looking for Ray Brower, but to them, it feels like an eternity.

Gordie's narration alludes to his own self-importance at the age of twelve, which is a universal experience for many children and teens. Gordie, Vern, Chris, and Teddy felt like they had changed the world after their little quest, but in reality, they were the ones who had changed. Though they don't know it, they return to very different lives when their adventure is over.

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6 "This Is My Age. I'm In The Prime Of My Youth And I'll Only Be Young Once."

Teddy (Corey Haim)

Teddy, like the others, has a tendency to exaggerate and dramatize every situation. However, with this particular Stand by Me quote, he sums up one of the film's key themes even as he's joking. When Chris tells him to act his age as they plod through the swamp, Teddy retorts that he is acting his age.

At times, the boys forget how young they are, as many children often do, especially because of the grimness of the circumstances that have brought them together on this journey, which at times sees these children having fun. It is also somewhat of a sad line given the tough lives these characters have and the tragic paths ahead. Teddy joking about living the prime of his life highlights that they do not know what the future has in the story and these fun moments with friends are some of the memories that will stay with them forever.