As Good As It Gets

Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

Stand by me is a sad, endearing portrayal of four young boys who are coming of age and growing as they go on an incredible, breath taking adventure to find a dead body. This film, You must watch before you die.

I've seen quite a few comments questioning why this movie is so highly rated. I remember it fondly from my childhood and re-watched it recently after seeing a spoof of it in Season 7 of the Family Guy. I didn't recall the movie being so short (though I like 1:30 movies), actually kind of boring, and an ending that doesn't make a whole lot of sense. But to answer the question about why it is liked, I suspect many of the individuals who rank this movie very highly are men and possibly were kids in the 80s. That fits my description. The 4 kids in the movie were just a couple years younger than me, though at the time they acted my age. Every kid had a group they hung out with and being 12 or so is about the most carefree time of your life. I never had an adventure quite like this, was never bullied to this extreme, but we did explore the woods, uncover cool stuff, admit our vulnerabilities, joke around, and even cry. Add in a narrator, and some cool 50s music, 4 kids you would want to hang out with (even if they would never be actual friends in real life) and you pretty much can't go wrong. Thus the 8 star rating I gave the movie. Sentimentality wins in this movie.However, in terms of actual entertainment, it falls a little short. It is interesting, sentimental, and overall a neat story that is worth watching. But it does not deserve a 9 or 10 rating in my opinion.One big question I've never seen answered anywhere is why did the kids want the body so bad? Why were they willing to be terribly beat up or even killed for it? Then willing to kill others for it. Only to then just leave it and call it in? This makes no sense. Why did the bullies not just wait and jump the kids or sneak up from behind, there were over 7 of them?!? Finally in the recap there was no mention of Kiefer's character getting revenge (thanks, Family Guy). He said this is not over, but did he just move on with his life? Did he suddenly have a religious experience and forgiveness? Did both cars crash on the way back home that day and all of them died? There's a huge hole in the end of this movie that really frustrated me to the point I almost lowered this move that was treasured in my mind down to 7 stars. Well, ultimately many movies have plot holes and the positives of this movie and the very last scene where Richard Dreyfus types the final 2 lines of his book convinced me to keep it at 8 stars so that is that.

Yes, I think pre teenagers should see this movie. It is rated R because there's about a dozen F words and more cursing but it is about 12 year old boys! I have seen this over a dozen times(it was my favorite movie for a couple years)and I love it each time! I first saw this when I was 15 because I sheltered but any preteener alive should see it!It's funny, sad, and touching all at once. If you love this movie, see some other of the director's movies, like The Princess Bride, Misery, A Few Good Men, When Harry Met Sally, etc.

So much has been said already, but this is a movie that not only stands the test of time, but grows with you as you age. I was the same age as the characters when this came out and I thought it was a cool story about running away with your friends. As an adult I realized it wasn't just about the death of a child named ray Brower, it was about the death of childhood and innocence. Just like the train, you can dodge it and try to escape it for a while, but eventually, time and age will hit you like a train and knock you out of your keds. As an adult with kids, I now watch it and it hurts thinking about my own middle schoolers growing up. But the thing I never thought much about was Gordie's parents. They mourn Denny so much that they fail to recognize the great kid they still have. As much as I hate to see them grow away from me, I know I need to cherish these moments and be happy. I owe it to myself and then.