Stand By Me True Story: Was It Inspired By Stephen King’s Childhood?

Stand By Me True Story: Was It Inspired By Stephen King’s Childhood?

The Stephen King book The Body, which Stand by Me is based on, was inspired by various memories from King’s childhood. That’s not in dispute, and is evidenced by main character Gordie Lachance already being a blossoming writer at a young age, much like King was. Likewise, King was famously so touched when he first saw Stand by Me that he was visibly shaken. According to Stand by Me‘s director, Rob Reiner, King’s response to the film was “[Y]ou’ve really captured my story. It is autobiographical. All that was made up was the device of the hunt for the body.” In King’s own words then, Stand by Me is based on his own life. And in fact, even the inciting plot point of a child getting hit and killed by a train may have been inspired by a real-life tragedy King witnessed, too.
As recalled by Stephen King, when he was 4-years-old, he went off to play at a friend’s house, who lived near railroad tracks. An hour later, King returned looking a pale white, and was unable to speak for the rest of the day. King’s mother then found out that his young friend had been hit by a train while playing on the tracks, and killed. While many have tried to suggest witnessing this horrific event is what unlocked King’s macabre fictional sensibilities, he’s steadfastly denied that claim, saying that he doesn’t even remember seeing the other child die, just being told about it later.
Regardless of that, what remains unclear is whether the death of King’s friend by train directly inspired him to write the train subplot in The Body or whether it was just an disconnected thought. For their part, many Stephen King fans believe the inspiration makes sense, and it’s become accepted lore, but King has yet to officially confirm or deny it. Of course, there’s always the possibility it inspired him on an unconscious level.
The Shining Was Also Based On Real Events, And King Famously Hated It

One of the most famous Stephen King adaptations is Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining, and it’s also based on one of King’s real experiences. The Overlook Hotel and its medley of supernatural horrors are inspired by King’s stay at the Stanley Hotel in Colorado when he and his wife were the only guests in the whole building. The eerieness of wandering the hotel’s long corridors alone, rumors that one of the rooms was haunted, and even a possible ghost sighting all led King to pen his novel The Shining. Kubrick’s film version, though, is drastically different, and unlike his response to Stand by Me, King famously hates The Shining because of the liberties taken by Kubrick – despite its acclaim.

#Stand #True #Story #Inspired #Stephen #Kings #Childhood

Stand By Me True Story: Was It Inspired By Stephen King’s Childhood?

The Stephen King book The Body, which Stand by Me is based on, was inspired by various memories from King’s childhood. That’s not in dispute, and is evidenced by main character Gordie Lachance already being a blossoming writer at a young age, much like King was. Likewise, King was famously so touched when he first saw Stand by Me that he was visibly shaken. According to Stand by Me‘s director, Rob Reiner, King’s response to the film was “[Y]ou’ve really captured my story. It is autobiographical. All that was made up was the device of the hunt for the body.” In King’s own words then, Stand by Me is based on his own life. And in fact, even the inciting plot point of a child getting hit and killed by a train may have been inspired by a real-life tragedy King witnessed, too.
As recalled by Stephen King, when he was 4-years-old, he went off to play at a friend’s house, who lived near railroad tracks. An hour later, King returned looking a pale white, and was unable to speak for the rest of the day. King’s mother then found out that his young friend had been hit by a train while playing on the tracks, and killed. While many have tried to suggest witnessing this horrific event is what unlocked King’s macabre fictional sensibilities, he’s steadfastly denied that claim, saying that he doesn’t even remember seeing the other child die, just being told about it later.
Regardless of that, what remains unclear is whether the death of King’s friend by train directly inspired him to write the train subplot in The Body or whether it was just an disconnected thought. For their part, many Stephen King fans believe the inspiration makes sense, and it’s become accepted lore, but King has yet to officially confirm or deny it. Of course, there’s always the possibility it inspired him on an unconscious level.
The Shining Was Also Based On Real Events, And King Famously Hated It

One of the most famous Stephen King adaptations is Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining, and it’s also based on one of King’s real experiences. The Overlook Hotel and its medley of supernatural horrors are inspired by King’s stay at the Stanley Hotel in Colorado when he and his wife were the only guests in the whole building. The eerieness of wandering the hotel’s long corridors alone, rumors that one of the rooms was haunted, and even a possible ghost sighting all led King to pen his novel The Shining. Kubrick’s film version, though, is drastically different, and unlike his response to Stand by Me, King famously hates The Shining because of the liberties taken by Kubrick – despite its acclaim.

#Stand #True #Story #Inspired #Stephen #Kings #Childhood