Gordon Lachance

Chris Chambers

Teddy Duchamp

Vern Tessio

Stand by Me is filled with complications for each of the boys. They have desires for themselves as human beings and as children who are forced into adulthood by the adults around them. To escape this, they return to nature to be children and to prove a point to the entire town that has dragged them down to their "small town" thinking. The boys discover that they don't have to be the people that they are believed to be, nor do they have to follow in the paths that were already placed for them. 

Gordon Lachance (also referred to as Gordie) is the narrator of the film. The older Gordon is a writer, reflecting back on the summer of 1959 in Castle Rock, Oregon. 12-year-old Gordon feels like "an invisible boy" in his household, where his talent for writing is ignored by everyone but his older brother Denny, who is killed in a car accident.  

Chris Chambers is Gordon's best friend and leader of the group. "He came from a bad family and everyone just knew he'd turn out bad...including Chris." Chris' father is violent toward his son, and his brother "Eyeball" Chamber's runs around with Ace's gang vandalizing the town. Chris is smart and compassionate, and always the first to help his friends.

Teddy Duchamp is described by Gordie as "the craziest guy we hung around with. He didn't have much of a chance in life. His dad was given to fits of rage. One time he held Teddy's ear to a stove and almost burned it off." His father has PTSD and often takes it out on Teddy.

Vern Tessio is the comedic element of the group. He is often picked on, even if it's in a way not meant to cause hurt feelings. He comes into the treehouse insisting that his friends listen. "Do you guys want to see a dead body?" He had been under the porch digging for a jar of pennies he had lost, and overheard his brother talking to a friend about spotting Ray Brower's body.