Opinion: The end of the “Stand by Me” childhood
Our editor rewatched the 1986 film with her daughter. Here’s what she learned.
From The Times
April 9, 2026

Last fall our editor, Sarah Wildman, watched the 1986 movie “Stand by Me” with her 12-year-old daughter on a lark. The film, which depicts a vastly different version of childhood from today’s, brought up layers of nostalgia for Wildman.

An image of a whited-out smartphone against a photography of two boys.

Illustration by The New York Times; photographs by Columbia Pictures and Ackun/Getty Images

But what took her by surprise was her daughter’s fascination with it. →

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