“Stand By Me,” based on Stephen King’s craftily written 1982 novella “The Body,” brings 1959 to life.

Soda pop then cost less than a dollar … for five 26-ounce bottles. Alaska became the 49th state, big enough to contain seven Oregons.

The handsomely shot film is an Oregon classic. A coming-of-age film, it was directed masterfully by Rob Reiner two years after he made his directorial debut with the heavy metal mockumentary “This Is Spinal Tap.”

“Stand By Me” scenes are mainly shot near historic Brownsville, 30 miles northeast of Eugene. Proving preservation pays dividends, the small town stands in for the fictional town of Castle Rock.

Today, visitors following the Oregon Film Trail can find historical markers where character Vern Tessio (played by Jerry O’Connell) picked up a penny on the street and at the park where the pie-eating contest was held and a vomitfest ensued.

Other Oregon filming locations were Cottage Grove, Eugene, Veneta and Junction City.

In an age before technology chased children indoors, before video games and Instagram and TikTok complicated life, the four boys go on a gung-ho adventure, hiking the railroad tracks in search of a body.

Led by narrator Gordon “Gordie” Lachance (12-year-old version played by Wil Wheaton, adult version played by Richard Dreyfuss), the group wants one last fling before entering junior high in the fall. Others in the group are Chris Chambers (River Phoenix), Teddy Duchamp (Corey Feldman) and Vern.

At the same time, four high school bullies led by John “Ace” Merrill (Kiefer Sutherland) set out by car on the same quest to gain local fame.

Inspired lunacy transpires. Moments of terror occur as they dodge a train. Mayhem ensues, especially when they jump over a cyclone fence into a junkyard known to be patrolled by a vicious dog.

This journey of discovery goes much deeper than just calling each other derogatory names or sneaking cigarettes after a meal of incinerated marshmallows. The narrator is a gifted storyteller. He’s worried by pursuing his academic dreams he will lose his friends.

One boy, Chris, fears his family’s nasty reputation will keep him locked on the small-town hamster wheel.

All four boys have problems at home. The worst, a crazed war hero father, burns his son’s ear as punishment. They gladly escape on this vision quest of camaraderie and off-color jokes, hoping to find the missing body and become media sensations.

The movie follows the boys as they reach the end of childhood. Ahead lies teenage years and the hard realities of life that come after.

The “band of brothers” roughhouse with ribbing, play-fighting and show-off swearing. Yet they also care deeply about each other.

The story reaches a climax with a confrontation between Gordie and Ace.

As they return home, the younger quartet become aware an unforgettable chapter in their lives has come to an end and they must go their separate ways.