This generation sucks...

Exactly. What do you think is going now with the 90's Generation vs. The New Millennium. Every generation (era) lived in a time where they thought they were privileged to experience such greatness in life as opposed to the next generation past theirs.



Accept what is, let go of what was, have faith in what will be

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Every generation thinks the generations past theirs' sucks. There really isn't much of a difference.

I'm technically a Millennial, but old enough to remember when things were different. I despise the culture of my own generation. Maybe it's because I had more influence from my Gen-X siblings and Baby Boomer parents than my peers had, but I often feel more kinship with them than with my fellow Millennials, whether it be with regard to smartphone habits, manners, work ethics or music and film.

That said, I wish certain things could be kept alive from previous generations. For instance, the close friendship between the four boys in Stand By Me based on real-life experiences and conversations. Nowadays, whenever I manage to convince my friends to hang out in person, half of them are tuned out, *beep* around on their iPhones collecting Pokemon pets, not paying attention to the friends around them.

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Tossing pebbles, of course. How is that any different than shooting hoops? It's just on a smaller scale. Oh, but you probably have an "app" for that. I refuse to own a smart phone. I hate those f@ckng things. It doesn't make me "better", or "smarter". I just like to think that I have a wider attention span, and more patience than the average a$$hole. Don't you feel like a $hit being so dependent upon your "phone" to do EVERYTHING for you?

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I've seen the movie and then I've read the book. Honestly, I would choose tossing pebbles and doing other things they did in the book, like skinny dipping, camping, picking berries etc. Playing with a smart phone is so boring. And

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I think the OP is on to something. I mean, one of the boys was on track to take college prep courses...in Junior High School (AKA Middle School). That goes to show you that education in those days wasn't dumbed down and provided options for people to get ahead, unlike today's dumbed down curriculum. In 1989-91, NO ONE at my Junior High took college prep courses.

Also, there is a lot of evidence to suggest that the more advanced we are in technology, the dumbed we get. Studies show that if you take the time to write something down or look it up in books, you remember it longer as opposed to just whipping out your APP and looking it up.

Text language and writing is commonly used in writing by teens today and teachers are encouraged to not mark it wrong because it is politically incorrect, as it makes the kids feel dumb.

I totally agree with the OP. The more advanced we become, the more of a slave we are to technology. We can't think as much or use our imaginations. And, like the OP, I own a simple mobile phone and that is it. I don't have the latest phone or pad and don't want one. I don't feel the need to ring my friends every time I do something (or text them). I also don't have a Facebook account.

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Let's take it back further. These boys were Baby Boomers. And the oldest ones born 1946-1947. AND in a small town! In the liberal Pacific Northwest, but still a small town. They were poor, by the standards of 1950's suburbanites.
Look at what they lived in. Gordie lived in a wood frame house with no air conditioning (few people had it before then), Chris was from a family with a bad reputation, as was Teddy. And Vern was just a silly, fat goofball.

Those boys were TOUGH! Even the kindly, intelligent, and humble Gordie who pulled a gun on a real a'hole bully.

And for the past 10 years or so, can you imagine four 12 year old boys going missing for a day or two? There would be news reports and search parties all over the place! Kids that age in this day and age can't even be out of an adults sight without someone getting scared! Even with IPhones people would panic!

About the college placement courses, yes, that was a little early to worry about that. But about Teddy and Vern. They graduated high school in the mid-1960's. That means in today's world, they can read, spell, and punctuate properly, unlike most 20-somethings on down!

When I saw this in theaters in 1986, it was a nice piece of nostalgia, since many of us had parents that were around that age then. Now it's pretty corny and outdated for the Red Bull generation.

As for the cast, I only faintly knew about Corey Feldman from Gremlins and Still the Beaver and knew well about Richard Dreyfuss and John Cusack, whose roles were cameos. The rest of the cast, absolutely nothing. This movie made Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Jerry O'Connell, and Kiefer Sutherland stars!

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