Four adolescent boys set out on a mission to find the body or a missing classmate. Gordie LaChance (Wil Wheaton) is a quiet, studious child whose tense relationship with his father threatens his happiness. Chris Chambers (River Phoenix) is Gordie's best friend, a kid whose troubled family influences everyone’s opinion of him. Vern Tessio (Jerry O’Connel) and Teddy Duchamp (Corey Feldman) round out the trio of misfits. A band of violent, older boys, led by Ace Merrill (Kiefer Sutherland) begin competing to find the body first, lending urgency to what started out as a fun adventure. Along the way, the four boys forge even closer friendships, while simultaneously realizing that they have already started growing apart.