When Claire Bennett is cast in the 1980s coming-of-age film 'Stand By Me' alongside four rising young actors, she expects a summer of hard work and long hours and not the kind of connection that changes everything.
Quiet, thoughtful, and wise beyond her years, Claire doesn't chase the spotlight, but she finds herself drawn to one of her co-stars: River Phoenix. He's unlike anyone she's ever met. Brilliant, restless, and carrying far more than fame on his shoulders, River sees her in a way no one else does.
Over the course of filming Stand by Me, the two form a bond that feels less like teenage infatuation and more like something ancient, something fated. They're not a couple. They're not just friends. They're something in between and far beyond: soulmates in a world that doesn't have a name for it.
But fame is not a fairytale. As the industry claims more of their lives, and the real world starts to creep in, Claire and River are forced to ask:
Is timing everything? Or can some people find their way back to each other, no matter how far they drift?
Spanning years of quiet letters, distant premieres, secret heartaches, and unspoken promises, The Things The Tracks We Leave Behind is a story about memory, first love, and the people who leave marks that time can't erase.