Chuck Berry lies in his coffin with a Gibson ES-355 during his memorial service at the Pageant Theater in St. Louis, April 9, 2017.

Based on the Stephen King novella, "The Life of Chuck" is in select theaters June 6 and nationwide June 13. The film is rated R by the Motion Picture Association "for language." ...

“The Life of Chuck” is a nearly line-by-line faithful adaptation, with a few more jokes and heavy use of a narrator, Nick Offerman, who reads King’s words with a nature documentarian’s gusto.

“Life of Chuck,” a Neon release in theaters Friday, is rated R by the Motion Picture Association of America for language. Running time: 110 minutes. Two and a half stars out of four.

Unlike most King narratives, “The Life of Chuck” is more about joy than scares, though it does wade heavily into the waters of death and mortality. Neon will release the film in theaters on ...