REVIEW: The Goonies (Released in 1985) [35th Anniversary]

DIRECTOR: Richard Donner

PRODUCERS: Richard Donner & Harvey Bernhard

WRITERS: Steven Spielberg (story) & Chris Columbus (screenplay)

PERFORMERS: Sean Astin Josh Brolin Jeff Cohen Corey Feldman Kerri Green Martha Plimpton

Ke Huy Quan with John Matsuzak Robert Davi Joe Pantoliano and Anne Ramsey

I was just a child when this film first came out 35 years ago in 1985. Around that same time, several other films like 'Back to the Future' and 'The Breakfast Club' were also producing shows that have remained unforgettable. Heck, there was a time in all our lives when we were young and we had a group of friends and we went by a certain group name. Now sadly I never had that, but I had friends growing up no doubt. This film, much like 'Stand By Me' or 'Now and Then' or other youth oriented films that came before and afterwards were huge metaphors for those who did have that. The Goonies is a rare demonstration of friendship, unity and young adventure that grabs hold of you and never lets go, regardless of time and age you're at.

From the 'Our Gang' shorts to 'Indiana Jones' and the unforgettable decade of the 80's this gem of a classic has remained as one of the most memorable cult classics of nearly three generations... and there's a reason for that. But when you combine the talents of seven young leads and the collaboration of hollywood heavyweights like Steven Spielberg and Richard Donner there's no way can you go wrong. A group of neighborhood kids for misfits one weekend discover an 17th century pirate's map and become convinced that it will lead to a buried treasure so wealthy, that it will save their local neighborhood from demolition. But there are two things standing in their way: A number of dangerous booby-traps and an Italian family of criminals, who just escaped from prison, and are interested in recovering the loot for themselves. From there it's a race against time and a show that has had a hold on several people for this long, you would think that you're living it or imagining it every time you watch it. The elements of Fantasy, Adventure and Exploration are so well played in this that it just has that special effect on you and it never dies (hence one of the famous catchphrases in the film). All the actors from Sean Astin to the rest of them are so well portrayed that if you actually were in a group like this before at one point, you immediately remembered! They embodied what it felt like to be surrounded by good company whether united by a common goal or just the only ones who would stand by you when no one else did. I mean you have two brothers (ASTIN & BROLIN), a wise-cracker/translator (FELDMAN), an overweight story teller (COHEN, who's character remains a top fan-favorite), an Asian inventor (QUAN), a fisher girl (PLIMPTON) and a cheerleader (GREEN) along with an old map and ruthless thieves (DAVI, RAMSEY & PANTOLIANO), and a deformed but innocent and naive indiviual (MATSUZAK) all you can think is 'what's not to enjoy about this?'

"My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding— indeed, if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure,

then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God." - PROVERBS 2:1-5 NIV

While The Goonies is about treasure seekers (good and bad), it's also about something else: the reward of seeking out your heart's desires only to find something more important. The biblical passage above talks about one's respect for the superior being who's treasure lies waiting for that person who doesn't seek it out of greed, but for it to be put to good use and to ensure that the personal loot remains untouched. In this case, when the kids get to the pirate's sunken ship and witness the gold around them, immediately get enticed by it and when one of them tries to take the personal loot, Astin's character stops him and advises that one be left alone out of respect towards the pirate (even though he's already deceased). That also goes to show how wise the Astin character really is, he believes in the legend so much that his speech in the wishing well resonates with us young at heart. When he says "It's our time!" he's not just talking about a last chance to find something that may be real, he's talking about an opportunity we all want to have! That's why I believe when people talk about this film, they remember that moment because of what it conveyed and the message behind it. And although the others were hesitant, they went along with the journey anyway even when they didn't believe it themselves. The more diligently they searched, the more they found, in the end they found something much larger than just the treasure and for all those who remember the film, you know the rest.

The writing of Steven Spielberg and Chris Columbus is beyond explanation and you would wonder how other family oriented films these guys later did were just as effective as this one was. Columbus for example, was a guy who from writing to directing in a number of short years and in 1990 struck it big with 'Home Alone' along with a few others to name like the first two 'Harry Potter' films, it's like looking at a working master who knows a good family story when he sees one. The way the relationships are displayed in this are also very well done, specifically between the group as if you were watching them form into a family themselves (If you look at the recent Virtual Reunion video on YouTube hosted by Josh Gad, you'll see what I mean!). The romance between Josh Brolin and Kerri Green's characters and the growing closeness between Corey Feldman and Martha Plimpton's are well played. I think I enjoyed that one the most because I could see their characters get together in their future teenage years (I'm still awaiting for that unseen scene Feldman's Mouth was referring to at the end when he thanked Plimpton's Stef for her offer she made to him earlier, along with a few others that have yet to be released and seen.). Then there's Spielberg, who is considered one of the most influential and legendary filmmakers of our time, who knows exactly what it takes to make a good film! I've been a major fan of this guy for as long as I can remember and I've mostly enjoyed the films he's directed. But having produced this one along with so many others, well, with more production credits to his name it's probably fair to say that his producing skills outweigh everything else he's done. Last but not least we have the director himself: Richard Donner, who even I never would have guessed that he would have been the one to deliver us this classic of a movie that would even to this day have this undying significance in our lives. This is the guy who gave the world the first ever comic-book feature film with the 1978 sleeper hit 'Superman' only to go on to bigger things like the 'Lethal Weapon' films. So clearly, it was no accident when these three giants came together for this one. Plus, the music from Dave Grusin is also memorable and fits the film's events so well, I still have the soundtrack for the film's score because I was one of the first few people to buy it when made available at the time.

"For where your treasure is stored, there your heart will be also." - MATTHEW 6:21 NIV

To conclude, what makes this film so special is the sense of imagination it holds on us all. If you were a kid and you and your friends found a map that looked like it could lead to a treasure full of riches beyond your wildest dreams, how far would you be willing to go to find it and what would you gain from that experience? If I were to experience something like that myself, I know I would have been in for something so huge that I would never forget it. The Goonies is like a bedtime story favorite to tell your kids about, knowing how much they'll enjoy it because you were there when it happened. The stories we tell to the younger generation of today are the ones that receive the most praise and considered the most treasured of all, because we lived to tell it to them. Not the Covid-19 pandemic or even all the bad stuff we had to go through before their time, but the things we got to do as kids or young teens and left with the treasure of meaningful memories. Mine may have been different from theirs, but then again, whose isn't? If there's one thing about this film that remains true today it's the fact that it never dies... Like Feldman had once said at a public gathering many years ago while celebrating the film in the early 2010s. This is what classics are all about and this is what helped revolutionized that. "Goonies Never Say Die!" and neither has the cultural impact this film still retains 35 years later. A rare treasure to be treasured forever and ever and for life. Happy 35th Anniversary to The Goonies! #anniversaryreviews #filmsof1985 #TheGoonies35thAnniversary #warnerbros #amblin #Goonies35 #gooniesneversaydie