The Task: Watch and write about every movie on my shelf, in order (Blu-rays are sorted after DVDs), by June 10, 2015. Remaining movies: 247 Days to go: 251
Movie #130: The Goonies
I had a huge crush on Sean Astin when I was ten because of this movie (also because we share a birthday and that was magical to me back then). A smarter, older girl might have gone for Brand (Josh Brolin), but I was neither smarter nor older. And I didn’t understand why his name was Brand. But for a young girl of ten, Mikey (Astin) was a perfect crush to have; he was passionate, cute and he adorably said all the wrong things. Plus Andy (Kerri Green) said he was a good kisser, so. I may not have known what did or did not constitute good kissing, but I knew it was important.
The Goonies is a wonderful film about friendship and adventure. It’s the kind of thing that’s just a fun, family-friendly crowdpleaser, which, let’s be honest, is kind of Spielberg’s wheelhouse, even if he only wrote it. (Richard Donner directed.) Back when I was a kid, I think I felt Mouth (Corey Feldman) was the coolest, but now I think he’s just mean and obnoxious to Chunk (Jeff Cohen) and Stef (Martha Plimpton), plus I have no idea why he translates the map with an Olde English accent. Data (Jonathan Ke Quan), with his super great gadgets and obsession with James Bond, is clearly the actual coolest.
Scary Mama Fratelli (Anne Ramsey) is also great, though I never appreciated her until I was grown up. When I was young, I was way too terrified of her, which just goes to further prove how great she was as the lead criminal bossing around her sons Jake and Francis (Robert Davi and Joe Pantoliano), plus poor chained up Sloth (John Matuszak).(Sloth was very scary to me as a kid, but I also felt a huge amount of empathy for him, and so much love for his and Chunk’s friendship. Though I do wonder how his parents feel about him bringing home a stray person with severe medical needs to live with them.)
For me, though, the real draw of the film is the adventure itself. Data getting saved from impalement by his chatter teeth, the awesome and terrifying organ made of bones, and especially the crazy great water slide were hugely thrilling. Being a child of amusement parks, I never understood why they didn’t capitalize on that water slide, actually. I wanted on it in a big way — that and the Temple of Doom mine cart roller coaster. The fact that Jonathan Ke Quan got to experience both of those is not lost on me, and I’m pretty jealous, even if it was just moviemaking. (Spielberg, call me! We can all go to Six Flags or something.)
The Goonies is a film that’s great when you’re a kid, and it’s great to watch with your kids. My son has seen it several times and he loves it — it’s a powerful fantasy adventure story that’s a lot of fun to watch over and over. It’s as simple as that.
Viable Option 