The Goonies, just the facts
The Goonies was a hit movie in 1985 directed by Richard Donner, with the screenplay written by Chris Columbus from a story by Steven Spielberg. It is a film about a band of kids from a section of Astoria, Oregon, called the "Goon Docks". The "Goonies", hoping to save the Goon Docks from demolition, go on an adventure to find the buried treasure of a legendary pirate named One-Eyed Willie.
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Spoiler
warning: Plot & /or ending details follow.
Just a day before greedy developers
plan to aggressively foreclose on the Goon Docks to demolish it & turn it
into a golf course, a young teenager named Mikey finds an old treasure map in
his father's attic. Hoping to save their homes from demolition, Mikey & his
friends Data, Chunk, & Mouth run off on a quest to find the secret stash of
a legendary 17th century pirate named "One-Eyed" Willie. The young Goonies
find the entrance to a tunnel in a rundown restaurant that is serving as the hideout
for a notorious family of criminals named the Fratellis, consisting of the two
Fratelli Brothers & their mother. When the Fratellis return, the Goonies--now
joined by Mikey's brother Brand & two of his friends, Andy & Stef--are
forced to follow the tunnel to escape.
One of the Goonies, Chunk, is captured & interrogated by the Fratellis, who demand that he "tell us everything." Instead of giving them information they wanted, Chunk told them every bad thing he had done in his past:
“ In third grade I cheated on my history exam; in fourth grade I glued my uncle Ben's toupee to my face & I wore it to my play in hebrew school; in fifth grade I pushed my sister down the stairs, & I blamed it on the dog. ”
Chunk finally reveals the hidden tunnel entrance & the promise of treasure at its end. The Fratellis enter the tunnel, leaving Chunk captive alongside a third huge, deformed Fratelli brother named Sloth, who the family keeps chained to the wall. Although Chunk is at first terrified of Sloth, he begins to befriend him as the film progresses. The other Goonies meanwhile proceed through the underground passages, overcoming dangerous booby traps laid by One-Eyed Willie centuries ago, finding the skeleton of 1930s explorer Chester Copperpot, & hoping to survive long enough to reach freedom. Their goal reverts to finding the treasure when they discover the bottom of a wishing well, which they could use to leave the caves. Instead of saving themselves, the Goonies decide to continue the quest for the treasure so that they can save the Goon Docks.
After outrunning the pursuing Fratellis, the Goonies find the treasure, still on-board One-Eyed Willie's ship, which is concealed in a large cave, blocked off from the sea by a collapsed roof. The Fratellis appear just as the Goonies are filling their pockets with loot, & the children are forced to hand over all the treasure. However, the newly-freed Sloth also arrives with Chunk, allowing the Goonies to escape empty-handed. They use some candles they had found in Chester Copperpot's bag, but one is actually a stick of dynamite, which explodes & causes the cave to collapse, forcing everyone to flee for their lives. The Goonies are found on the beach by a search party & eventually reunited with their families. Luckily, Mikey's marble bag held a handful of large precious stones, saving the Goon Docks from its golf-course fate. The police arrest the Fratellis, except for Sloth, whom the Goonies defend; Chunk in turn tells Sloth that he can stay with him & his family. As the Goonies & their parents marvel over the precious gems, One-Eyed Willie's ship suddenly appears, now free from the cavern. As the ship sails away, Mikey & the others bid farewell & thank-you to the legendary pirate.
While sometimes called a fantasy film for its improbable, child's-dream-come-true storyline, The Goonies does not actually use supernatural elements. Its premise is frequently compared to Explorers, a science fiction-adventure film starring teenagers, which Paramount Pictures released one month after The Goonies in 1985.
Sean Astin as Mikey Walsh, the Goonie
who leads them to find One-Eyed Willie's treasure. Although Mikey suffers from
asthma, he continually acts as the group's neverending supply of enthusiasm &
spirit. It is his determination to save the Goon Docks that jumpstarts the film.
Astin won a Young Artist Award for this role.
Corey Feldman as Clark "Mouth"
Devereaux, an obnoxious Goonie who tends to be a bit of a trickster. While he
is treated as an annoyance often, Mouth is a boy of many talents including being
perfectly fluent in Spanish & supposedly other languages.
Jonathan Ke
Quan (credited as Ke Huy Quan) as Richard "Data" Wang, an inventive
Goonie who idolizes James Bond. Although many of his gadgets seem gimmicky &
useless at first, they end up saving both the lives of the entire group &
Data himself various times.
Jeff Cohen performs the now famous Truffle
Shuffle.Jeff Cohen as Lawrence "Chunk" Cohen, a fat Goonie who makes
up stories & tries to pass them off as true. He can determine a flavor of
ice cream by merely smelling it from a distance. Although he seems to be the group
burden, he comes through for everyone in the end by befriending the intimidating
but gentle Sloth; the two outsiders save the Goonies in a dire moment. A scene
where Mouth denies Chunk entrance to their meeting unless he does the "Truffle
Shuffle", namely lifting up his shirt & jiggling the fat on his body
is a fan-favorite.
Josh Brolin as Brand Walsh, Mikey's older brother who recently
failed his driver's license test. A very strong young man, although he comes across
as a typical overbearing older brother at first glance, he seems to genuinely
care for his brother & the Goon Dock's dire situation. Although he himself
was once a Goonie, he is initially opposed to the Goonies's quest. He begins to
warm up to it as the film progresses however until he too is dead-set on finding
the treasure.
Kerri Green as Andy Carmichael, a cheerleader who is dating
Brand. Although jumpy & uncertain of the adventure she is swept up in, she
often encourages the group. She saves the Goonies with her limited experience
with piano from One-Eyed Willie's most complex trap.
Martha Plimpton as Stef
Steinbrenner, a friend of Andy is a smart-mouthed, skeptical girl. If not for
the age difference she could be perfect foil for Mouth as the two butt heads very
often. Although just as jumpy as Andy is during their adventure, Stef is often
far more organized in thought. Although she comes across as something of a smart-alec,
she demonstrates that she can be quite compassionate.
"Hey you guys!!!"Other
actors included:
Anne Ramsey as Ma Fratelli, the mother of the Fratelli
family of criminals. Ramsey won a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress in
a film for this role.
Joe Pantoliano as Francis Fratelli, a balding Fratelli
brother.
Robert Davi as Jake Fratelli, an opera-singing Fratelli brother.
John Matuszak as "Sloth", a large & deformed Fratelli brother.
Mary Ellen Trainor as Irene Walsh, Brand & Mikey's mother who frequently
castigates the boys throughout the film.
Keith Walker as Irving Walsh, a museum
curator who inspired his son Mikey with tales about One-Eyed Willie. He keeps
a multitude of oddities & ancient relics in the attic of the Walsh residence
& seems the most concerned over the Goon Dock's fate.
Steve Antin as Troy
Perkins, a preppy jock teenager whose father plans to buy the Goon Docks, &
who wants Andy for himself, who with his pals, try and evilly bully, even to the
extent of almost killing 1 of the heroes of the movie at times.
Lupe Ontiveros
as Rosalita, a Hispanic maid hired by Mrs. Walsh to assist in the packing &
moving of the family. She doesn't understand a word of English, which prompted
Mouth to play a prank on her.
Much of the filming was done on-location
in Astoria, Oregon, the setting of the moviePrincipal photography on The Goonies
began on October 22, 1984 & lasted five months. There was an additional six
weeks of ADR recording. The shooting script was lengthy, over 120 pages, &
several sequences were eventually cut from final theatrical version. One of the
most noticeable removals was the octopus attack as the Goonies approached One-Eyed
Willie's ship. Despite being cut, Data still tells a news reporter at the end
of the film about how scary the octopus was. A song that appears in that scene
called "Eight Arms to Hold You" was featured on The Goonies: Original
Motion Picture Soundtrack. The song also plays, though barely audible, in the
scene when Chunk first enters the Walsh residence.
In The Making of the Goonies, director Richard Donner noted the difficulties & pleasures of working with so many child actors. Donner praised them for their energy & excitement, but said that they were a handful when brought together. The documentary frequently shows him coaching the young actors & reveals some of the techniques he used to get realistic performances. One of these tricks involved One-Eyed Willie's ship, which was actually an impressive full-sized pirate ship created under the direction of production designer J. Michael Riva. Donner forbade the child actors from seeing the ship so that the first time the characters see the ship is also the first time the actors saw it. (It was later noted that the full-sized version of the ship was destroyed after shooting because they could not find anyone who wanted it.)
Film critics were split over The Goonies. Rotten Tomatoes
shows 21 positive reviews & 14 "rotten" ones, giving The Goonies
an overall score of 60% which is the exact cutoff for movies rated "fresh".
Several reviewers noted that the movie appeared to be enjoyable for children &
teens, but not so much for adults. It was also controversial that the child stars
said "shit", "bullshit", & "dammit" numerous
times throughout the film. Some were concerned that Spielberg's name & style
was merely being slapped onto a movie directed by someone else.
The Goonies US$9 million opening weekend in the US placed it second on the charts behind Rambo: First Blood Part II. It grossed over US$61 million that year, placing it among the top ten highest grossing movies of 1985 (in the US).
In the decades following its release, The Goonies has gained a cult following primarily comprising people who were children or teens in the 1980s. Chunk actor Jeff Cohen used the slogan "Chunk for President" in his successful campaign for UC Berkeley's student government president in 1996.
Fans of The Goonies celebrated its 20th anniversary in Astoria on June 3–5, 2005.
So Long, Astoria
album coverSeveral bands have been inspired by the film:
The Ataris released
a song & an album called "So Long, Astoria" (2003) that references
the filming location of The Goonies as well as the plot in its lyrics.
The
Aquabats released a song about The Goonies called "Adventure Today"
on their album Myths, Legends, & Other Amazing Adventures, Vol. 2.
The
movie also inspired the name of punk rock band Slick Shoes, taken from when Goonies
character Data exclaims, "I've got a great idea, you guys! Slick shoes!"
A Spanish band called La Oreja de Van Gogh released the album El viaje de
Copperpot (English: Copperpot's Journey) (2000) in a homage to the film (in the
film, Chester Copperpot had tried to find One-Eyed Willie's treasure).
There
is a Japanese rock band called Sloth Love Chunk, referencing a line in the film.
Jim Jones, from the Harlem rap group The Diplomats (aka Dipset), appears to
have used this movie & its characters as inspiration for some of his songs
& catch phrases. In his guest appearance of a fellow Diplomats solo album,
J.R. Writer's History in the Making, there is a track entitled "Goonies."
In this song & on several other occasions, Jim Jones is known to refer to
himself as "One-Eyed Willie" the pirate from the film. Jim Jones &
other members of The Diplomats commonly refers to their homies or crew as goonies.
In December DJ Diggz released the mixtape Goonies2k7 with new material from the
Diplomats family, Cyndi Lauper's track is sampled for the intro track.
Welsh
rockers Lostprophets used the line "Andy, you goonie" in the song "Can't
Stop, Gotta Date With Hate" from their CD Liberation Transmission (2006).
The
Goonies was first released on VHS video in the United States in March 1986 &
the laserdisc & CED versions also debuted that year. Warner Home Video released
a theatrical widescreen laserdisc on 29 January 1992.
Warner Home Video released The Goonies in widescreen on Region 1 DVD on 21 August 2001. The DVD featured several notable extras, including:
Commentary by actors Jonathan
Ke Quan, Corey Feldman, Sean Astin, Kerri Green, Martha Plimpton, Jeff Cohen,
Josh Brolin, & director Richard Donner. This option frequently switches back
& shows the actors & Donner gathered together as they are watching the
film while recording the commentary. Midway through the film, Sean Astin had to
leave, much to the puzzlement of his costars, & without ever getting to say
a personal message to Cyndi Lauper that he intended to. He left a Samwise Gamgee
action figure in his place, however. In an interview with IGN.com, Astin explained
that the recording session started late, which resulted in him having to leave
early to honor a prior commitment to his friend (and Goonies nemesis), Joe Pantoliano.
A 7-minute behind-the-scenes documentary called The Making of The Goonies.
"The Goonies 'R' Good Enough" music video by Cyndi Lauper. The video
is notable in its casting of some 80s icons, like Andre the Giant.
Deleted
scenes: The octopus attack (where the "8 Arms to Hold You" song can
be heard), the convenience store scene, & scenes with Sloth & Chunk. This
feature is called "Outtakes" in the menu.
The theatrical trailer.
Opening screen of the Commodore 64 version of The Goonies video gameKonami
created two versions of The Goonies for the MSX (The Goonies) & Famicom (Goonies).
The Goonies II was also released on the Famicom ( NES ). Goonies II was both released
in North America & Europe, although the first Goonies was available for play
in PlayChoice-10 machines located in most arcades & pizza parlors in the 1980s.
This game had little to do with the movie, but achieved a following for its inventive
gameplay. In it the Fratellis have managed to kidnap all of the Goonies (except
Mikey, whom the player guides) & hide them in hidden cages across a terrain
of caverns, mazes & abandoned buildings. As Mikey the player must rescue them
all & ultimately free a mermaid named Annie (not found in the film).
Datasoft produced a Goonies video game for 8-bit computers including Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, Atari & Apple II. This game featured eight screens in which a player had to use two members of the Goonies group to solve puzzles & reach an exit to advance to the next stage. The screens were largely inspired by actual sets & puzzles seen in the movie.
Mikey also appeared as a character in the Japanese Famicom game Konami Wai Wai World (1988).
In 2007, DaimlerChrysler's Jeep division sponsored The Goonies: Return to Astoria, a flash based game. The player's goal is to collect map pieces & doubloons, & then race the Fratelli's to One-Eyed Willie's treasure.
Soundtrack/Music video
Main articles:
The Goonies: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack & The Goonies 'R' Good Enough
A
popular soundtrack was released for the film featuring music by Cyndi Lauper,
REO Speedwagon & others (see The Goonies: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack).
The Goonies (except Kerri Green) appeared alongside famous professional wrestlers
(including Rowdy Roddy Piper & Captain Lou Albano) in the 12-minute "The
Goonies 'R' Good Enough" music video. Lauper also has a cameo as herself
in the movie, performing this song on TV. Steven Spielberg has a cameo as himself
in "The Goonies 'R' Good Enough" music video.
Sequel & musical
adaptation
A film sequel was in the works, something long desired by fans.
Donner said that he had a story he liked & Spielberg behind him, but in 2004
several of the actors from the original revealed that Warner Brothers, the copyright
holder, had not shown interest in a sequel. Richard Donner has expressed doubt
that the sequel will ever happen. However, Entertainment Weekly reported in March
2007 that a musical adaptation of the film is being discussed. "Steven &
I have discussed it, & it's something that I'm fairly passionate about right
now," Donner says.
Trivia
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Early in the film, the opening
pan on the main goonies house shows a nearby street in Astoria. In the lower left
quadrant of the street can be seen just a bit of what looks like an RV. That was
Donner's living quarters during filming.
Sloth (John Matuszak) wears an Oakland
Raiders T-shirt through much of the film. Matuszak spent most of his NFL career
playing for the Raiders. Sloth rips off this shirt to reveal another shirt with
the Superman shield late in the film. In that moment, part of the Superman theme
composed by John Williams is played as a reference to Donner's 1978 film.
During
the filming of the "truffle shuffle" scene the set was cleared as the
actor who played Chunk was embarrassed to be seen shaking his belly.
Donner
makes a cameo at the end of the movie as one of the ATV-riding sheriffs who finds
the Goonies on the beach.
Sloth's famous cry, "Hey, You Guys!" is
from the intro to the 1970s TV show The Electric Company, screamed by Rita Moreno.
The movie is frequently referenced on Mystery Science Theater 3000; whenever
a film depicts characters embarking upon a supposedly harrowing situation, a common
riff is "They're having an adventure like the Goonies!"
The sheriff
describes a tall tale Chunk had told him about "creatures that multiply when
you throw water on them". This is a reference to the film Gremlins, which
had been released by Warner Bros. the previous year with Spielberg (producer),
Chris Columbus (writer), & Corey Feldman.
Fratelli in Italian means "brothers".
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In the final scene, shortly
after the Goonies arrive on the beach, they describe their adventure to an amazed
group of parents & police. At this point you can hear Data say; "The
octopus was really scary" referencing a scene with a monster octopus that
was never included in the original theatrical release, yet appears as one of the
deleted scenes in the DVD release.
Also during the final scene with police
& parents, the people playing the parents of the goonies are for the most
part, the real life parents of the actors.
The deleted scene that featured
the snack shop/drug store is now the Astoria Coffee Company located on 304 37th
Street in Astoria, Oregon, which is about a block from the location of the Goonie's
house.
In the scene where they have to play the skeleton organ to lower the
drawbridge, in the last sequence Andy says, "I don't know if it's an A sharp
or B flat." A sharp & B flat are the same note.
An Instance in Blizzard's
World of Warcraft called the Deadmines is a rough reference to The Goonies.
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