Goonies Never Say Die

Every child from the 80s has that same litmus test question when meeting someone new and pondering if this could be a lasting friendship or romantic connection. And that is – what are your thoughts on the Goonies?

If their eyes don’t light immediately, or if they don’t bust out into a Truffle Shuffle, well, it wasn’t meant to be I’m afraid.

There is one movie that defines my childhood.

As actor Josh Gad puts it: “There is one movie that defines my childhood. One movie that defines my personality. One movie that defines me.”

The story of Mikey, Bran and the rest of their gang embarking on a journey to find hidden treasure is so engrained in that generation’s psyche that to this day, it remains an untouchable film that doesn’t deserve a meekly attempted sequel or worse, a remake.

The simple plot of The Goonies was part of its charm:

Once upon a time in Astoria, Oregon there was a group of friends hanging out in the summer, bored, and looking for something to do.

One day, Mikey and his brother find out their parents are defaulting on their mortgage and the bank is not only taking their house, but the houses of a lot of their friends and neighbours.

Because of that, they go searching in the attic and find a map that leads to One-Eyed Willy’s hidden pirate treasure and decide to set out on a perilous journey to find it and save their community from being bulldozed into a country club.

Finally, they end up losing the treasure but learn along the way that family and friends are what makes a community, no matter where it is. It also helps that Mikey was able to stowaway a few precious gems from the treasure and save his family’s house.

And ever since then, The Goonies were able to stick together.

But what makes the story so everlasting? The childhood friendships that bonded the group together was so relatable in its simplicity and authenticity. The protective big brother Bran both tormented but also protected his younger sibling Mikey, just as we’ve all experienced in our own lives.

It showed kids trying to figure out in their own way how to help their parents get out of a financial jam, or some just wanting one last summer adventure with their childhood friends before life inevitably changes. The Goonies showed kids (of any generation) that being an outcast didn’t necessarily have to be a bad thing – a life lesson that adults could do well to remember.

And in a time of filmmaking when diversity wasn’t exactly encouraged, the cast featured actors from varied backgrounds and ethnicities and showed different body shapes and personalities. The film taught acceptance in the group’s protective nature over Sloth, the physically disfigured but gentle and loveable giant who helps keep the kids from harm.

But most importantly, it showed kids that staying true to themselves, and to each other, meant you were capable of handling anything that came your way. And that Goonies Never Say Die.