The Goonies

The Goonies soundtracked my early childhood. I say this paradoxically because, while I never watched the film in full, per se, it always radiated in the background. I’d be playing with action figures, building Legos, reading comics, and The Goonies would run on the nearby TV on TBS, AMC, USA, or TNT.

I’d occasionally watch some of it. The film has a timeless, classic feel that seeps into one’s veins. It becomes a part of you, and it always has with me—though I’d never watched it from start to finish. Sure, I knew the plot; it had been on enough times for me to get the gist and even see the ending.

It wasn’t until my late 30s that I finally situated myself on the sofa and, like an umpire crouching for the first pitch, settled in for the long haul. And I still can’t get enough.

Sure, the thought of 17th-century pirates cruising the PNW in their galleys (and the English navy tracing their trajectory) is a bit of a stretch. Most pirate activity in history took place on America’s eastern shores and in the Caribbean. Yet, The Goonies is a film where the audience doesn’t care about inaccuracies. We care about the characters, the adventure, the humor, and the heroic optimism of “Never say die!”

Who doesn’t love the perennial allure of a pirate treasure hunt? Or the humor and gadget inventiveness of Data? Chunk, with his Truffle Shuffle, endless insatiability, and gregariousness, adds flavor. Mouth, with his quips, consummate Spanish, and general Corey Feldman-ism, delights.

The boldness and coquettishness of Andy, and the snark and logos of Stef, fill a gap in an all-male Goonies group. Brand’s loyalty to his brother and his underdog status—sans driver’s license (unlike Andy’s other guy friend)—endears him to the audience.

It is Mikey’s sincerity and intrepidness that make him a stalwart lead character. He has a mawkish sentiment toward the pirate One-Eyed Willy and his treasure. One-Eyed Willy made so much effort to hide his treasure (albeit in typical pirate booby-trapping style) to protect what he cherished. Mikey empathizes, for he seeks Willy’s treasure to help his father pay off his debts and avoid foreclosure—preventing the loss of everything that matters to him: his home, his family, and his friends.

Now that I’ve finally watched this film from start to finish, I can understand Mikey’s perspicacity. This film has a feeling I never want to lose. I want to protect that sense of being young, of being an undaunted, optimistic kid, of knowing that age has nothing to do with the limitations of the heart. I will keep watching The Goonies because it feels like spending time with an old friend.