The Goonies (1985)
- Richard Donner originally wanted a completely different ending for the film, but test audiences preferred the one we see today.
- The incredible score for The Goonies was composed in just a few weeks after the original composer dropped out.
- Many of the practical effects used in the climax were achieved without any CGI.
The Goonies is a 1985 American adventure comedy directed by Richard Donner from a story by Steven Spielberg. A group of misfit kids from the "Goon Docks" neighborhood of Astoria, Oregon β led by Mikey Walsh played by Sean Astin, with friends Chunk, Mouth, Data, Sloth, Brand, and Andy β discover a centuries-old treasure map in Mikey's attic and follow it through underground tunnels, booby traps, and a pirate ship to find One-Eyed Willy's legendary pirate treasure, all while being pursued by the Fratelli crime family. The Goonies captured the specific magic of childhood adventure β the belief that extraordinary things could happen in your own backyard, that a treasure map in your attic could change your life, and that your friends were the most important people in the world.
Sean Astin, Josh Brolin, Corey Feldman, and Ke Huy Quan led a child cast whose natural, improvisational interactions felt genuine rather than scripted. Cyndi Lauper's "The Goonies 'R' Good Enough" became inseparable from the film. The Goonies earned $124 million worldwide on a $19 million budget and has become one of the most beloved adventure films of the 1980s.
