The Goonies

Director: Richard Donner

1985, 111min., PG

Screenwriter: Steven Spielberg, Chris Columbus

 

Steven Spielberg ushered in a new genre of kids’ movies rated PG-13 that showed the reality of preteen life in the 1980s: parents splitting, sneaking cigarettes, and using language (just re-watch E.T) guaranteed to shock the socks off Walt Disney.  This 80s classic (released in 4K) of kids doing it for themselves is based on a Spielberg story. A group of misfits (the Goonies) band together to stop a developer from knocking down their “worthless” homes. The quicksilver-fast adventure kicks in when they discover a Treasure Map leading to vast riches hidden in a pirate ship…if the nefarious Fratelli crime family doesn’t beat them to it. “One of the best “kid” movies ever, appealing to the part of us that always believed adventure was waiting around the next corner.” – Betsy Bozdech