The Goonies weren't born yesterday—a few of them are even approaching legal adulthood. But even so, this is very much a movie about youth. It's about the hopes, dreams and fears most of us share before we've seen very much of the world, it's about wanting to do great things and to become heroes to those around us, and it's about wanting to…find treasure.
It's also about teasing and roughhousing and puberty. All that good stuff.
Questions about Youth
- Brand, Andy and Stef are all at least a couple years older than the rest of the Goonies. How does their age advantage affect the way they view this Goonie adventure they're all on together?
- The children in this movie are the good guys; most of the adults are the bad guys. Does the film connect with younger audiences because that's the way many kids feel about older generations?
- Are the Goonies victims of the "optimism of youth"? In other words, if they weren't young and hopeful, would they have even considered following the treasure map?
- Sloth is an adult but seems to be a child at heart. What aspects of his childhood do you think contributed to him still behaving like a kid in many ways?
Chew on This
Take a peek at these thesis statements. Agree or disagree?
Chew on This
Chester Copperpot never made it as far as the Goonies because he was too old. It took younger minds and bodies to navigate Willy's booby traps successfully.
The Goonies wouldn't have cared so much about leaving Astoria if they were older. Children get much more attached to places than adults do.