The Goonies (1985)
Studio: Warner Home Video
An antique map discovered in an attic launches a group of youngsters on a thrilling adventure in pursuit of long-lost treasure, pirates, crooks, and monsters. Along the way they confront the criminal Fratelli family, led by “Mama”, terrorize local bullies and snobs, and save their beloved neighborhood (the Goondocks) from destruction by evil developers. Mikey Walsh is the chief instigator of the Goonies, a tightly-knit alliance of neighborhood misfits: Chunk, Mouth, Andi, Stef, Data, and Brand.
It has its share of bad guys (the Fratelli brothers and their villainous mother), reluctant-hero good guys (the Walsh bothers and their gang of friends), and lots of corny one-liners. Like in an old-fashioned Hardy Boys or Nancy Drew plot, the Goonie’s need to solve a problem: a corrupt corporate developer has bought out their neighborhood and plans to flatten all their homes. Luckily, the beloved gang stumbles on a treasure map. In the hopes of finding the treasure to buy back their houses, the Goonie’s embark on their quest through underground passages, aboard pirate ships, and behind waterfalls.
I chose this film because a film like Goonies is a terrific fantasy that allows kids to enjoy the notion that some game they play in their backyards could become the fantastic adventure of a lifetime. It is a story of good versus evil.
Curriculum Tie Ins:
Language Arts: Explore plot, Characters, Rewrite alternative endings, what happens next.
Social Science: Investigate home foreclosure, Pirates, Treasure Maps, Outlaws, Land developers.
Posted on April 15, 2011 by karriecox
Karrie's Corner 