“Is it possible that twenty-five years have already passed? Really?”
That is the question on the minds of all devotees of “The Goonies”, one of the great adventure films for children of all time. Featuring a fantastic story about a group of boys in search of a pirate’s treasure, “The Goonies” did something to the psyche of boys and girls who grew up in the 1980s. It has become a cult classic and continues delighting new fans even today.
The Goonies was filmed near Portland, Oregon, in the city of Astoria. This picturesque town was formed as the perfect setting for an adventure movie due to its beautiful coastal location. The small town feel and magnificent rocky cliffs helped create an almost fanciful setting. Is it possible that a pirate really sailed up to these cliffs? Is it possible that there really is a monstrous cave under a restaurant? Of course! And I wonder how many kids, after watching this movie, examined every basement level of every home they were able to enter, just in case.
This month, it’s been twenty-five years since The Goonies hit the big screen, and serious fans decided to celebrate in a big way. They came to the Portland area from everywhere to reminisce with other fans, meet their childhood heroes, and visit the sites that lit up their imaginations when they were young. For hundreds of fans, this was a true pilgrimage.
Among the celebrities in attendance was actor Corey Feldman, who played Mouth, the older brother (Corey’s rock band performed for fans one night), Jeff Cohen, who played “Chunk” (he’s a big player now high-powered advocate for the stars in Los Angeles), director Richard Donner (who went on to direct the Lethal Weapon movies, among others) and, of course, Sean Astin. Of all the Goonies, Sean is easily the best known. He headlined as Mikey in the film, and later starred as Rudy and played Samwise Gamgee in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
The meeting also marked the start of a new movie theater in Astoria, the Oregon Film Museum. The location, which has featured this film for years (it was one of the locations used in The Goonies itself), is now being expanded to celebrate the rich cinematic history of the state of Oregon. It will include exhibits and memorabilia of around 300 movies that have been filmed or set in the state. And what better time to open it than the same weekend when hundreds of tourists come to celebrate the most beloved of all?