THE EMPIRE CLASSIC SCENE

THE GOONIES CHOSEN BY JAMES MCAVOY

James mcavoy: “this is one of my favourite scenes of all time. It’s the ‘up there it’s their time, down here it’s our time’ speech, where mikey makes his plea for why the Goonies should carry on with their adventures and find One-eyed Willy, and not just go back up the well and find safety and go back to their houses to have chocolate marshmallows and watch tv. because this is their last moment to be children. ‘Up there is their time.’ that symbolises, if you go up there you become an adult and have to deal with adult issues. You stay here and you get to be children. I think that’s fucking beautiful.”

INT. CAVERNS — NIGHT Having been trapped in a network of underground caves on a search for hidden treasure, the Goonies — Mikey (Sean Astin), Mouth (Corey Feldman), Data (Ke Huy Quan), Brand (Josh Brolin), Andy (Kerri Green) and Stef (Martha Plimpton) — are on the verge of getting out via a bucket lowered into a chamber by Andy’s boyfriend, Troy (Steve Antin).

DATA: I wanna go first, okay?

BRAND:the shots. Get Andy outta goes there. first, I’mI go the second, eldest, Stefso I’ll and call Mikey third, you can go fourth.

Meanwhile, as Brand’s talking, Mikey is having an epiphany. MIKEY: Chester Copperpot. Chester Copperpot. He turns round to the group. MIKEY: CHESTER COPPERPOT!

Everyone looks at him, including Andy, who is having a rope tied around her waist. MIKEY: Don’t you guys see? Don’t you realise? He was a pro, he never made it this far. Look how far we’ve come. We’ve got a chance.

ANDY: A chance at what, Mikey — getting killed? Look, if we keep going someone’s really going to get hurt. Maybe dead. Besides, we’ve got to get to the police. MIKEY: Maybe Chunk’s already got to the police. ANDY: Maybe Chunk is dead.

MIKEY: Don’t say that! Never say that! Goonies never say die! ANDY: I’m not a Goonie. I wanna go home.

MIKEY: Right. I forgot. But still... don’t you realise? The next time you see sky, it’ll be over another town. The next time you take a test, it’ll be in some other school. Our parents, they want the best of stuff for us. But right now they gotta do what’s right for them. Because it’s their time. Their time. Up there. Down here, it’s our time. It’s our time down here. That’s all over the second we ride up Troy’s bucket.

The Goonies look at each other, considering. Andy looks up at certain freedom. Mikey takes a blast on his inhaler. ext. WELL — NIGHT Troy and his mates are laughing heartily as they winch up the bucket. But their laughter stops when they see that the bucket doesn’t contain Andy, but a yellow jacket. Troy’s yellow jacket. With his name embroidered inside. He picks it up and, anguished, yells... troy: Andy! You GOONIE!