Summary

• The Goonies quotes are unforgettable and timeless, making the movie a nostalgia favorite for modern audiences.
• Memorable one-liners and epic speeches from Mikey and his friends make The Goonies a quotable teen adventure classic.
• The bond of friendship and loyalty among the Goonies shines through in iconic moments like Mikey’s motivational speech.

One of the most memorable 1980s movies is The Goonies, and The Goonies quotes are part of what makes it so memorable.

The Goonies follows Mikey (Sean Astin), Mouth (Corey Feldman), Data (Ke Huy Quan), and Chunk (Jeff Cohen) as the Goonies search for a lost pirate treasure before their homes are sold to a developer. The adventure sees the friends, along with Mikey’s older brother Brand (Josh Brolin), and teens Andy (Kerri Green) and Stef (Martha Plimpton) as they travel through underground caves and try to outwit a family of criminals to get the treasure first.

It’s one of the few nostalgic films that never seems to get old for modern audiences, and for millennials, is endlessly quotable. While some fans of the teen adventure movie might think the entire movie should be quoted word-for-word, the best quotes are the ones that stick with the audience long after they’ve sat down to watch the movie again. During their adventure, the group of Goonies has a lot of great one-liners, and Mikey even gets one pretty epic speech.

“…These Are The Rejects.”

Sean Astin As Mikey

When Mikey and his Goonies friends head up to the attic near the beginning of the movie, it’s full of paintings and pieces of local history. According to Mikey, everything his friends find fascinating in his family’s attic are the “rejects” from a museum exhibit his father curated. Chunk notes that the rejects are just like them, and he’s not wrong. That’s very much a theme in the movie that the Goonies, like the museum rejects, are not the most loved aspects of their town.

While it’s clear that the Goonies aren’t exactly the most popular kids in town, that’s the first time the movie puts them in that role. What’s great is that the kids recognize that being “the rejects” can still make them pretty cool since they already find all the museum pieces fascinating. Even Brand flips through a book and doesn’t want to put it down.

“Always Separate The Drugs.”

Corey Feldman as Mouth

Mikey’s mother injures her arm right before the family is told they’re going to have to leave their home. Because she’s having a hard time packing up in a short amount of time, she hires a woman to help her. The only trouble is that the woman speaks only Spanish and Mrs. Walsh speaks only English. Mouth offers to translate for her since he’s in an advanced Spanish course and is practically fluent.

Mouth, however, takes the opportunity to scare the woman, calling the attic an area where torture devices are stored, saying she’ll be locked in a pantry if she doesn’t behave, and instructing her on which illicit substances should be stored where instead of actually telling her what to pack as Mrs. Walsh asks him to do. His mischievous nature gets the better of him, and when it happens to early on in the movie, it’s clear that Mouth is meant to be the “bad boy” of Mikey’s group of friends.

“If You Hit The Wrong Note, We’ll All ‘B Flat’.”

Sean Astin as Mikey

The Goonies has a lot of funny one-liners and a lot of teasing between the members of the friend group, but it doesn’t have a ton of puns like this one. This Goonies quote is said by Mikey to Andy when she can’t figure out if a note on the music on the back of One-Eyed Willy’s map is an A-sharp or a B-flat.

Mikey’s line is said in a moment of stress when they all could fall to their deaths while Andy is playing an organ made from bones. It’s meant to alleviate the tension in the moment, and it’s a cheesy joke that makes the rest of his friends groan, but the audience smile. Andy, after all, is the only one who ever had piano lessons in the group, which means their lives are quite literally in her hands, making her even more terrified about the entire experience.

“Where Are You? You’re In The Clouds, And We Are In A Basement!”

Martha Plimpton As Stef

Stef has a lot of great lines in the movie, but she tends to be overshadowed by all the teen boys. She doesn’t want to be stuck on this adventure, but she’s there for her best friend, even when she tries to be the voice of reason — and Martha Plimpton does a fantastic job at selling her frustration. Her tone every time she’s trying to make a point is that of someone who is at their wit’s end.

While Andy is busy mooning over Brand, Stef is more worried about their current situation. The group is in the basement of a restaurant where they suspect wanted criminals are hiding out, and Andy is too busy thinking about how great Brand is to even consider her friend’s fear. Stef is the voice of the audience at that moment, wanting to get out of a restaurant where possible criminals could return at any time.

“If I Found One-Eyed Willy’s Rich Stuff, I’d Pay All My Dad’s Bills, So Maybe, He Could Get To Sleep At Night…”

Sean Astin As Mikey

When Mikey first finds the map in the back of a painting’s frame in the family attic, he and his friends fantasize about just what they would do with the money. While most kids would have dreamed of fancy clothes or cars, Mikey has a more practical fantasy. Mikey’s practicality reminds the audience of the situation the kids are in; they’re about to lose their houses.

Mikey just wants his dad to stop worrying about money. Though the movie is one fast-paced adventure, and is a whole lot of fun, it kicks off because the Goonies live in a neighborhood that is being bought out to make room for a development for the local country club. Mikey and all of his friends are about to become homeless. Luckily, Mikey gets his wish during their adventure.

“It’s Our Time Down Here.”

Sean Astin As Mikey

At the bottom of the wishing well, the most iconic sequence in the entire movie takes place. Though Brand, Stef, and Andy aren’t technically Goonies, but older kids swept up in the adventure, it’s in the wishing well that they truly become part of the group. Everyone else wants to get out and take the bucket up to the surface, but Mikey reminds them all that this might be their last chance for a day like this.

How often do kids get to search for a legendary pirate treasure in their hometown? Mikey knows that their parents have to live in the real world, but for one day, they can have the most epic of adventures. This particular speech of his provides a lot of the most memorable Goonies quotes, and it even inspires The Ataris song “So Long, Astoria.”

“Goonies Never Say Die!”

Sean Astin As Mikey

When Mikey reminds Andy that “Goonies never say die,” in his wishing well speech, Andy protests that she’s not a Goonie – before sending her jacket up Troy’s bucket and effectively becoming one right then and there. Mikey is a compelling speaker who leads his motley crew of Goonies pretty well for a kid, and when he tells her that their time is over the moment she chooses Troy’s bucket over the rest of their adventure, it’s a turning point not just for her but the whole group.

They all decide to stay — to pursue the “rich stuff,” even at great personal risk, because they already risk losing everything if they don’t, and it’s their only shot. It’s hard to imagine that anyone in Andy’s position wouldn’t take up Mikey’s, “Goonies never say die” mantra as well.

“Andy! You Goonie!”

Steve Astin as Troy

Mikey’s speech at the bottom of the well makes sure that no one wants to ride up “Troy’s bucket.” He’s very compelling as he explains the adventure they’re on is one no one else have ever completed, and his speech is so great that Andy, who is the first one to admit she’s not a Goonie and she wants to go home, sends her sweater up in the bucket instead of allowing Troy to rescue her.

That is what prompts Troy to scream this while standing at the top of the well. It’s such a great moment because Andy is clearly someone from the country club crowd like Troy. She also clearly doesn’t like the way Troy treats other people early in the movie. She still would have gone with him if Mikey hadn’t intervened though. Her decision to stay cements her place among the Goonies.

“These Are Somebody Else’s Wishes. They’re Somebody Else’s Dreams.”

Martha Plimpton as Stef

When the group stumbles upon the wishing well, they first think that it’s actually the treasure they’re after. It’s only after examining the coins in the water that they realize where they are. Some of the kids want to take the money anyway, but Stef has a moral problem with that. One of her most profound quotes in The Goonies is that those coins “are somebody else’s wishes. They’re somebody else’s dreams.”

Her line prompts Mouth to tell her that his wish didn’t come true, so he’s taking them all back. It’s a callous remark from him when she sees the beauty in other people dropping coins in a wishing well. Ultimately, they don’t take any coins with them, but Stef and Mouth’s exchange is just another moment of gold from The Goonies that takes place in the well. That sequence is rife with so much great content for the movie.

“I Feel Like I’m Baby-Sitting Except I’m Not Getting Paid.”

Martha Plimpton As Stef

Stef is practical. She might get scared of the sudden appearance of a fish head on a rake, but she knows that climbing through caverns below seemingly abandoned restaurants is dangerous. Stef can also see that the combined energy of Mouth, Mikey, and Data is the kind that can lead to even more danger.

She’s constantly the one reminding everyone else of the danger they’re in, of the moments where maybe they should make a different decision. It’s no wonder she feels like she’s baby-sitting instead of having fun, and the typical ’80s teenage sass of this line’s delivery has only aged better with time. When kids watch the movie for the first time, they likely see Stef as someone who needs to have more fun, but as kids who have grown up go back and watch the movie, they likely identify more and more with Stef’s feelings on the adventure.

“Hey, You Guys!”

John Matuszak As Sloth

Sloth’s yell is one of the most iconic phrases to come out of The Goonies. It’s been stamped on tee shirts and stationary and shouted at parties in the same cadence ever since. Sloth’s joyful exclamation isn’t only an echo of Chunk’s, enabling him to fit in and become one of the Goonies, but an expression of his pleasure at becoming a member of the human race, period.

Sloth has been locked away from the world, possibly for most of his life, when he is the kindest, most loving member of the Fratelli family and truly deserving of a good family who might love him, as Chunk’s family will. “Hey you guys!” is even a line that many people know even if they don’t know any other quotes from the movie – or haven’t even seen the movie.

“I’m Gonna Hit You So Hard!”

Josh Brolin As Brand

It’s still jarring for many movie fans to come to terms with the fact that brawny Brand Walsh has grown up to become both Cable and Thanos, but back when he was still Mikey’s big brother, he’s a pretty great sibling, save for the time he makes a menacing yet comedic threat: “I’m going to hit you so hard that when you wake up, your clothes will be out of style!“

The film has a few lines written like this, giving the kids a cleverness that works well with their ages. In the ’90s there was a surge of TV shows and movies featuring teens with repartee that felt too over-the-top, but Goonies‘ wit feels real. What’s more, now it’s known that Brand is portrayed by the young man who would be Thanos, the threat — simplistic as it is — lands even better.

“I Never Felt So Bad In My Entire Life!”

Jeff Cohen As Chunk

The Fratellis horrified children, particularly when Mama Fratelli threatened to serve the boys their own tongues (complete with a knife in her hand while she made the threat) or to put Chunk right in the blender. These may have seemed like empty threats to adults watching, but given how she didn’t hesitate to take out the federal agents, they probably were legitimate dangers for the boys.

That’s why the audience can’t blame Chunk for spilling his guts when he was asked to confess. And confess he did! Chunk’s litany of sins, from cheating on his fourth-grade history test to pigging out at “fat kid camp,” still has the audience in stitches decades later. The best part? The time he made fake puke. It might be hard to remember the entirety of Chunk’s quote at once, but it makes for one of the most memorable scenes in the movie:

“I went to this movie theater, hid the puke in my jacket, climbed up to the balcony and then, t-t-then, I made a noise like this: hua-hua-hua-huaaaaaaa – and then I dumped it over the side, all over the people in the audience. And then, this was horrible, all the people started getting sick and throwing up all over each other. And I never felt so bad in my entire life!”

“You Wouldn’t Be Here If It Wasn’t.”

Corey Feldman As Mouth

Mouth is known for living up to his nickname, and some of his lewd humor even withstands the test of time. Take the time Chunk broke Mrs. Walsh’s statue of Michelangelo’s David and Mikey gasped, “Oh, my GOD! That’s my mom’s most favorite piece!“ Mouth smirks and responds, “You wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t!”

Mouth later makes a joke about Brand having to kiss both Andy and her mom on a date and he constantly reminds Stef that he doesn’t like her. Most of his jokes are outrageous but still not as offensive as they could be, or even would be from a similar role in a different film. He manages to ride a thin line in The Goonies without completely crossing it, which is impressive for the time considering how many 1980s films are not looked back on as fondly today.

“Michael Jackson Didn’t Come Over To My House To Use The Bathroom.”

Jeff Cohen As Chunk

Chunk is best known for his appetite and wardrobe, but he also tells the most amazing stories. They go completely underappreciated by his friends. His stories, from the long list of the worst things he’s ever done to the time gremlins were invading, are usually hilarious. One of his best stories is summed up with the Goonies quote: “Michael Jackson didn’t come over to my house to use the bathroom… but his sister did!”

It’s one of the moments that Chunk tries to prove that he’s not a liar, but his penchant for outlandish tales doesn’t help his case. This line is also more interesting for fans in the know because the set of The Goonies was a popular hangout spot for celebrities while filming. Michael Jackson did actually stop by the set of The Goonies.

“I Love The Dark, But I Hate Nature!”

Jeff Cohen As Chunk

When Chunk tries to psych himself up to run through the dark and save his friends from the Fratellis, he has a lot to say: “I’m not all alone in the dark. I love the dark. I love the dark. But I hate nature! I HATE nature!” It’s pretty clear that Chunk has a hard time with both silence and dealing with his own fears. He needs a little help to end up on the adventure he can imagine but is afraid of actually undertaking.

Most fans of a similar age probably can identify with Chunk’s sentiment of wanting the adventure and a story to tell, but needing a bit of a push to actually get the adventure going. Chunk ultimately can’t trick himself as he’s grossed out by the “nature” he has to touch in the way of growth on cave walls and gets caught by the Fratellis anyway.

“I Was Just Trying To Dictate Myself.”

Sean Astin As Mikey

A running joke among the Goonies is how the kids often mispronounce words, which can get old in other movies, but somehow, here, it works. The first one the audience hears is when Mikey is trying to delude himself into thinking he can’t wait to leave his neighborhood. When his big brother asks if he’s for real, Mikey replies, “Nah, I was just trying to delate myself. No, no… You know. Um, uh. Dict, dictate myself.” Brand pauses while working out to correct, “That’s delude yourself, dummy.” Mikey agrees, “That’s what I said!”

Mikey also pronounces “curator” as “the new assistant curly, or kerney,” and even Ms. Walsh says “Hare Krishna” instead of “Hara-Kiri.” The characters all correct one another, proving that the mistaken words don’t mean that they aren’t intelligent, just that they make mistakes like everyone else.

“I’m Setting Booty Traps.”

Ke Huy Kwan as Data

One of the running gags in the movie is Mikey using the wrong words completely and Data mispronouncing words he wants to use. The two have very similar personalities, though Data’s interest is more in technology and Mikey’s is more in history. It’s no wonder that they hit it off so well and are such good friends.

When Data heads out to set booby traps to make sure he and his friends will know when the Fratellis are after him, he says this Goonies quote instead of the actual term. It’s a classic example of Data and Mikey thinking faster than they speak, creating a line that fans remember long after watching the movie because it’s very different from what the character actually means to say. It’s also one of the most famous Goonies quotes to be improvised by the actor.

“The Stupid Guys Tell Me To Use The Stairs!”

Ke Huy Kwan As Data

Data may be the most brilliant of the Goonies, but he’s also unfortunately often the one to suffer the most mishaps, particularly when it comes to one of his inventions failing him. He’s not exactly clumsy, but there are enough mistakes with his different inventions to make it seem like he’s “the clumsy one” in the trope sense of friend groups on screen.

By the time the group gets to the pirate ship, there have been so many problems with his inventions that his frustration is palpable and funny for the audience. At one point, he also falls through some stairs and has a bit of a breakdown, referring to himself in the third person:

“Data’s okay! Data’s quite tired of falling and Data’s tired of skeletons! The stupid guys tell me to use the stairs when Data’s falling!… Use the stairs! Stairs! The stupid guys tell me to use the stairs when Data’s falling. If Data’s hurt, nobody cares anymore… Then some guy tells me I have stupid inventions. I’ve been spending months and months studying on them and inventing them. God!”

“Jerk Alert!”

Corey Feldman As Mouth

From Mouth’s outrageous translation of Mrs. Walsh’s English to Spanish for the new housekeeper, Rosalita, to his order of veal scallopini from Mama Fratelli, then to his attempt to use his mouth to smuggle out rich stuff, Corey Feldman’s character is the most wise-cracking Goonie ever. He never misses a chance to insert a little sarcasm or tease someone just a bit.

Even when he’s flirting with Stef, he says she’s pretty when her “face isn’t screwing it up.” Beyond all of his jokes, he’s even got his own catchphrase in the movie. “Jerk alert!” became a favorite phrase among The Goonies fans, especially when he modified it for adults with “Senior jerk alert!” Mouth used it for kids who didn’t understand the adventurous spirit of the Goonies, but also adults who lacked imagination, and fans of the movie can certainly appreciate that.