Nathaniel and Larry

Setting and PlaceThe GooniesStand by Me

Setting and PlaceSetting and place is a key feature used by the film producers to set the mood and create a certain theme depending on the genre of the film.

In “The Goonies” they find the map to one-eyed willy’s treasure cove and they decide to investigate. The darkness in the attic indicates that they have limited experience with adulthood.

“Stand by Me” uses a similar start as they are in the tree-house, smoking cigarettes. The walls of the tree-house tells us that they also have limited knowledge to the adult world, despite the fact that they try to be adults by playing games like: Poker, smoking cigarettes and carrying a gun.

The Start of The Adventure

The campfire scene in “Stand by Me” is set in a dark forest surrounded by wildlife. This illustrates that they are isolated by the darkness and open areas as we cannot see anything in it, and they are safer as a group.

Similarly, in “The Goonies” the thick walls of the caves and tunnels have the same effect as the open areas and darkness from “Stand by Me”. They are also safer as a group as they use each others skills to navigate around the booby trapped tunnel system.

Comparisons

In “Stand by Me” the railway track symbolises their dangerous route into adulthood and become wiser towards the end of the film, because they decide that a dead body is nothing to be happy about, and this leads to an anonymous call to the police. Addtionally in “The Goonies” the caves also represent their pathway into adulthood, because they realise that their lives are a lot more important than “one-eyed willy’s” treasure cove.

Pathways

The ending scene for “The Goonies” involves a brawl on the deck of the pirate ship, and a confrontation in “Stand by Me” next to the dead body. The dead body and the treasure both represent the victory of the protagonists.

In “Stand by Me” the end of the rail could show that they have come to the end of their epic adventure as well as the dead end in the cave for “The Goonies”

Final Face-off

“Stand by Me” has a very depressing ending scene as we are told that Chris Chambers receive’s a knife to the throat and dies instantly, the sunrise represents a new beginning, especially as we see an adult Gordie with a house and kids.

However in “The Goonies” the ending is a very happy one as they manage to pay off the debt to keep their houses. There is a sunset to show that they have come to and ending but it isn’t as gloomy as the one in “Stand by Me” as it also represents an end to their misery instead of an end to somebody’s life.

Ending Scene