To write screenplays you must read a lot of screenplays. I didn’t emphasize on the ‘A LOT’ enough. I spend hours and hours reading scripts to study the different formats of various writers. Today, I am reading one of my favorites, for probably the 100th time. It’s one of my all-time favorite scenes, and probably a favorite of most of you too. This is from the actual shooting script in 1985. Some words/lines or actions may be different than you saw in the film. Sometimes the actors decide to improvise. If you read the entire ‘GOONIES’ script you would see a lot of differences and cut scenes that didn’t make it into the actual movie.

Scene 14: Mikey Persuades Everyone to Continue

Troy and his friends are finally lowering the bucket into the well, much to the Goonies’ anticipation.

Data:
Troy, throw some money down, okay?

Brand:
I can see it. Hey Troy! (To the others) Come on!

Data:

(Reaches for the rope, climbing around the bucket)

Hey, you guys. I’m the smartest, so I’m gonna go first, okay?

Brand:

(Pulls him off)

Get out of there. I’m the oldest, so I’ll call the shots. Andi goes first. I go second. Stef and Mikey go third. Data, you go fourth. (Andi climbs onto the bucket, holding the rope)

Mikey:

(Whispering to himself)

Chester Copperpot…Chester Copperpot… (Out loud, to the rest) Chester Copperpot! Don’t you guys see? Don’t you realize? He was a pro. He never made it this far. Look how far we’ve come. We’ve got a chance.    

Andi:

Chance at what, Mikey? Getting killed? Look, if we keep going someone’s really gonna get hurt, maybe dead. Besides, we gotta get to the police.

Mikey:

Maybe Chunk already got to the police.

Andi:

Maybe Chunk is dead.

Mikey:

Don’t say that. Never say that. Goonies never say “die”.

Andi:

I’m not a Goonie. I wanna go home.

Mikey:

I forgot. But still…don’t you realize? The next time we 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 bestest stuff for us. But right now they gotta do what’s right for them, ’cause 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”.