40 Years of Movies: 1985

 


2021 is the year I turn 40. As part of my celebration, I'm looking back at 40 years of movies, picking my favorite film from each year I've been around! To learn more about the criteria for this process, check this introduction. Each post will feature my pick, plus three runner's up. So check back over the next 40 weeks of this journey!

1985:

The Goonies
Starring: Josh Brolin, Sean Astin, Jeff Cohen, Corey Feldman, Kerri Green, Martha Plimpton, and Ke Huy Quan
About: We've reached 1985, and this was a fun slate of films for me to consider. But when picking my favorite, it was easy. This adventure, with a story from Steven Spielberg, a script from Chris Columbus and direction from Richard Donner, has become a classic. It's a lot of fun and one of my favorite movies from growing up. This is the second week that Quan makes the list, as his character Data here and Short Round in Temple of Doom are enduring though he didn't make many other films. But this is about wonder, adventure and, most of all, friendship. The search for One-Eyed Willie's treasure was the catalyst, but the joy here is the bond between brothers (Brolin and Astin) and friends (Astin, Cohen, Feldman and Quan) that make this such a rich and enduring journey. If you haven't seen this film, it's well worth checking out.

Other Considerations:

Back to the Future
Starring: Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover, and Thomas F. Wilson
About: This was a close consideration to top the list, as this is another classic I love. I have seen this a few times with my wife, who loves it as well. Fox is great in the lead, and Lloyd is great, too. I enjoy all three films, but this is the best and my favorite. This was one of Robert Zemeckis' best films, too. It's got humor and fun sequences plus a good story. This is a classic.

Silverado
Starring: Scott Glenn, Kevin Costner, Danny Glover, Kevin Kline, and Brian Dennehy
About: This is perhaps my favorite western. It is one of my dad's favorite films, and he introduced it to me. I think of him when I think of this film, which features a great cast and was Costner's first big screen credit. Glenn, Glover and Kline are great here, too. This one has some humor and plenty of great action. It's got a great story and it's a lot of fun. This is an under-rated gem.

Clue
Starring: Tim Curry, Christopher Lloyd, Madeline Kahn, Michael McKean, Eileen Brennan, Martin Mull, and Leslie Ann Warren
About: This film, a screwball comedy based on the popular board game, turned out a lot better than many would have imagined. It's funny and has a fun cast. It's going to be re-made soon with Jason Bateman and Ryan Reynolds, and while I'm excited for that it will be hard to top the original, which was a lot of fun. This is a good time.

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