Goonies Never Say Die: Remembering Richard Donner Through His Best Films

From The Goonies to Lethal Weapon, Donner left his mark on Hollywood and helped make me the cinephile I am today.

Richard Donner passed away Monday at the age of 91 after a long career in the movie business, directing some of the finest movies in Hollywood over his decades-long career. We should all be so lucky to have a career like Donner’s, and live to such a ripe old age, but it’s still sad to hear about his passing.

Still, I figure it’s best to celebrate a great man’s life than to mourn his death, and what better way than by remembering some of Donner’s very best pictures. Many of these are among my favorite movies. Indeed, the following list helps explain why I remain such a huge fan of Mel Gibson despite that actor’s admitted shortcomings. Before Gibson became one of the finest directors in Hollywood, he starred in some of Donner’s best films.

Add these to your viewing list if you haven’t seen them or if you just haven’t seen them in a while. Every single one is a gem. Note also, these are not all of Donner’s films and I may have left out something you love. I haven’t seen 16 Blocks yet, for instance (it’s been on my to-watch list for ages) so it’s not included. There may be others I need to see and if so, please let me know in the comments.

Also, I’m only including the first in any given franchise. So while Donner made more than one Lethal Weapon, only the first is listed here—not because it’s necessarily the best, but just because the list might get a little long otherwise.

Lethal Weapon (1987)

The original buddy cop movie, Lethal Weapon remains one of the best and gave both Mel Gibson and Danny Glover new levels of stardom. I watched this one again not that long ago and it holds up really well. Gibson and Glover have such great chemistry. There’s a great mystery filled with red herrings. And it’s both incredibly dark and incredibly funny all at the same time—very much a product of its time. They don’t make ‘em like the used to.

Ladyhawke (1985)

An evil bishop and his terrible curse. Knights and fair maidens. An unlikely hero. And a discordant occasionally-synth soundtrack that sticks with you long after the credits role. Ladyhawke is one of those movies that I’m surprised ever got made when it did, a big budget fantasy before big budget fantasy was a thing. Also pretty star-studded, with Matthew Broderick, Rutger Hauer, and Michelle Pfeiffer in the lead roles. It was a flop, earning just $18.4 million on a $20 million budget, but it’s a cult classic nonetheless.

Conspiracy Theory (1997)

I adore Conspiracy Theory. I love conspiracy theory movies and thrillers—Julia Roberts has a few other great ones, like The Pelican Brief—and she and Gibson are both so great in this movie. Gibson is hilarious, for one thing. Plus, you get the added benefit of seeing Patrick Stewart as a villain. For those of us used to him as Professor X or Captain Picard it’s kind of fun to see him go full evil.

The Omen (1976)

It’s been a long time since I’ve seen The Omen, Donner’s classic horror flick and one of the most important movies ever made in the horror genre. Gregory Peck stars in this classic about a kid who also happens to be the Antichrist. I’m definitely adding this one to the list since it’s been decades since I last saw it.

Superman (1978)

The movie that made Christopher Reeve a major star and put superhero films on the map, Superman remains one of the best films in the superhero genre, and I say that in spite of the flood of superhero films in the past couple decades. There was something charming about Superman that the MCU hasn’t really been able to replicate. Also, Gene Hackman as Lex Luthor? The only super-villain casting choice I can think of that I enjoy more was Jack Nicholson as the Joker.

Maverick (1994)

I’m a sucker for a good Western. My grandpa basically put on a different John Wayne movie every time we came over. This time, Mel Gibson plays across from Jodie Foster as a gambling rogue out to win big in a poker contest. Screenwriter William Goldman (The Princess Bride, Misery) wrote the script. It’s been a while since I’ve seen this one, also, but I remember enjoying it when I was younger.

Scrooged (1988)

Bill Murray is one of the greats and while Scrooged is not my favorite Murray film—that goes to What About Bob? and Groundhog Day—it’s way up there. It’s also one of my favorite Christmas movies, a foul-mouthed and hilariously entertaining retelling of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.

The Goonies (1985)

Of course, we save the best for last. My favorite Richard Donner movie, and probably my favorite—or one of my top 5, at least—childhood films is The Goonies. I have watched it countless times and I will watch it countless more. This one, along with Willow and Hook and E.T. and various others from my childhood pretty much helped cultivate my love of cinema in the first place. That this was written by Chris Columbus with a story from Steven Spielberg may help explain why it remains one of cinema’s all-time greats.

And honestly, they just don’t make movies like this anymore, with dirty jokes and cussing and even some class-consciousness thrown in for good measure. Nowadays, I swear to god every movie geared at kids is so sanitized. Everyone lives in McMansions with perfectly manicured lawns. Movies like this or E.T. or Stand By Me showed a harder edge to life that working class Americans could relate to. Single moms, lost boys, parents who couldn’t afford to keep their homes, messy kitchens and messy lives. Everything about The Goonies was great. It’s one of my all-time favorites.

Goonies never say die. RIP Richard Donner. We’ll end this one with a song from The Dirty Heads. Sloth’s Revenge—enjoy!

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