The '80s were a magical time for movies. That's because Hollywood studios were interested in making "high-concept" films that gave audiences original ideas they'd never seen before. Pictures like Ghostbusters, Back to the Future, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial came about as a result.
Because of the originality that reigned in the decade, a lot of '80s movies have become genuine classics and maintain their appeal decades later. The happiness these films have brought audiences stems in part from the happiness the people making them felt. Some of your favorite films from that era have heartwarming stories attached to them - stories guaranteed to make you smile. What could be better than knowing a movie you love has an element of real joy off-screen to match the joy it provides on-screen?
Drew Barrymore had a notoriously difficult life as a child. Her autobiography Little Girl Lost goes into harrowing detail about how she developed a substance use problem at a shockingly early age, as well as the traumas - including a troubled relationship with her mother - that led to her difficulties. She was such a good actor, even as a kid, that it was hard to tell how badly her personal life was in shambles.
Decades after becoming a star in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Barrymore put acting on the back burner to host her own daily talk show. In a 2021 episode, she reminisced fondly about director Steven Spielberg, to whom she became very close during filming. Visibly tearing up, Barrymore called him "the first person who cared about me." Spielberg made a surprise appearance on the show, telling her, "I still care about you. I've always cared about you."
The segment is so touching that it's almost impossible not to tear up watching it.
Kevin Bacon gave a star-making performance in Footloose. He was an unknown when the movie opened, but by the end of the weekend, he was virtually a household name. The movie launched his career, and although he's gone on to give a string of memorable performances over the years, the association with Footloose remains strong.
Bacon is well aware of that. Consequently, whenever he attends a wedding, he pays the DJ to not play the famous Kenny Loggins theme song from the film, so as not to call attention to himself. The actor told Conan O'Brien:
I go to the disc jockey and hand him $20 and say, "Please don't play that song." Because, first off, a wedding is really not about me. It's about the bride and groom.
Lots of Stephen King's books have been adapted for the screen, and the author has made his displeasure known when they have not lived up to his expectations. By 1986, he'd seen his work mangled or defanged with Children of the Corn, Firestarter, and even his own directorial debut, Maximum Overdrive. Then, of course, there was Stanley Kubrick's adaptation of The Shining, which he famously despised.
In that position, it must have been nerve-wracking whenever a new movie adaptation came out. Fortunately, director Rob Reiner made King proud with Stand by Me, the big-screen version of the short story "The Body." King was so pleased with the film, in fact, that he cried when Reiner showed him the finished product, the writer recalled:
When the movie was over, I hugged [Reiner] because I was moved to tears, because it was so autobiographical.
To this day, Stand by Me is considered one of the very best films made from a King novel.
Hard as it is to believe now, The Princess Bride was not a major hit when it was released in 1987. In fact, it earned only $30 million at the domestic box office. A home video release and frequent cable TV airings helped wider audiences finally catch up with this Rob Reiner-directed romantic fantasy. Aside from charming performances and dozens of quotable lines, what makes the film so beloved is its sincerity.
The Princess Bride is based on a book written by William Goldman, the Oscar-winning screenwriter of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and All the President's Men. He had a very specific reason for writing that book - he wanted to please his two daughters. After asking them what he should write about, one daughter suggested a princess and the other suggested a bride. Goldman combined the ideas and began the process of formulating the story. Their advice ended up being excellent, as the book sold well and the movie adaptation has given pleasure to millions of viewers.
Writer/director John Hughes wrote Uncle Buck as a showcase for his friend, comedian John Candy. But the movie ended up being notable for giving audiences a glimpse of a future Hughes star. Macaulay Culkin had a pre-Home Alone supporting role as Miles, one of the kids Candy's irresponsible uncle is left caring for while their parents are out of town.
You might expect that, at the tender age of 10, Culkin would have been a handful on the set. But co-star Amy Madigan, who played Buck's girlfriend, said Culkin was a total pro during production. She told Vanity Fair:
He was this little boy, certainly, but he had a real intelligence and a great comic timing. He wasn’t intimidated by ad-libbing. He also had this very grown-up intellect that was spinning around at the same time. I think that’s what made him so funny. He was certainly more mature than John Candy was.
Madigan's jab at Candy was made lovingly, as she described him as "an incredibly generous person."
The cast of The Outsiders had a lot of pressure on them. Although C. Thomas Howell, Matt Dillon, Ralph Macchio, Patrick Swayze, Emilio Estevez, Rob Lowe, and Tom Cruise would go on to become household names, they were all young, generally unknown performers at the time. To make the experience even more intense, they were working for Francis Ford Coppola, a director who had already made classics like The Godfather and Apocalypse Now. That's a lot for any up-and-coming actor to shoulder.
Fortunately, they had S.E. Hinton on the set to help keep nerves at bay. The author of the book the film is based on, Hinton was asked by Coppola to be there every day. This allowed her to get close to the cast, even going so far as becoming like a mom to them. Hinton recalled:
I mommed them a lot - they were just boys. Tommy was 15. Rob had his 18th during the movie. Matt had just turned 18. I immediately made myself their mom. Rob called me Mom half the time. I had their backs, I was looking out for them.
