The Driftwood #34 April Fool’s Edition: Movie Recs

What movies did you love as a kid? Here are a couple sure to bring on a wave of nostalgia.

A wonderful classic, Good Burger (1997) is based on a comedy sketch of the same name from the Nickelodeon television series All That. Featuring Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell as fellow high school students Dexter and Ed. The two meet when they get into a predicament where they need to work together. Ed is the source of a minor car crash between Dexter (who does not have a license) and his teacher. To pay for the damages, Dexter gets a summer job working with Ed at Good Burger, a burger-and-fries diner that has some very quirky employees. Although Ed is down-to-earth, his naïve decisions put himself and Dexter into some pretty difficult situations. Mondo Burger, a competitive new burger restaurant, opens just across the road from Good Burger, and the diner’s flow of customers quickly dwindles.

Things aren’t all that they seem at Mondo Burger, and Ed and Dexter, with the help of their fellow friends and coworkers at Good Burger, do their best to save their restaurant. This wacky film features so many different situations ranging from the initial car crash to time spent in a psychiatric hospital and even an attempt to disguise themselves as old women. The goofy dynamic between Ed and Dexter keeps the viewers entertained because Ed’s literal personality tests not only the customers but his friends as well. I can describe Ed’s silliness with one example by a scene when he sings his incredible and original song with lyrics “He’s a dude, she’s a dude, we’re all dudes.” See how Ed and Dexter break through obstacles to save their beloved restaurant from going out of business in this must-see family classic, Good Burger. Available to watch for free on YouTube.

Gooby is a heartwarming fantasy children’s movie about a loving childhood toy—a stuffed teddy bear that suddenly comes to life when the boy who grew up with him, Willy, needs him most. Luckily his buddy Goob is now here to make some major changes in Willy’s life. Little does Willy know that Gooby has other plans in store, and he transforms into a life-size version of himself that can speak. Gooby is a six-foot-tall, brown furry bear-thing, with a red and black checkered scarf, and a Scottish accent.

Throughout the story we see Gooby and Willy’s bond grow as Gooby attempts to “fix” Willy’s life in various ways. Truthfully, Gooby seems to only make things more complicated for him, though. He says weird phrases (such as “don’t snot about it” and “I like being your dad”) and does silly actions (like farting and throwing hotdogs at Willy while he’s hiding in Willy’s attic). Quite honestly, Gooby makes the movie what it is; he is the real star since it’s named after him and all. Eventually, Willy’s parents begin to question what’s in the attic and call pest control, which only leads to a whole new world of problems.

Gooby gets Willy into even more shenanigans, especially after he shows up outside of Willy’s classroom window. Willy begins to get annoyed with Gooby and blows up multiple times at him since the bear is always getting them both in sticky situations, so Gooby has to find a way to win Willy back. Gooby tries multiple times to gain forgiveness from Willy, but it always ends in disaster. After the final time, Gooby gives up and runs away to hide. Will Willy and Gooby manage to repair their friendship? Will the pest control people manage to expunge Gooby once and for all? And what happens with Willy grows up and realizes he doesn’t need a toy anymore?

In the end, as the movie says, “Where we belong isn’t a place it’s with each other” (Personally, I’m not sure how that relates to Gooby and Willy, but it’s still a good message). I think everyone should check out this movie, especially with a group of friends. It is definitely a film that should not be taken seriously, but it has some charm in a silly kind of way. (Even if the film cost $6.5 million to make, yet in the end, only gained $3,000 in sales).