Interesting example because I consider the former a classic and the latter a film given much love via rose-tinted spectacle nostalgia, rather than a classic.

I saw The Goonies in the cinema during the original run. I was ten years old and loved it. It has a very special place in my heart. But it is - objectively speaking - not a great film. A spirited and noisy adventure, yes, but it degenerates into pantomime silliness, and isn't to my mind a great in the way Back to the Future is (which I also saw during the original run - twice). Both films were in the cinema around the same time (at least here in the UK, in late 1985/early 1986).

Again, I may raise this point during my article where I lay out my definition of a great film.

Thank you for your article, and for the inspiration it has provided. :)