A life lesson from “Explorers”

When I first saw “Explorers” in the theatre, I thought it really wasn’t that good. The lead up was, but the climax kind of fizzled.

However, looking back, the process of going to see “Explorers” was a microcosm of our own journey of exploration.

Summer of ‘85
My Grade 10 year spanned 1984-1985 and really signalled a transition in my life. I had gone to the same school, St. Joseph’s, from Grade 1 to 9. Since I did not live in town, I had little to no opportunity to meet the kids from the public school, much less get to know them or make friends. My entire social life was at the school I went to, with the same kids year after year.

That all changed in Grade 10, when the three junior highs merged into Kate Andrews High School. Suddenly, I did not have to be around the same people I had been around for nine years. I met some new people, most notably Chris Vining who would go onto to be one of my best friends to this day. I also finally got to go to school with Mathew Ebner, my close friend and neighbour, who I rode the school bus with and was in the same grade with, but he went to John Davidson then R.I. Baker, the public schools. Beyond that, I still didn’t meet too many people, beyond class.

Then I joined the “Reach For The Top” team. It was a high school quiz show that Kate Andrews was not only good at, but were the reigning national champions. The entire team had graduated so Mr. Ryan, who was the coach and our guidance counselor, was looking for new team members.

We would practise in his classroom then his office.

I already knew Vining; David Perlich, who was a close friend from St. Joe’s; and Mathew, but it was there I met C and S.

From that, our friendships began to grow. We would talk on the phone with each other and, eventually, start going to each other’s houses.

Mathew was the first to get his licence as well as a car, a blue Vega, during the summer after Grade 10, the summer of ‘85. He was so excited because it gave him the freedom to get off the farm. He also offered me rides and a chance for me to get off the farm too.

The “Reach For The Top” team decided to try and keep meeting over the summer. One day, we agreed to meet at Perlich’s. He had by far the biggest place, just west of Coaldale, and the most interesting things to do. In particular, he had a fully developed basement with a TV and a pool table.

Mathew picked me up, while Vining, C and S found their way to Perlich’s.

Good day
We met in the morning, and did quite a bit of practising. That consisted of one of us reading from one of the many trivia books Mr. Ryan provided us, with the rest of us competing to answer.

We broke for lunch, where Mrs. Perlich was gracious enough to make us soup and sandwiches.

After lunch, we gravitated to the pool table, and just started talking about all kinds of stuff.

Then someone floated the idea of going to a movie.

Mathew offered to drive, but we would have to work it out.

That’s when the drama started.

Limited space available
Vining’s mom came to pick him up, S’s dad picked him up, and so did C’s mom. Mathew and I just hung out at Perlich’s. I had called my mom to ask if I could go to a movie and she agreed, once I told her our plan.

The interesting thing was there was a hitch.

Mathew’s Vega had room for him and three passengers. There were five of us who wanted to go.

That’s where things got interesting, and by interesting I mean awkward and crappy.

C had his mom drop him off at Perlich’s right after supper. Mathew had not even been sure he wanted to take C, because they were not really friends. Now he was boxed in.

I was a go, because I was actually Mathew’s best friend at that point among the guys there. He was still getting to know the rest, except for S.

Perlich was also a go because, well, we were at his house, enjoyed his hospitality and his mom had made us lunch.

That meant Vining and S were the odd men out.

This is where it gets really crappy.

None of us bothered to call S, because that would have been too hard.

No one would have called Vining either, but he called Perlich’s, who told him we were going to the movie. He was upset by that. Mathew took the phone and told him he only had space for three, and felt really bad, then he said goodbye.

Vining called back, asking for me. He kept asking why, and I told him I really didn’t have an answer. What I wanted to say, and told him later in the week, was that C had essentially invited himself and boxed in poor Mathew. What I did say at that point was that Mathew had limited room. He was upset, but eventually did hang up.

Through it all, C just sat there, and said Vining really just wasn’t welcome. I resented that because that was not at all the case. It was also why eventually C found himself on the outside looking in.

When I got home that night after the movie, I told my mom what happened. She said she understood not taking Vining because Mathew had limited space, but not even calling S was inexcusable. Her words were “It was not nice”. She was right.

It was a lesson I learned and have never forgotten.

The movie
So we piled into Mathew’s Vega and drove to Woolco, or more officially the College Cinema.

“Explorers” is a story about a group of young friends who build a space ship to meet some aliens. Along the way, they learn as much about themselves and each other as anything. The film was directed by Joe Dante and featured Ethan Hawke and River Phoenix making their film debuts.

It was a bit like “Stand By Me”, which would come out later, and even “The Goonies”.

I remember leaving the theatre being disappointed in the ending, and the aliens the boys met.

I also thought, “Vining didn’t miss much.”

Parting thoughts
Looking back, we were just a bunch of boys trying to find out who we were, just like the boys in “Explorers”. We weren’t venturing out into space, but we were venturing out on our own, taking our first steps towards independence. That was the first movie I saw with friends alone. Every previous movie was either with some family members of some type or with friends escorted by their parents or older siblings.

Just like the movie really was disappointing, so was the way we treated some of the guys we were going to try and be friends with.

If there was one thing I learned from that experience, it was not to treat people that way.

My mom always said “Treat people the way you want to be treated”, and she said it again that night after I got home from the movie.