"That's what I said!"

Question

All throughout the movie The Goonies a character will say something wrong and then say "That's what I said!" For example Data says "bootie" trap instead of "boobie" trap and then say's "That's what I said!" Mikey, Chunk, Mouth, and the mom all say it at least once in the movie. I was just wondering what (if there's any) significance this line has to the movie.

Answer 1

The line is spoken by three people -- Chunk, Mikey, and Mikey's mother -- and in each case, the dialogue helps develop each person's character:

• Chunk says it twice, out of frustration when people don't listen to him, suggesting he is often ignored
• Mikey says it three times, as a cover-up for when he had previously mispronounced something, suggesting he can't admit when he is wrong
• Mikey's mom says it once, also as a cover-up, suggesting that Mikey picked up the tendency from her

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Chunk: (His mouth still full) Do you think your Mom's going to notice...notice that the dick and balls are missing?

Mikey: I wonder if she'll notice.

Chunk: That's what I said!

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Brand: It's the Fratellis.

Data: That's the guy from upstairs.

Mikey: And the guy who tried to sing.

Chunk: See, you guys, you never listen to me. I said that there was going to be trouble, but you didn't listen to me.

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Mikey: And they were digging all these tunnels, and caves. Setting boody traps.

Data: Booby traps.

Mikey: That's what I said.

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Mikey: He's going to give it back to the museum, or whoever they pick to be the new assistant curly, or kerney...

Brand: Curator.

Mikey: That's what I said.

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Mikey: They did a show. It was a retropackum, and it was a...

Brand: Retrospective.

Mikey: That's what I said. You always contradict me.

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Irene: Brandon, don't you come home without your brother, or I'll commit hare... Hare Krishna!

Brand: That's "Hara-Kiri," Ma.

Irene: That's exactly what I said.