MovieChat Forums > Explorers (1985) Discussion > How old where these Characters supposed ...

How old where these Characters supposed to be?

posted 20 years ago by Quality_Critic
10 replies | jump to latest

I remember when this movie came out in 1985, I saw it with my elementary class shorty after. I thought Ethan Hawke and the rest of the guys were my age, but then I was surprised to find out him, River Phoenix and the guy who played Darren were actually high school aged kids when they did this movie. They were all about 14 or 15 years old. That does not look like a high school that the guys were going too. Most likely middle school, but I can't tell. They looked like at the most...6th graders, despite being high school age kids.

[–] Seven_Thunders 20 years ago

They did indeed play fifteen year olds in the movie. Their age is given in the synopsis of the movie on various listings for it. This movie is so fun, no viewing will go by where I don't wish they would have allowed Joe Dante to finish it.

Two beliefs that conflict each other cannot coexist. One must be right, or both must be wrong.

[–] Punk19 19 years ago

I wonder how old the aliens were

I hide in your closet....I hide in your basement....I hide under your bed.

[–] sonofbeach-sheet 19 years ago

Back in the 1980's and before, puberty ran its course when it was supposed to in most cases. Most 14 and 15 year olds still looked like little kids

[–] 19 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Joel_S 19 years ago

They were playing 15 year olds? My God, they all look like they are 10 or 11 years old, they do look like 6th graders, 7th tops. I would have never guessed 15.

They just act more like children instead of 15 year olds. I mean come on, building a home made space ship, even with alien technology...that just feels like something elementary school or early middle school aged children would do, not a bunch of high school guys that are on the cusp of getting their drivers license. But it was cool that they used guys that actually were around 15, instead of an 18, 19 or 20 year old with a 5 o'clock shadow like they would today.

[–] Jessica1977 19 years ago

I thought they were all about 12, I didn't realize they were 15 either. They in no way seem 1 year shy of being 16 year old high school boys. Their voices are all high pitched and squeaky like children, and the three of them seem rather short for 15. Granted the three of them were not "the cool kids", like I guess Steve Jackson was.

Even the most mature one Darren, had a bit of a child quality to him. But if you look at Steve Jackson and his cronies who were all supposed to be "bad ass", those guys do look and act more like teenagers then Ben, Wolfgang and Darren do.

[–] sonofbeach-sheet 19 years ago

Believe it or not, like I mentioned earlier, quite a few boys around 15 years old were still little boys in appearance, including myself. Very few of us were pudgy and early maturing like today

[–] Kent_Weirdo 19 years ago

I thought so, too (that they couldn't have been 15-16) - at first.

I remember seeing all of the ninth graders at my old local high school when I turned 18. I thought that they were a visiting field-trip class from one of our elementary schools.

As you get older and look back on where you were, everything seems so different. When you look at where you are presently, it feels like nothing has changed. You don't notice your voice changing, or the facial hair, and all that junk. Hell, when I was in kindergarten, I thought that third graders were teenagers, with their deep voices and their height...

Rambling again.

[–] KillerMontezuma 19 years ago

Yeha Re: KentWeirdo's post, school is a kind of unnatural environment in that you are surrounded for most of your day by people exactly the same stage of development (give or take), so it's a bit of an illusion. You don't notice how you're changing from month to month year to year. The Red Queen effect of school environments or something..I'm rambling too.

I thought they were my age (ten) when I first saw it. Only when I was twelve and saw it again did I realize that they were actually either my age or a bit older. Little kids often reckon they're bigger than they really are, and identify with older kids in tv and film. I remember thinking Kevin Arnold was so YOUNGER than me when I was 10, I even said once that he looked three. Hang on, he DID look three.
Just like Michael J Fox looked 15 when he was about 30.

[–] spidergags 19 years ago

I believe they are supposed to be ages 12-14. There is a scene when Jason Presson and Ethan Hawke are at the bike racs after Jason has saved Ethan from the bully and there is a sign that says Junior High School behind them.