A GOOFY MOVIE

'A GOOFY MOVIE' TRAILER

'A Goofy Movie' takes place three years after the events of the series, with Max (Jason Marsden, 'Monsters University', 'Tarzan') now a teenager. He longs to fall in love with Roxanne (Kellie Matrin, TV's 'ER') and is obsessed with rock star Powerline (Tevin Campbell, TV's 'The Fresh Prince of Bel Air'). Goofy (Bill Farmer, 'Space Jam', 'Sing') is struggling to connect with him. After an incident at school, Max ends up in detention, so Goofy decides to pack up his fishing rod and go on a father-and-son bonding trip across the country. Max is hesitant at first, but goes along with it so he trick his dad into taking him to the Powerline concert to impresses Roxanne, while Goofy just wants to spend time with his son.

Because of how the film was made, there is little known about the production. Starting out as TV special, it was produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and Walt Disney Television Animation with the film being animated by DisneyToon studios in the United States, France, Australia, Spain and Canada. The film was in production at the same time as 1994's 'The Lion King', and of course had a much lower budget and was considered less essential. I think this is why it has stood the test of time - there was less pressure on it and thus gave the creative team more freedom. It made the film feel grounded; if the film were made as a part of the main Disney line-up some of those more intimate moments would have been lost. This was the first time any of those classic Disney characters where placed in a contemporary setting, again another reason for its longevity, and the fact its story was the focus is why we resonate with it 30 years later.

'A Goofy Movie' was not a massive box office hit, grossing US$37 million against a budget on $18 million, although it didn't receive a theatrical release in many countries outside of the United States. Its story of success is similar to 'Hocus Pocus' in that when it released on home video, a mere 6 months later (which in the 90s was very fast), the film started to gain notoriety. What initially stands out about it is that it's the only theatrical film to be entirely focused on any of the characters from Mickey and Friends. Mickey Mouse himself to this day does not have a feature-length film, while all these characters have appeared in shorts and specials, Goofy remains the only character to have film just about him. But its success is deeper than that. I want to compare it to something like 'Space Jam' in how it's remembered because of how 90's it is, but 'A Goofy Movie' is so much more.

At its core, it's a movie about a father and son relationship, a love letter to that bond. Goofy, is a single dad just trying to make ends meet for his son and to connect with him. Meanwhile, Max is a teenager; his Dad is the least cool person to him. While hijinks ensue, that relationship is always the focus. I frequently see people saying as a kid they were angry at Goofy for not letting Max go to the concert, but as an adult they related to Goofy and just want to see him and his son connect. Yes, the music is top-tier bops, but that heart is why we still go back to 'A Goofy Movie' 30 years on. Its core story stands the test of time and packs an emotional punch every time you watch it.

Now again like 'Hocus Pocus', 'The Nightmare Before Christmas' and 2002's 'Lilo and Stitch' - 'A Goofy Movie' on the merchandise side of things is one of Disney's main focuses. There is more merch for the film being produced and sold than the modern Disney films. From Loungefly backpacks to board games and Funko Pops, it's wild to see just how much this film has infiltrated Disney stores.

The TV show 'Atlanta' in its fourth and final season had an episode 'The Goof Who Sat By the Door', which fictionalises the creation of 'A Goofy Movie'. The episode is a departure from the rest of the series featuring none of the main characters and is structured like a documentary. In the episode, 'A Goofy Movie' is the passion project of fictional animator Thomas Washington, the first African American CEO of Disney Animation who wants to make "the blackest movie of all time," 'A Goofy Movie'. While conceptionally a hilarious idea, the episode takes its subject matter incredibly seriously while being technically impressive, perfectly passing as a real documentary, and also capturing another angle as to why this film has stood the test time. There is a lot of speculation on whether Goofy is a Black stereotype, only heightened by the character of Powerline, who is heavily inspired by Michael Jackson and Prince. The idea of the episode didn't come out of nowhere; it wasn't just a funny idea and 'A Goofy Movie' in particular does have affinities with African American families. The episode further proves the legacy of 'A Goofy Movie' and cemented its longevity.

Disney+ is set to release 'Not Just a Goof', a documentary to celebrate the film's 30th anniversary, which will be one of the first times Disney is giving us an official look behind the scenes on the film. While a short TV special was produced for the release of the film, it was much more like a 20-minute ad for the film, so I'm so excited to see 'A Goofy Movie' get this kind of treatment.

Like every other 90s Disney film, 'A Goofy Movie' got a direct-to-video sequel, 'An Extremely Goofy Movie'. It follows Max going to college and of course Goofy ends up at the same college and... competes in the X Games. It's what you would expect from a Goofy-centred feature, and just doesn't live up to the first. In the grander canon of these Disney direct-to-video sequels, it's one of the stronger ones - but that isn't saying much.

30 years on, 'A Goofy Movie' stands out above the crowd to be this beautiful outlier in Disney's collection. There is nothing else like it, and it could have only been made in the 90s. From Hi Dad Soup to Powerline, there is just so much love and return to year after year. For me, 'A Goofy Movie' is the ultimate comfort movie. Of course, I love the music and the 90s flair, but it's Goofy's love for his son that makes me return to this one-of-a-kind animation so often.

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