Review of A Goofy Movie (1995) by Michael C — 10 Sep 2009

This movie is as magical to adults as it is to children, and is the single most unknown and unappreciated masterpieces of film to come out of Disney Animation Studios. Most critics spend their time bowing and praising the Disney interpretations of old tales such as the Grimm stories, Aladdin, or literary collages such as The Lion King. While these films are great, it is because of this that truly original films are left forgotten.

A Goofy Movie is the eternal coming-of-age tale as Max Goof ends his freshman year of high school. Like so many of us have done, though in less theatrical ways, he gets himself in trouble trying to impress a girl. His overreacting principal advises Goofy Goof, Max's father, that Max may be on a criminal path and may someday end up in the electric chair. Having been given Max's side just as much as Goofy's, we know that this is not true at all, which contributes to the comedy as well as the drama when Goofy decides that the only way to solve Max's "acting out" is to take him on a fishing trip and have some father-son bonding. This trip interferes with plans Max had made less than an hour before with Roxanne, the girl he had risked suspension from school to get to notice him.

We all know how Max feels; he is growing up and becoming more independent, and just wants to be his own person. Parents will also understand Goofy's feeling: he knows Max's position but is afraid that accepting this will result in him being completely excluded from Max's life. This is a dynamic that is always present in families as children grow up, and at several points in the movie the emotions and interactions based around that are tear-jerkingly realistic and touching. This is accentuated by Carter Burwell's fantastically-composed musical motif that surrounds such moments. Watch the movie, and when you hear the strings you'll know what I mean.

Music plays a much stronger part in this movie than the score, however. The movie is a musical, much like the critically-acclaimed Disney movies out there. The music in this movie, however, is much bouncier and more upbeat, and I find it being the most-played album in my iTunes library. The music is very memorable, and can get stuck in your head, lyrics and all, even easier than "I Just Can't Wait to be King." Especially brilliant are "I 2 I" and "Stand Out," the two songs by Tevin Campbell as the character "Powerline." These songs capture not only Max's adolescent musical interests, but also the 90's as a decade.

All in all, this movie takes the traditional happy-go-lucky, musical nature of Disney and removes the cliche sea-witches and usurping uncles. In its place, it places a much deeper and more internal conflict of growing up and where parents fit into that turbulent emotional time. Despite the ongoing conflict, there isn't a character in the movie (save, perhaps, Principal Mazur) who isn't lovable, but this does not detract from the depth of the movie.

Even superficially, this movie is a brilliant cinematic masterpiece, however looking deeper into the predominant conflict, one can see just how much work was put into this film. With this in mind along with the fact that everyone can relate to the conflict, it then becomes clear why it is so enjoyable for all ages.

Watch and enjoy. This movie is an experience, and one you're not likely to forget.