Goofy Is The Dad I Needed Growing Up

Last week marked the 30th anniversary of A Goofy Movie. It's been almost 20 years since I have thought about the movie and its sequel, An Extremely Goofy Movie, but I loved them both as a kid. So when A Goofy Movie popped up on the Disney homepage, all the memories came rushing back. I had to watch it again. Turns out this is not only one of my childhood favourites, but also one of the best animated Disney films of all time. Yes, I am prepared to die on this hill.

When I was growing up, one of the VHS tapes that was on constant rotation in my house was The Goof Troop, season 1. The show follows Goofy (Bill Farmer), his son Max (Jason Marsden) , and their neighbours Pete (Jim Cumming) and PJ (Rob Paulsen) through all kinds of coming-of-age hijinks. It's quintessential '90s nostalgia with a classic, chaotic, and Goofy flavour. My sister and I watched Goof Troop all the time, so when our parents told us there was not one, but two Goofy Movies, we were stoked. Back then, it was pretty hard to find something that we both liked so I'm sure Mom was pretty happy about it too (She was almost as picky as we were). Maybe that's why they were on so often. A Goofy Movie and An Extremely Goofy Movie are spin-offs of the show, but you don't need to see Goof Troop to appreciate them. They were great movies when I was little, and they're great movies now.

Watching A Goofy Movie again as an adult, I'm struck by just how great it is.The 2D animation is gorgeous, the songs are just as incredible as I remembered, and the gags are even better. But the story was what really blew me away. I can quote almost the entire movie from memory, but re-watching it now with a (slightly) more developed frontal lobe gave me a whole new perspective.

As the film kept going, I wished for one thing more and more. I wished my dad was more like Goofy.

Our relationship is pretty complicated. We were super close when I was young, when I was watching these movies for the first time. As time went on though, I think my dad started to realize that I was more than just an extension of himself. Things kind of went downhill from there. I developed my own interests and my own ways of thinking. As my life became less like his, the less interested—and more upset—he got. Long story short, I moved away from home to go to college, and we haven't spoken a ton since. Kind of like Goofy at the beginning of the movie, my dad had a pretty fixed idea of who I was in his head, and he was never quite ready to let that image go.

Blah, blah, blah, messy childhood story, I know. I promise there's a point this time. But back to A Goofy Movie. It's all about the relationship between a father and a son. Max is starting to grow up, and Goofy is grappling with the fact that their relationship is changing with him.

It all starts on the last day of school before summer vacation. Max pulls an elaborate stunt to get the attention of his middle school crush, Roxanne (Kellie Martin). And it works. Max is riding high when the well-meaning Goofy decides to take Max on a father-son roadtrip to reconnect. Of course, Goofy planned it at the exact same time as Max's first date with Roxanne. From then on, the relationship between Max and Goofy takes center-stage. And I'll tell you, the intergenerational disconnect between them speaks directly to my soul.

As a kid, I was on Max's side, wishing that Goofy would just chill out, stop trying so hard, and let Max live his own life. As an adult, I see a father who is trying his very best to not only take care of his son, but to connect with him. Even when his attempts are misguided, they stem from a deep and unconditional love.Now, this could be your totally average B-tier Disney movie. They were really pumping them out in the late '90s. But it's so much more than that. I would argue that it's even better than some of the classic Disney Renaissance movies. For me, it goes:

1. The Lion King

2. The Little Mermaid

3. A Goofy Movie

And did I mention that the music absolutely slaps? I'm not joking, Eye to Eye has been added to my playlist. The in-universe pop star Powerline (Tevin Campbel) is absolutely an homage to Prince, and I implore you to stop what you are doing and listen to the songs now. Like, right now.

Not only is it a great song, Eye to Eye tells the story of the movie. Max and Goofy start out at odds with one another. Max wants nothing to do with his embarrassing dad, and Goofy isn't able to follow the blueprint of his own childhood to connect with Max the way his dad did with him. Goofy's plans for the trip, learning the 'perfect cast' and visiting Lester's Possum Park, just aren't what the kids are into these days. Goofy has to learn to meet Max at his level, and Max has to learn to grow up a bit and meet Goofy at his. When the two of them start seeing eye to eye and working towards the same goal, they are an unstoppable, albeit very clumsy, duo. Goofy is able to see and understand Max's perspective, and even support him in his goals by the end.

Growing up, I would've given anything for that kind of understanding. It seemed like no matter what I did, I just couldn't keep my dad happy. If I disagreed with him, that meant that I didn't respect him. So I started to keep my mouth shut, which meant he'd get upset that I refused to share anything with him. My dad was a lot more like Goofy's neighbour, Pete, than Goofy.

Pete's under-the-thumb parenting style (and general distaste for his son PJ) could not be more at odds with Goofy, who just wants the best for Max. In one scene, both father-son pairs are staying at the Neptune Inn for the night. While Max and PJ eat pizza and jump around on the waterbed, Pete and Goofy meet in the hot tub and start talking parenting. Goofy says, "Maybe Max isn't all the things you think a son should be, but he loves me." Pete's response? "Hey, my son respects me." I can say this from experience. Respect just isn't enough, and it doesn't last. I wouldn't be too surprised if by his twenties PJ doesn't talk to his dad either.

Unlike Pete, Goofy doesn't need to punish his son, or use any tricks to reconnect with Max. His earnestness and fond reminiscing break the icy exterior of a moody 14-year-old boy (or dog, I'm not really sure), which is no easy feat. Following mishap after mishap, all that's really needed to bring the two Goofs together is some clear and honest communication. Go figure. Super obvious when you're watching a movie, but a lot of people in the real world could use the reminder as well. I bet Goofy would even go to therapy if Max suggested it, too.

Goofy is an extraordinarily emotionally mature character. It would have been so easy to make him a one dimensional slapstick charicature, but he really is a great dad. He desperately wants to give Max the space to be his own person, but he also wants to continue to be a part of his life.

I really appreciate that in this movie neither of them are in the wrong, they just have to learn to work together. In one of the most heart-wrenching scenes in the movie, Max admits to Goofy that he changed the map, planning to turn their fishing expedition into a trip to the Powerline concert in order to impress Roxanne. Fed up, Max utters the words that are every parents'—I'm guessing here—worst nightmare. "I'm not your little boy anymore! I have my own life!" And then came the line that broke me. "I know that! I just wanted to be a part of it."

That was it for me. The tears started flowing and I found I wasn't able to stop them.

At this point in the movie, we know Goofy's motivations, but Max doesn't. In one line, Goofy is able to be vulnerable with his son without making Max responsible for his emotions. Once that barrier is broken, Max is able to do the same. I've lost count of the number of times I tried breaking that barrier with my own father.

Of course, it wouldn't be A Goofy Movie if they played it straight, so their climactic heart-to-heart takes place while Max and Goofy take refuge on top of their minivan as it careens off a cliff, into the river, and toward a rushing waterfall. But still, it works.

I'm not exactly sure what made me so emotional. A combination of guilt, longing, anger and sadness all tied up in my relationship with my own dad made the catharsis at the heart of this movie a real gut punch in the best way. I know I'm not the only one who has a complicated relationship with a parent, so I know that I can't be the only one that feels this way. The staunch fanbase of A Goofy Movie proves as much. Though it isn't the most well-known in the Disney catalogue, I have yet to meet someone who has watched it and doesn't like it.

I really hope that the 30th anniversary brings a new light, and a new audience, to A Goofy Movie. Three decades later, it is still one of the best family movies out there. It's an intoxicating mix of music, laughs, nostalgia and love. Who could say no to that? My only suggestion is this. If you're anything like me, maybe don't throw this on around Father's Day. It's possible that, like me, you might need a business day or two to recover.

I could go on and on and on about this movie. And don't even get me started on An Extremely Goofy Movie. The plot revolving around the X Games somehow still manages to deliver and build on the established relationship between Max and Goofy. It's not quite on the level of the first, but nothing screams childhood to me more than watching Max and his college buddies sip coffee at an underground cafe while listening to slam poetry. Why couldn't university be more like that?

Maybe I'll have to write a part two. Who knows, maybe the secrets to reconnecting with an estranged parent are hidden somewhere in the script. At this rate, I wouldn't be surprised.