A Goofy Movie (April 7, 1995)

This small movie released by Disneytoon studios has developed something of a cult following in the years after its release and for good reason. It fleshes out the classic character of Goofy by giving him a son while telling the age old story of teenage angst against your family and wanting to rebel against those deemed ‘embarrassing’ It starts off as a pinning romance between Goofy’s son, Max and the object of his high school crush, Roxanne. The refreshing part of this narrative is that his love is reciprocated from the start, max was just blind to it. Max decides to lie to Roxanne, saying he personally knew the hit singer, Powerline. Over the summer, Goofy decides to take his son on a cross country road trip, which Max uses to visit Powerline at his concert on the other side of the country. Through this journey Max comes to appreciate his father and all his eccentricities and Max is able to ‘win’ the affections of Roxanne. The selling point of this movie, besides its cute father-son relationship, is its awesome soundtrack. “After Today” is a fun end of school year song presenting a list of high school stereotypes in an entertaining and catchy way. You find out exactly where Max sits on the totem pole (spoiler: It is low) and why he feels like he has to do a big, flashy gesture to get Roxanna to notice him, shown in “Stand Out.” It works spectacularly, but also gets him massive in trouble for disrupting a school assembly. Goofy hears about this delinquency act and decides to go on a fishing trip in a slightly misguided attempt to bond with his son. Both Max and Goofy are relatable and likable characters and truly make the move charming and wholesome. Goofy fails to realize that max is no longer a little kid and he has to try other ways to relate to him while Max disregards his father’s attempts and connection as lame and corny. Roxanne, while filling the role of the typical love interest, is actually a cool girl who actually attempts to make the first move and invites Max to a party happening the next week. She is equally as awkward, and this makes her endearing and unique. The final song, “I2I” sung at the Powerline concert in LA is awesome and shows how cool of a guy Powerline is (and Max’s dad!) A final note is the animation quality that, while not as spectacular as those done by Disney Animation Studios, is polished and works well given the smaller scope of this story. Overall, A Goofy Movie is a pleasant father-son road trip complete with catchy songs, dated 90s references, and a delightful romance.

Final Rating: 8.5/10