When it comes to animated cartoon features, the delineating line is now almost as simple as "pre-Toy Story" and "post-Toy Story". Before that Disney-Pixar team-up cartoons in theaters were for kids and kids alone. Young kids, at that. What Toy Story proved, however, is that an animated flick could transcend that boundary and appeal to adults as well as children.
Just 6-7 or so scant months before Toy Story changed everything, A Goofy Movie premiered and largely got "lost in the shuffle", I believe. Had it dropped a bit later, perhaps it could have better captured the momentum. As it was, A Goofy Movie transfixed pre-teen adolescent audiences--including yours truly--for a (very) short time with its odd-yet-winning mix of music, humor, family relationships, and shenanigans.
For a basic plot summary, this story tells the story of Max (Jason Marsden), son of the infamous Goofy (Bill Farmer), going through his adolescence. Despite being extremely self-conscious of his appearance and gulp-like chuckle, he strives to win the attention of Roxanne (Kellie Martin). Just when things seem to be looking up on that front, Dad Goofy decides to take him on a weeks-long, father-son fishing excursion across the country. Max promises Roxanne he's going to the Driveline concert--the most popular band ever!--setting himself up for a tangled web of decisions and emotions out on the open road with Pops.
I know it sounds ridiculous considering this a cartoon starring Goofy, but I honestly believe this little film (about 78 minutes in total) could be watched 100 years from now and still have the same effect on viewers. I truly don't think this is a case of me suffering from "90s nostalgia" and rating this film higher because "I liked it as a kid".
The beginning of the film feels very much High School Musical-esque, with teen drama taking center stage. I don't care if it's 1995 or 2025, the concept of awkward teen boy trying to talk to/impress equally awkward teen girl is universal. The same can be said for when Max and Goofy hit the road together, as the tenuous relationship between pre-teen son and goofball father is once again ageless. Whether through great writing/directing or pure dumb luck, this movie stumbles upon a gold mine of relevant themes.
Like I said, if only Disney knew what they potential had at this point. No self-respecting adult would have willingly sat through this in theaters at the time (there was no precedent for that), and Disney had not yet figured out how to market such fare to wide audiences either. As a result, the movie gets sucked into a sort of "black hole" of quality content that had an extremely short shelf life.
The bottom line, though, is this: I watched A Goofy Movie while I was still in grade school and loved it. I watched it as a 33-year old adult...and still enjoyed it. All things considered, I view that as a remarkable achievement. Sadly, only those within a year or two (at most) proximity to myself will have any real knowledge/appreciation of this movie, but that set will show it to their children at some point, I can almost guarantee you that!
