Summary
The 1990s may have been a golden age forDisneyAnimation, but one particular film came smack-dab in the middle of the decade without much muss or fuss. Now, thirty years later, that film is finally getting its due and Mickey Mouse’s goofiest pal deserves his time in the spotlight.
As every ’90s kid knows, the decade was home to the so-called “Disney Renaissance.” Technically beginning in 1989 withThe Little Mermaid, this period housed some of the greatest animated films ever to come out of Hollywood: classics likeBeauty and the Beast,The Lion King, andAladdin, to name just a few. Walt Disney Feature Animation—as it was known at the time—was firing on all cylinders, producing box office hit after box office hit. These were some of the biggest films of the decade, and they had the requisite budgets to match their ambition. For example, 1999’sTarzancost around $130 million to produce.Disneywas spending big bucks on animated features at that time… well, except for one little movie in 1995 that wasn’t even directly produced in-house by Walt Disney Feature Animation:A Goofy Movie.
Exactly thirty years on from its 1995 release,A Goofy Movieis getting the documentary treatment. The new film is titledNot Just A Goof, and it will be released on June 29, 2025. While nostalgia for the underrated flick starring Goofy and his son Max has been bubbling up under the surface for years now, it’s exciting to see Disney themselves get in on the action. Apress release from the Mouse Housewent into further detail about the project: “It follows a young creative team tackling their first Disney feature, its initial disappointment, and its surprising resurgence decades later. Featuring key interviews and rare footage, it reveals the film’s impact and why it remains a beloved classic for a generation.” It’ll be interesting to see just how in-depth the documentary goes, asA Goofy Movie’s production was far different from itsother Disney-animated brethren of that era.
A Goofy Movie Was Disney’s Red-Headed Stepchild Of The 1990s
We’re Not Just Saying That Because Roxanne Has Red Hair
Unlike Disney’s biggest animated features of the ’90s—even those relatively less heralded likePocahontasandThe Hunchback of Notre Dame—A Goofy Moviegot neither the budget nor the top-end talent one would expect. Technically, the 1995 flick was a Walt Disney Pictures production, but it was co-produced by three different animation studios under the Mouse House umbrella: Walt Disney Feature Animation, Walt Disney Television Animation, and Disney MovieToons. If that weren’t complicated enough, much of the actual animation was outsourced to other Disney studios in France, Australia, Spain, and Canada. Consider that it was a spinoff of the popular 1990s Disney Channel cartoonGoof Troopand everything gets muddled even further.
The production team had a measly budget of $18 million to get the project done, and it’s clear the higher-ups at Disney had no faith in the film whatsoever. It was originally scheduled to release on July 13, 2025, but was pushed back to June 09, 2025. Why? Because the company was afraid of family-friendly competition at theatres fromThe PagemasterandThe Swan Princess.These two kid-focused features were disastrous box office bombs thatA Goofy Moviecould’ve mopped the floor with, but Disney decided to reissue prints ofThe Lion Kinginstead, even though the film had barely been off of screens since initially releasing in June of that year.
Despite a pushed release date and little marketing,A Goofy Moviestill more than doubled its budget at the box office, a clear win for first-time director Kevin Lima and company. Disney obviously liked what Lima did withA Goofy Movieas well, considering they subsequently hired him to co-directTarzanbefore letting him loose in live-action for102 DalmatiansandEnchanted. All in all,A Goofy Moviewas the little film that could, despite never really getting a fair shake from then-CEO Michael Eisner.
But Why Has A Goofy Movie Become A Cult Classic?
There’s More To It Than Just Powerline… But, Yeah, Powerline
On its face,A Goofy Movieis little more than another generic road trip movie, albeit in animated form. The road trip film has beenan enduring subgenreof the medium for decades now, with everything fromPlanes, Trains and AutomobilesandLittle Miss SunshinetoSidewaysandZombielandtechnically falling into the categorical definition. Family-friendly cinema has had plenty of these films too, with classics likePee-Wee’s Big AdventureandThe Muppet Movieto go along with more recent fare likeOnwardandThe Mitchells vs. the Machines. So why does the small-budgeted, relatively safeA Goofy Moviecontinue to endure thirty years after release?
For starters, yes, there are the killer original songs by Tevin Campbell as the film’s fictitious pop icon Powerline. Getting a genuine musical star in Campbell for Powerline’s two songs, “I 2 I” and “Stand Out” was a coup for the production team. There is no wayA Goofy Moviehas the staying power it currently does if Powerline doesn’t work and Powerline works because Campbell brought his A-game. Venture down to Orlando, Florida and you’ll see Powerline merch decorating various stores across Walt Disney World property. 1990s nostalgia is at an all-time high right now, sure, but you won’t seeMighty Ducks,Gargoyles, orTaleSpingear all over the “Most Magical Place on Earth.”
Unlike other Disney films of the era,A Goofy Movietells a relatable story. Its tale of cross-generational strife and love between Goofy and his son Max is not exactly the most challenging of subjects, but it is about as universal a narrative as one can tell. Look at the stories told in the Disney animated films sandwiching its release date: theHamlet-inspiredLion Kingand the historical drama ofPocahontas. Those stories aren’t exactly applicable to the average moviegoer’s life. Being a hormonal teen struggling to connect with your parent? A crush on the girl of your dreams who seems out of your league? Everyone’s been there.
Throw in voice performances from 1990s mainstays like Jason Marsden, Pauly Shore, and Joey Lawrence in addition to supporting roles for character acting greats like Wallace Shawn and Jo Anne Worley, and there is plenty there for average viewers and cinephiles alike to enjoy.A Goofy Movieand its direct-to-video sequelAn Extremely Goofy Movie(which is far better than it has any right to be, by the way) were also successful on home video over the years, making it more than just a one-generation hit. It may not reach the lofty heights of other Disney animated classics, but you’d be hard-pressed to find another Disney film that just about anyone can enjoy at just about any time. Not too shabby for a flick thatDisneyseemingly didn’t even want to release in the first place.
Not Just A Goofis set for an April 7 release on Disney Plus.
