Thirty years ago, the beloved and clumsy Disney character Goofy got his own time in the spotlight in “A Goofy Movie.” Now fans are getting a backstage pass to the creation of the classic film.
In a brand new documentary coming to Disney+, “Not Just a Goof” will take audiences back in time to see what it took to bring the story of Goofy (Bill Farmer) and his son Max (Jason Marsden) together with the help of exclusive interviews and behind-the-scenes footage.
In the documentary, director Kevin Lima explains the “leap of faith” it took to make the film, according to People.
“I was a first-time director. I had a first-time head of story. I had a first-time lead editor. I thought we had the opportunity to make a John Hughes movie in animation,” Lima says in the trailer for the film.
He continues to explain that they wanted to make a movie that was different than the fairytales being told and instead tell a story about contemporary teenagers.
In the trailer, Lima reminisces when Jeffery Katzenberg, the chairman of Walt Disney Studios at the time, described a trip he was taking with his daughter — who he struggled to get along with.
Lima thought that could make for an interesting father and son dynamic for Goofy and Max.
The trailer continues to note that the team experienced production challenges, but still found magic along the way as they tried to make a movie that showed audiences who Goofy really is.
From awkward road-trip stops to the iconic Powerline concert, “Not Just a Goof” is sure to leave fans with a sense of nostalgia as they learn how their favorite moments in the film all came together.
“Not Just a Goof” will come to Disney+ on April 7.
The slow start of ‘A Goofy Movie’
“A Goofy Movie” was first released on April 7, 1995, and wasn’t a huge hit as it made $35 million worldwide in the box office after production costs of $18 million, according to IMDb.
However, recent reviews of the movie are telling a different story than the numbers.
“This is up there as one of the best things Disney has ever produced,” said a recent review on Rotten Tomatoes about the film. “And the best thing from Disneytoon.”
Another review on Rotten Tomatoes stated that their favorite part was the serious part of the film, saying that it’s “amazing a movie with the (actual) name goofy in it could have some serious undertones.”
So while Goofy’s moment on the big screen wasn’t as big of a success in 1995 as the creators hoped, over time fans have grown to groove with the sentimental story of a father and son — even 30 years later.
