With all the grand and fantastical animated Disney movies out there, sometimes it's nice to have one that slows down and doesn't focus on the spectacle but instead the characters. A couple of movies that excel in character relationships but aren't often talked about are the Goofy movies. Though not the most popular among Disney classics, A Goofy Movie and An Extremely Goofy Movie both carry a lot of heart and relatability.
Disney movies have frequently shown well-crafted relationships between father and son. Hit movies like Finding Nemo are an obvious example of father-son relationships, but even in Disney's less popular movies like Treasure Planet, the quiet relationship moments between characters Jim Hawkins and Long John Silver are praised for their father-son feeling dynamic.
However, the Goofy movies are perhaps the most grounded and relatable out of all of them. In A Goofy Movie, Goofy's son Max starts by asking his high school crush Roxanne on a date, which she accepts. Max is now so preoccupied with impressing this girl that he fails to see that he's pushing away his father. And Goofy is so determined to have his son like him that he forces them into awkward and difficult situations.
Max also continually messes up and makes the wrong choices in situations throughout the movie, but instead of correcting his mistakes, Goofy learns to accept the mistakes and let Max learn. These characters are incredibly well written, and it's relatable to see someone learning to let go and have another person grow on their own while being there to show support and love.
While the direct-to-DVD sequel, An Extremely Goofy Movie isn't as well-received, but here are still some great heartfelt moments sprinkled throughout. The movie starts with Max heading off to college and Goofy having to accept he's leaving, which will already strike a chord with many people. But after Goofy loses his job, he's forced to get a college degree and thus reunites with his son.
While Goofy thinks it's great that he and his son will get to see each other every day, Max feels incredibly embarrassed by it. Much like the first movie, both have a lesson to take away. Goofy must learn to give his son independence and accept that Max still loves him despite not wanting to spend all his time together. And Max needs to learn how to explain to his father that he wants some independence without completely blocking him from his life.
While looking like nothing more than a comedic cartoon character on the surface, Goofy has a surprising amount of depth to him. And the movies are worth a watch for all ages, as it's not just a coming-of-age story, but a coming-of-age for both the child and the parent -- something rarely seen in film.