What can you learn from a Goof?

I am certainly a kid at heart, and I am known to still watch movies generally meant for a more youthful audience. While I love just watching these movies, I also enjoy spotting the themes in these movies and try to find ways to annoy my kids by making the movie more than just mindless entertainment. I recently re-watched one of my favorites and realized that, for this time of my life, it is pure genius. Sorry-Not-Sorry for the lengthy post, but I've got a lot to say.

1995's A Goofy Movie is about single dad, Goofy and his teenage son, Max. It has all the feelings, tons of humor, lessons that surprised the close-to-middle-aged me, a seemingly indestructible car with bad tires as its one flaw, a disco dancing Bigfoot, and Pauly Shore voicing a side character. So, on to the titular question, what can we learn from a goof?

In the story, Goofy is a single dad, and while no explanation of the missing mother is offered, this is a theme in Disney movies, albeit one unexplored in this film. Goofy works a seemingly menial, though he seems to find it fulfilling, job as a photographer at a K-Mart-esque photo studio. He's a doting, though clueless, father, who just wants to be there for his son. I use the word clueless because he just doesn't seem to remember or understand what being a teenager is like, fully believing that his son will be as into the music he likes. Max is a pretty stereotypical teenager, wanting to both not make negative waves for himself, but also to stand out to his peers, particularly the love interest, Roxanne. He decides to perform a grand gesture of recreating a music video of current megastar Powerline, hijacking an end-of-year school assembly. He gets caught, though succeeds at catching Roxanne's interest and a future date at a watch party for Powerline's concert, and the principal calls his dad, warning he may end up "in the electric chair" if his behavior continues.

Here's where the real story kicks in. Goofy decides that to save his son, he's going to recreate a road trip he used to take with his own father to Lake Destiny, Idaho, including all the stops along the way, using the same map used previously that Max isn't allowed to look at. The road trip is to begin immediately and Max convinces his dad that he needs to stop and tell Roxanne before skipping town. She is upset, insecurely thinking he is just trying to bail on her, and to reassure her, he lies and tells her he and his dad will be dancing with Powerline at the concert, foreshadowing his own redemption arc.

As the road trip progresses, Goofy takes Max to places along the way that he, Goofy, is truly curious about and loves, but are perhaps tone-deaf to what a current teen would enjoy. Max is brooding about being taken from his friends, and the impending doom of not being able to fulfill his promise to wave to Roxanne from the stage. Goofy gets advice from another dad, Pete (father of Max's best friend PJ), to be hard on Max with the idea that forcing him to keep doing things he doesn't like is the way to win over his teen. Goofy seems doubtful of this and his only attempt leads to them being stranded in their car after running away from Bigfoot. This night does lead to Goofy beginning to soften to his son's thoughts and to Max changing the map to lead them to LA instead of Idaho. The next day, Goofy decides to give Max the responsibility of being the navigator, saying that he wont even look at the map.

With this new mantle, Max starts to choose more exciting stops, and Goofy, to his credit as a dad, tries everything his son suggests. Max, realizing what his dad is doing for him, makes some stops for his dad too. One night, during another encounter with Pete and PJ, where Max confides in PJ that he changed the map, Pete tells Goofy that his son is tricking him. Goofy's instinct is to trust his son. The next day, as they approach a junction that will either take them to LA or Idaho, he expects Max to make the right choice. When he doesn't, Goofy is understandably upset, and after some mishaps with their indestructible car, they connect during a rousing musical number. Max admonishes Goofy saying, "I've got my own life now", to which Goofy responds "I know...I just want to be a part of it." When all the air is cleared, Max apologizes, and understanding exists on both sides, Goofy's first thought is how they can help Max save face. They speed off to LA to get Max onto that stage. More hijinks ensue and they succeed in getting onto the stage, with them teaching Powerline a very Goofy dance.

They arrive home, with their car on its last leg, with Max having decided to tell Roxanne the truth. Max is worried she will not like him for his declaration and Goofy tells him that if she doesn't, she may not be the one for him. Max still does and finds that she forgives him. It is only then that their vehicle finally explodes.

All through the exposition of the plot, I peppered it with my opinion of the genius of this movie. Goofy, a single dad, put in the horrible position of having a son he doesn't understand, attempts to connect with said son. He gets some bad advice, realizes he's trying the wrong things, changes tack and gives his son responsibility, and his exhibits openness to try things his son likes. He trusts, he forgives, he is curious about his son. Max, for his part, realizes that his dad just wants to be there for him, and learns some difficult lessons along the way, like being liked for who one is and owning mistakes. The whole things is sprinkled with Goofy-like humor, and some of the best music ever produced, including the song I2I from Powerline. The movie makes me laugh, ugly cry, and have hope as a father to three amazing, sometimes teenager-like girls. (Seriously, if you haven't heard the song I2I, go find it right now.)