A Goofy Movie

Movie review by
Nell Minow, Common Sense Media
A Goofy Movie Movie Poster Image
Even tweens will enjoy this road trip with Goofy.
  • G
  • 1995
  • 78 minutes

Parents say

age 5+
Based on 3 reviews

Kids say

age 6+
Based on 8 reviews

A lot or a little?

Parents' guide to what's in this movie.

Educational value

Some true geographical references, such as Los Angeles, Idaho, Yosemite.

Positive messages

Goofy and Max are going through a rough patch, typical of adolescence, where trust, patience, respect, and discipline are all shifting borders in a new land. But the bond that they share is stronger than the challenges they withstand.

Positive role models & representations

Goofy is an earnest, loving father, who wants his son to love and respect him. Once the pair iron out some communication issues, Goofy’s intentions are pure, and he acts according to his moral code of brotherly love.

Violence & scariness

Perilous scenes in a car, where Goofy and Max fall off of a cliff into a river. At one point, Max gets so frustrated with a mascot wearing a possum outfit that he punches him in the kisser. Pete bullies his son and encourages Goofy to do the same with Max.

Sexy stuff

Female characters wear slinky outfits and act seductively. Chaste kiss between teens. Shots of male characters wearing underwear or standing dressed in a towel. Shot of a baby’s bare bottom.

Language

"Butt." Also, Max is interrupted by a bystander when he says the word hell: “My life is a living he…” “...Hello little buddy.”

Consumerism

Disney cross-references pop up. Goofy has a Mickey Mouse telephone, and we see other Disney characters throughout the film. One character is a glutton for “cheddar-cheese whiz,” which comes in a very recognizable can.

Drinking, drugs & smoking

Pete drinks beer, spitting it onto the TV screen when he sees Goofy and Max featured at a big concert.

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this father-son road-trip movie contains some chaotic, perilous moments. Max’s attitude is less than appreciative for much of the film -- but that’s the point. He is going through an awkward phase that Goofy is learning to cope with.

User Reviews

Adult Written byMom_and_Son February 10, 2009

CUTE!!! FUN!!! GOOFY IS THE BEST ANIMATED CHARACTER EVER!!!!!!

I saw this movie when I was in pre-school and I still watch it today. It still is enjoyable and it's still the best animated movie EVER in my book. A few l...
Parent of a 18+ year old Written byMuscleMan May 15, 2014

Disney's legendary comedian makes his move on the big screen!

Should be rated PG for some scary moments and suggestive elements.
Teen, 16 years old Written byDean123 January 29, 2012

Review from 16-Year-Old-Fan.

I used to watch this movie all the time as a young kid; when I was between 5-10 years old. I just watched this movie yet again at age 16 and enjoyed it so much,...
Teen, 13 years old Written byyankee01 April 9, 2008

a really funny movie

theres a lot of funny parts in this movie

What's the story?

When a prank at school gets Max in trouble, Goofy decides that what Max needs is some quality time with his father. So he takes him on a fishing trip, not knowing that Max will have to miss his first date with his adored Roxanne, and that in order to get out of the date, Max has lied to Roxanne, telling her his father is taking him to a rock concert. It takes a while (and a run-in with Bigfoot) for Goofy and Max to start talking to each other instead of at each other. But they ultimately strengthen their connection and find a satisfying resolution.

Is it any good?

Free of the pressures that sometimes smother the big Disney releases, this movie has a refreshingly casual feel, with some sly humor, even daring to poke fun at Disney itself. The teen characters are contemporary without the prepackaged feel of other Disney productions (like "The New Mickey Mouse Club"), and there are lively songs performed by by Tevin Campbell. It's a shame that the G rating might scare off the film's optimal audience, the 10-14 age group. If you can persuade them to take a look, they will find much to enjoy and identify with.

One of the great existential questions of childhood, memorably explored in Stand By Me, is "If Mickey is a mouse, and Pluto is a dog, what is Goofy?" Goofy may be in a class (and genus) of his own, as we see in the thoroughly enjoyable A GOOFY MOVIE. At the center of the story is Max, struggling through the torturous insecurity and self-consciousness of adolescence. Like all teens, he is humiliated by his father's goofiness. But the movie's great joke is that in this case, his father is not just goofy, he is Goofy, the Goof of all Goofs, the Uber-Goof!

Talk to your kids about ...

  • Families can talk about parent-child communication. Why did it take so long for Goofy and Max to start talking to each other? Why did Max lie to Roxanne? Do you think that was a good idea?

Movie details

For kids who love all things Disney

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