A Goofy Movie, released 25 years ago this week, had inauspicious beginnings. The film was conceived at a time when Disney’s animated output was critically and commercially unparalleled—but this particular project was developed as a potentially direct-to-video spin-off of Goof Troop, a 1992 animated series that ran during the Disney Afternoon syndicated programming block. “It wasn’t even a B movie. It was a C movie,” remembered veteran Disney producer Don Hahn.
Instead of being produced by what was then known as Walt Disney Feature Animation, A Goofy Movie was developed independently of the company’s other features, using international satellite studios; it was billed as a “Disney MovieToon.” Its box office returns were modest; its critical accolades were nonexistent. For a variety of reasons, A Goofy Movie seemed destined to be forgotten.
But against all odds, it wasn’t. A quarter century after its initial release, A Goofy Movie has become a true cult classic: Eager fans have made live-action tributes to it that have earned millions of views on YouTube. A Goofy Movie merchandise has become a hot ticket at several retailers. A 20th-anniversary cast reunion at the 2015 D23 Expo, Disney’s official biannual fan convention, felt more like a rock concert than a celebration of a seemingly obscure animated favorite.
The way A Goofy Movie achieved its unlikely place in the pantheon of Disney classics is a fascinating tale of false starts, bad ideas, and technical limitations. That this film got made at all is amazing; the fact that it became a cultural phenomenon, decades after its release, is downright miraculous.
Even if you’ve never seen A Goofy Movie—and you really should; it’s streaming on Disney+ right now)—you shouldn’t be surprised to learn that it follows Goofy (Bill Farmer), an anthropomorphic dog who decides to take his teenage son Max (Jason Marsden) on a summer road trip. Max acquiesces, begrudgingly, since his main priority when school is out is to attend a concert by his pop idol, a Michael Jackson stand-in named Powerline (played by Prince protégé Tevin Campbell). Along the way, Goofy and Max stop at a backwoods possum farm that’s equal parts Tiger King and the Magic Kingdom’s Country Bear Jamboree; have a memorable encounter with Bigfoot; take an impromptu white-water rafting trip; and, eventually, come to understand each other better, communicating in ways they never had before. The film is heartfelt and fun, with some incredibly catchy tunes and an unexpected emotional layer.