Is it possible for a Disney film to be a cult classic? ForA Goofy Movie, that certainly has been the case, as a film made by smaller Disney teams with a fraction of the budget used by movies of the time likeThe Lion KingandPocahontas. But over the past 30 years,A Goofy Moviehas managed to become a surprise success, only growing in popularity over the decades, and becoming a fan favorite. On the 30th anniversary ofA Goofy Movie’s release,Not Just a Goof, by directorsChristopher NinnessandEric Kimelton,digs into the arduous process of makingA Goofy Movie, the struggle to craft something during Disney’s Renaissance period of the ‘90s, yet still outside of that bubble, and the wild appreciation this film has found in recent years.Not Just a Goofis a loving tribute to a film that is just now finally getting the love it deserves.
What’s ‘Not Just a Goof’ About?
In the opening minutes ofNot Just a Goof, we learn whatA Goofy Moviemeans to its two directors. For Ninness, he has a personal connection to this film that meant a lot to him as a kid. But for Kimelton, in addition to loving the film, his uncle just happens to beKevin Lima, the director ofA Goofy Movie. Much of this documentary centers around interviews with Lima and others who worked on the film, butthe real treasures here come in Lima’s personal collection of VHS tapes from the period, many of which Lima hasn’t even watched in 30 years. Ninness and Kimelton use this footage and interviews to show the uphill battle that it took to create what is essentially a story about a son and his father and trying to give a character like Goofy a meaningful, heartfelt story.
Lima walks the audience through this process, with him trying to make a character that’s more than just gags, a film that spoke to the time, and attempted to be aJohn Hughesfilm in animation. Lima talks about how he grew up without his father, andA Goofy Moviewas his way of imagining what that type of relationship could be like. Through Lima, we see just how much this story means to him, but we also understand how tough it was to make a Disney-level film that Disney didn’t seem to be all that interested in, with a sliver of the resources of the other animated projects coming out at that time. Lima had to work with a smaller team, one spread out across the globe, often having to act out the film for those who don’t speak English. At one point, Lima talks about how the usual process of making a Disney animated film is about four years, yetthey only had two and a half years, and it’s tremendous that they were able to make a feature like this within those limitations.
‘Not Just a Goof’ Works for Both the Fans and the Uninitiated
As one would expect,Not Just a Goofis a treasure trove of information for those who have grown up with this film.The making-of footage is especially fascinating, as they’re trying to make a Disney film, but attempting something new within that framework. For example,Bill Farmer, the voice of Goofy, is asked to bring more emotion to this inherently wacky character, and we watch him attempt to find these new layers to a character who had been one-note for decades. Lima also aimed to get the voice actors to record their lines together as much as possible, and the documentary shows the recording side-by-side with the film, and we can see the difference this choice makes.
Not Just a Goofis particularly interesting inshowing the approach to the film’s music. Early songs that didn’t make the cut, like “Made in the Shade” and “Roxanne,” don’t have the right spirit that the film would eventually have. Thenit feels like we’re watching magic happen whenTevin Campbellcomes in to record his parts as the film’s pop star, Powerline. There’s even incredible footage of dancers creating the big musical finale to “I 2 I” in live-action to show the animators what the film is looking for.
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But for those unfamiliar withA Goofy Movie,Not Just a Goofis still an effectively compelling documentary as an underdog storytrying to make a smaller film in a studio that was experiencing some of the highest highs of its existence. One of the great runners in the film comes fromA Goofy Movie’s team having to come up against the wishes and goals of then Walt Disney Studios chairman,Jeffrey Katzenberg. Sometimes, his suggestions make the film even better, as in the initial pitch when Katzenberg asks where the film’s heart is, which sends the team back to the drawing board. Others, like the idea that Goofy shouldn’t have his voice and instead be voiced bySteve Martin, tend to put things at a standstill. In a larger sense,Not Just a Goofworks as an example of how higher-ups can both improve and hinder an artistic project and how Katzenberg was surprisingly a blessing in disguise before he was fired during the making ofA Goofy Movie.
Not Just a Goof’s biggest stumble comes late in the third act, where we see how the film has grown in popularity over the last 30 years. The film spends quite a bit of time showing clips of YouTube reviewers discussing whyA Goofy Movieis actually underrated, and hitting on all the points that the film has already delved into. Quite frankly, if you’re watchingNot Just a Goof, odds are, you already know it’s underappreciated, and probably don’t need several minutes of YouTubers explaining why. WhileNot Just a Goofbegins with the setup for Ninness to explain whyA Goofy Moviemeans so much to him, when we finally get to the story in the third act, it’s a bit underwhelming, and again,feels like it’s hitting on points the film has already made. There’s nothing wrong with sharing why you love one of your favorite movies, but the way the film builds up this moment is rather anticlimactic.
A Goofy Movieremains an understated film in the Disney animated film canon, andNot Just a Goofwonderfully reminds us why this is a film that deserves far more attention than it ever received. While fans will clearly get the most out of this deep dive into this ‘90s favorite, its structure of a David trying to succeed in a studio of Goliaths is worth it even for non-fans.Not Just a Goofgives this often-forgotten gem of Disney the love and respect it deserves after all these years.
Not Just a Goofis streaming on Disney+ now.
Not Just a Goof
“Not Just A Goof” is a documentary exploring the untold story of “A Goofy Movie.” It follows a young creative team tackling their first Disney feature, its initial disappointment, and its surprising resurgence decades later.
