On April 7, 1995, A Goofy Movie hit theaters for the first time. The feature-length animated film featured Goofy and his son, Max, as they hit the road on a father-son bonding trip in a ’90s-fueled flick that is a true time capsule. At the time, the movie was not well-received by the critics, with Peter Slack from the San Francisco Chronicle saying, “A Goofy Movie can’t be a proud moment for Walt Disney Pictures.”
Thirty years later, the movie is regarded as an iconic part of the Disney Renaissance and is the center of dozens of video essays with thousands of views across the internet. YouTube creator La’Ron Readus even named A Goofy Movie as “a staple of black culture.”
Disney explored the making of A Goofy Movie in its new documentary, Not Just a Goof, which is available on Disney+ now and features interviews from director Kevin Lima; Jason Marsen, the voice of Max Goof; Bill Farmer, the voice of Goofy; and more. The documentary explores the making of the movie, including the influence that the chairman of The Walt Disney Studios, Jeffrey Katzenberg, had on the film. Katzenberg had been ousted from Disney before A Goofy Movie hit theaters, but the documentary shows him in A Goofy Movie-style animation, giving notes on the film.
Throughout the documentary, Lima and other members of the production noted repeated setbacks, including a pixel missing from every frame of the movie that had to be painstakingly replaced and even Katzenberg requesting that Goofy be played by Steve Martin instead of Farmer, who had been voicing Goofy for years.
Eventually, the team behind A Goofy Movie made it to premiere day. The critics didn’t love the movie; it only made around $37 million at the box office. However, A Goofy Movie’s story didn’t end there. Once the movie came out on home video, kids worldwide were watching, including Not Just a Goof co-director Christopher Ninness. The film ultimately became a cult classic, with the movie’s 20th-anniversary panel at D23 being packed wall-to-wall.
Along with Not Just a Goof, Disney is celebrating A Goofy Movie by going on a road trip. D23 On the Road: A Goofy Movie is headed to more than 20 cities around the U.S., including New York, Boston, Chicago, and more. The event includes a big-screen presentation of A Goofy Movie with interactive elements, an exclusive activation kit with interactive surprises, a limited-edition Lester’s Possum Park pennant, a commemorative Powerline concert ticket with a lanyard, a limited-edition A Goofy Movie pin, photo ops inspired by scenes from the movie, and more.
D23 On the Road: A Goofy Movie tickets go on sale starting April 17, and will be $35 for gold members and $45 for general members. You can sign up for D23 for free at d23.com.
