In this rated G film, Goofy is a single father, doing his best to raise his teenage son, Max. Playing roles of both father and mother, Goofy cleans the house, makes the meals, does the laundry and makes the beds all before heading off to work for the day. He genuinely cares for Max and wants what’s best for him, but despite all of this, Max is deeply ashamed of his father. In fact, he literally has nightmares that he grows up to be just like Goofy.
It’s the last day of school and Max wants to go out with a splash. Working with some of his high-tech friends, he puts on a show at the final assembly, impersonating a popular singer and entertaining all the students. The principal calls Goofy and paints Max as a renegade who’s on his way to the electric chair. Goofy wants to stop his son’s certain descent into a life of crime, and so plans a fishing trip that will last several weeks. With that kind of father/son time, surely he’ll be able to turn the tide in Max’s life.
But Max has just landed a date with Roxanne, the girl he’s had his eye on all year. If he goes on this trip with his dad, he’ll have to cancel the date. So he lies to Roxanne, telling her that he’s going with his dad to L.A. to see the performer live, and that they’re good friends, and since the concert is televised, he’ll wave to her when he goes up on stage. He then pitches fits, screams, hollers, and throws tantrums during the entire trip, up to and including marking up his dad’s map so he can’t tell where he’s going anymore.
I really disliked this movie. No one talked to each other – they lectured, yelled, and sulked. Max’s shame about his father was selfish and unfounded, and Goofy never should have felt that he had to “prove” how cool he was to win his son’s affections. This was supposedly the story of a family who finds its way, but it went from dysfunctional to worse as the lying escalated.
I think that of all the films Disney has produced, you could surely find a better one. Here are some suggestions: