There are so many reasons I'm glad to have grown up when I did. To be an older teenager during the Attitude Era of WWF/WWE. To be a young adult when the office aired/finished. To be a young father raising my kids as the Marvel movies became established. Great moments. But one of the ones I'm most grateful for, was being a young teen when “A Goofy Movie” came out. I was a dorky kid with a penchant for the theatrical in a single parent home and easily over invested in crushes. My parents had a distant relationship most of my life with my father only living in my home for 2-3 years of my adolescence and then divorcing right as I was turning 14. Goof Troop (the tv predecessor to “A Goofy Movie”) had been one of my favorite shows, along with Ninja Turtles, DarkWing Duck, Tailspin, and so many other projects of the early 90’s because they were all shows about fathers investing in their children. That was something I desperately longed for, even if I didn’t realize it at the time.
My mom dropped me off at the dollar theatre (yes, a theatre that only charged a dollar for movies) and I watched “A Goofy Movie” 6 times in a row. No regrets.
I loved it. I wanted to be the cool kid that impressed his whole school. I wanted to be theatrical. I wanted to get the girl to blush. I wanted to not be a colossal dork. I wanted to go on road trips. I wanted a dad that wanted me. I wanted a best friend. Literally. That movie was what I wanted life to be. The fact it was the same time period of my life was glorious. A 14-year-old dork, wanting all the things a 14-year-old dork could want.
Over the years, life happened, as it often does. I’m no longer the kid trying to impress his peers. I’m no longer the guy trying to get the girl, or function through awkward co-dependent romances. I know that nothing out there in the world is going to make me happy if I can’t be content with who I am, and where I am. Although I did get to DJ on stage with Andy Mineo, which is probably as close to dancing with Powerline as I could get. I’ve gone from a 14-year-old dork, to a 44-year-old dork. The biggest difference is going from a child longing for a father, to literally becoming Goofy, and being a father longing for his child.
Looking back on my favorite Disney movie 30 years later, with tired eyes and some fresh perspective, here are some thoughts I’d like to share.
Your Parents Didn’t Know What They Were Doing, & Neither Do You
Max was doing everything he could to gain Roxane’s attention, except actually talking to her. Goofy was trying to do everything to help protect Max except actually talking to him. We kind of expect a teenager to awkwardly fumble around clear communication. This is, in fact, their first rodeo. Having less than 2 decades of experience at life means a lot of your circumstances will still be firsts. But the same really does apply to parenting. Even though you’ve lived longer, you’ve not lived longer parenting in this exact scenario. Parents are just as much of rookies as kids. We’re still trying to figure things out as much as possible. In many ways we’re just more experienced at being inexperienced.
“There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.” - Proverbs 14:12
We can totally think we know the best way to handle things, and end up in scenarios that get us locked in a car while Bigfoot boogies, or going over a waterfall in a hatchback. When we start mentally adhering to the concept that literally no one knows the full right way to handle anything and that we are all amateurs, we can freely apply more grace. We can forgive our parents for the things that still take up space in our hearts. We can forgive our children when they do things we’ve clearly taught them better than to do, and we can forgive ourselves when we fall short of ours and others' expectations.
Kids Don’t Have the Capacity to Fully Understand an Adult’s Perspective
Max felt like his life was ruined when Goofy shoved him in that car. His perspective and scope were so limited. This date with Roxane was literally his whole world. I’ve lived that. I’ve thought my world was ending with middle school break ups. I’ve thought my life was over when I got in trouble in school. I thought my life was over when my dad left and the conflicts that lead to him leaving. When you are younger, you don’t have the capacity to know how much life actually goes on. That even on the worst days, the days keep coming. That circumstances and opportunities will still continue to come, even when we don’t understand or see them currently. Again, even as adults, we can’t always see that ourselves. I get in a fight with someone on my pastoral staff, and post my resume on Indeed and Church Job Finder (it’s still there by the way, wink wink). My check engine light comes on, I have a full meltdown. There’s a famous verse in 1 Corinthians that often gets quoted to weaponize maturity.
“When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me.” - 1 Corinthians 13:11
Childish isn’t the same as childlike. You don’t have to morph into khakis and a polo at a certain age. But maybe some of the thinking like a child, talking like a child, and reasoning like a child that we need to put away, are the instances where we think the world is ending just because we can’t see the next step. That not getting our way isn’t a literal crisis. Maybe we can stop speaking finality and negativity over circumstances just because they are unseen.
Hear me. If Max and Goofy can go through all the shenanigans they went through, end up on stage with Powerline, not go to jail, and Max still get the girl, then God can do amazing things with even your worst circumstances.
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” - Romans 8:28
Let’s do our best to remember that things will often work out if we are patient and faithful, and that our panic doesn’t add to the situation. Let’s also be encouragers of those younger than us that their circumstances are far less fatal and final than they imagine. You being able to give them encouragement from your own life and testimony can be a big factor in this. If not, apparently a heartfelt duet from the roof of a car may be a good plan b.
Giving Space Hurts, But Nothing Beautiful Grows Under a Thumb
In the depths of their adventure Max and Goofy end up at a campsite which is quickly invaded by Pete. Goofy is in the process of coming to terms with the fact that he hasn’t handled the situation as best as he could.
“Just seems like everything I try only drives Max further away, maybe I ought to just back off”
Then Pete gives him the under the thumb advice which only exasperates things. Manipulation is not the answer to the conflict. Pete was the type of father Paul wrote about to multiple churches.
“Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” - Ephesians 6:4
“Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.” - Colossians 3:21
Goofy forced Max into this adventure to save him (which again this could have all gone so much better with some clear communication), but his rigidness was only embittering and exasperating Max. When Max showed slight interest in the map, Goofy stated;
“Careful son you’ll wrinkle my past, and our future.”
Once Goofy rejected Pete’s advice and made Max the navigator and head “which-wayer” of that there road trip, things changed. They both began to actually enjoy themselves and the moments they had together were better and more beautiful.
Giving space can hurt, but if you don’t, it will hurt more. I’m in a weird place of parenting. My oldest daughter Rosa moved out back in August of 2024 (I'm writing this in March of 2025). She moved 2 hours away, at the age of 16 to go to special science and math school. It’s like muggle Hogwarts, or one of those schools they are secretly experimenting on the kids to turn them into assassins like River Tam. The whole way it came about and how it was handled was a painful situation, but it was still something I was excited for her to experience. I wasn’t ready to “lose” my first born 2 years early. By law, I had her for 2 more years. She was my homie. My heart broke in a million pieces with her leaving, but I knew letting her go was the right decision for her. I’ve spent plenty of time being sad about it, but I'm also grateful because I know she’s getting to grow in a much better academic and social environment in many ways. Sometimes being a parent means being willing to loosen the reigns a bit so that your kids can grow and experience more freely. Doesn’t make it easier in the process, but hopefully you’ll be able to look at the fruits of your circumstances and see that it was worth it.
You Can’t Force Authenticity or Manufacture Connections
When Goofy is first trying to get Max in the car he tries the pity approach;
“Guess I’ll just have to go all alone. That’s all. Just sit in the boat, all alone. Talk to myself, all alone.”
(Again, good communication would have gone a long way here)
As the Goof family vehicle is being tossed in the rapids, they finally come to a blow that makes them pursue some authentic interactions;
“I’ve grown up. I ‘ve got my own life” - Max
“I know that, I just wanted to be part of it” - Goofy
(Side note, I’ve felt this interaction in my daily life for over a year across the board)
We can’t expect our relationships to always be the same. Whether it’s from parents to children, sibling to sibling, friendship, dating, marriage, or Dungeons & Dragons party. Relationships grow. They change. People are in a constant state of flux; we are rarely the same people for more than a short time. One of the things that always illustrated this to me was my kid’s cosplays. They’ll spend weeks or even months putting a cosplay together to wear them once, and never do it again. In my eldest’s closet there’s a My Hero uniform, a Survey Corp’s uniform, a Nezuko outfit, and probably more that she’ll never wear again. Those were for a season, and that season passed.
Rather than forcing Max to relive his family’s adventures, creating new adventures with Max would have, and eventually did work better for Goofy. Learn to meet people where they are, and how the relationship is in the present. This goes for all relationships.
Be able to ask;
“Who would you say you are right now in your life?”
“What do you enjoy most?”
“What has changed for you the most in the last 6 months?"
“What are your goals?”
“What’s something you think I should know about you?”
When you can ask questions like these (ahem, communication) you’ll be able to have more authentic connections.
Max and Goofy weren’t able to have those moments till they finally opened up during their float downstream.
There’s a scripture from the prophet Amos that hits home with this for me;
“Do two walk together unless they have agreed to do so?” - Amos 3: 3.
When you make a commitment to truly invest in each other, no matter the relationship, it will be stronger than if you try and force a relationship back to a version it used to be, and may never be again.
Train Them Well & Be Gracious When They Fail
Right before they end up going over a waterfall, Goofy asks this question;
“Now how come you always think I'm gonna lead you into some sort of calamity?”
The answer being obvious of course. Our kids are paying attention, not just to the lessons we want to teach them, but also the lessons we model unintentionally.
One of the climactic, yet completely illogical, moments from the movie takes place when the car finally goes over and Max is caught up in a tarp-achute while Goofy plummets to his doom. In that moment Max recalls what Goofy trained him to do with “The Perfect Cast,” and saves his father’s life. In reality that’s the best you can hope for as a parent. That you’ve trained your children well, and that they’ll be able to recall and apply what they’ve been instructed in.
“Train up a child in the way they should go; when they are old, they will not depart from it.” - Proverbs 22:6
One of the clarifications I often make with this is the fact that is says “when they are old, they will not depart from it.” Sometimes the training doesn’t kick in until they have been young and semi foolish. That doesn’t mean they’ll never fail. That means at some point, it’s going to settle in. They will wise up. They will come to the truth. I know this is a Proverb, and not a direct promise from God, but I still think there’s wisdom in it. You do the best you can to train them, and hope they grasp it. On the same token, you can’t hold yourself as a failure if they forget it or reject it, you just keep doing what you know to do.
My kids are great. I’m proud of them in so many ways. They are all accomplished, wonderful, artistic, determined, and brilliant. I’ve truly trained them as best as I can. But you know what? They still fail.
I’m not going to list their mistakes, sins, or failures here, because that’s not beneficial for them, me, or you. But They have all made mistakes even in the last couple months, and the best thing I can do is correct if I can, love them completely, and help guide them further. I think that’s the best we can do in any situation.
“Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” - Galatians 6:1-2.
Not only did Goofy and Max forgive each other, Goofy instructed Max to confess his dishonesty to Roxane. Max technically got away with the lie, but Goofy guided Max towards integrity and authenticity. That’s the best we can do. It’s not easy, but it’s essential.
You Can’t Parent Out of Fear & Love at the Same Time
I would say the phrase also clicks to you can’t relate out of love and fear at the same time as well.
So many of the catalytic situations in the movie were propelled because people were operating out of fear. Fear of rejection, fear of loss, fear of being caught, even if they have honorable bases, it’s still not going to be a healthy process.
“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” - 1 John 4:18
“Above all, keep loving one another deeply, since love covers a multitude of sins.” 1 Peter 4:8
Make sure love is not only the motivation for how you move, but also the perception in which you are seeing things. When you are looking at your relationships, even at their worst, through a perspective of love, it will keep you from seeing them as just the worst version of themselves. Looking at people with love doesn’t ignore their failures, it loves them beyond that, giving them the ability to see not only who they’ve been but who they could be.
30 years since “A Goofy Movie” dropped, now I'm the guy dragging his kids across the country with awkward music and ridiculous hijinks on a regular basis. Whether it be to a camp, a con, or whatever else God opens the door to. I want to be able to be honest with them. I want to see them for who they are. I want to be part of their life, but also give them room to build what their life is. I want to see them Eye to Eye.
Hyuk.
Comments