Little Details You Never Noticed in "An Extremely Goofy Movie"

If you are a fan of Goof Troop and the cult classic A Goofy Movie, the chances are high that you also enjoyed the finale to the series. Released in 2000, An Extremely Goofy Movie played off the edgy lifestyle of the time while also delivering a funny and heartwarming story about family and friendship. However, as it turns out, this movie is a lot smarter than it looks. In fact, you might say some of the references are EXTREMELY clever. Let’s take a closer look at details you might not have noticed in An Extremely Goofy Movie.

WARNING: Potential Spoilers Ahead! 

1. Max Goof’s Professor Is Reciting Oscar Wilde’s “Panthea” 

In a hilarious scene where Max Goof and his friends are taking one of their first classes at State University, the professor is reading a boring and bizarre poem, ultimately sending Max’s friend Bobby into a deep sleep. What you might not know is that the prof is reciting (by memorization) a stanza from “Panthea”, a poem written by acclaimed author Oscar Wilde (who also happened to write The Picture of Dorian Grey).

2. Chuck the Sportscaster Is Modeled after Keith Jackson 

During the coverage of the X-Games, one of the announcers seems to get a little too hyperactive during the event and appears to be larger than life…for good reason. In actuality, Chuck the Sportscaster (played by Jeff Bennett) is modeled after legendary sports analyst Keith Jackson, who was dubbed the “Voice of College Football.” Bennett plays out the role to a tee, recreating the iconic announcer's voice and even shouting out Jackson’s famous line of “Whoa Nellie!”

 
3. Bobby’s Praise of the Beatnik Performer Contains a Reference to Arthur Miller  

After the Gammas follow Max and his friends into a coffee shop, PJ and Bobby sit at a table to listen to a gorgeous beatnik poet. After she’s finished, Bobby shouts praises and references the legendary playwright Arthur Miller, the creator of smash-hit theatrical productions like All My Sons (1947) and Death of a Salesman (1949). In reality, though, Miller’s works focused on melancholy topics like social responsibility and death, so we can bet that Bobby wouldn’t be “dizzy with emotion” after these.

4. The Coffee Shop Scene Is Mimicking West Side Story 

After the Gammas threaten Max and his friends, the people in the coffee shop start snapping their fingers in accompaniment to sinister music. This might seem a bit odd at first (especially since this weird defense seems to work against the bullies), but it’s actually funnier than you think. Whether it was intentional or not, this random finger-snapping bears a resemblance to a moment in West Side Story, when the Jets gang starts snapping their fingers while shooting hoops in an outdoor court.

 
5. The Gamma Mu Mu Fraternity Is Imitating a Political Drawing 

Anyone who has known frat boys can tell you that Greek life is dripping with weirdness, but the initiation ceremony at the Gamma Mu Mu fraternity is incredibly clever (unintentionally so). As part of the rite of passage, the frat members dress up in creepy purple robes and hold candles in a dark hallway, and even partake in wine (possibly). What makes this especially clever is the fact that this scene bears a striking similarity to a drawing from Dartmouth College’s 1896 yearbook, depicting frat members taking part in occult ceremonies (pictured above).

 
6. Puns on Classic Sci-Fi and Crime Movies

During the skateboarding scene on the State University campus, Max and his friends skate by a movie theater that is showcasing some pretty funny titles including The Gooffather, The Goofinator, and Pup Fiction Too. These titles are obviously puns of classic crime and science fiction films The Godfather, Terminator, and Pulp Fiction (with a “too” added on for fun).

 
7. Bizarrely Convenient Equipment Count 

Throughout the X-Games triathlon race, you will notice a few...bizarre changes to the equipment lineup that eerily match the number of racers. After one of the Gammas is eliminated, you will see two red bikes next to the three bikes for Max's team. Meanwhile, after Bobby is eliminated, only four skateboards remain. Did Professor X plan this race?

 
8. Bigfoot from “A Goofy Movie” Makes an Appearance 

While most of them aren’t major characters, the Gammas are still a fun group of troublemakers, even if they are your classic school thugs. If you look closely, though, you might notice that one of these bad boys looks a little too familiar. Remember the be-bopping, steak-loving Bigfoot that puts on a sock puppet show in A Goofy Movie? Turns out, he decided to get his 4-year degree and join a fraternity. Too bad he fell in with the wrong crowd.
 
9. Bobby Acknowledges the Classic White Gloves

Bobby Zimuruski does seem to fit the surfer dude/hippy persona a little too well, but he might be smarter than he looks. In one scene, the spaced-out redhead is the first character to ask a question which (let’s be honest) you’ve probably been asking since you were little: why do all the Disney characters wear white gloves all the time? Even more important, why don’t they ever take the gloves off? It’s an insanely good joke that deserves a good laugh.  

10. PJ and Max Mention Huey, Dewey, and Louie 

While the boys are driving to State University, PJ and Max are debating about what road will take them to the college. At one point, PJ tells Bobby to “try Dewey” before remarking “wait…that’s the other Louie!” In response, Max retorts, “Louie, Huey, Dewey? What are you talking about?” These lines are clearly referencing the names of Donald Duck’s nephews Huey, Dewey, and Louie, the pint-sized stars of Duck Tales.

 
11. Goofy Owns a Very Familiar Teapot 

Before Max leaves for college, Goofy prepares a boatload of food for his son. As he sets the plates down on the table, you can catch a quick glimpse of a teapot that resembles Mrs. Potts from Beauty and the Beast. Goofy really does have benefits as a celebrity!

12. A Member of the Crowd Is Wearing Goofy’s Classic Outfit 

If you look closely during the scene where Max is practicing for the X-Games, you will notice that one of the onlookers is wearing an all-too-familiar outfit. In fact, you could say it’s a bit of a classic. Originally, Goofy wore his iconic green hat, orange shirt, and black vest during the classic Disney cartoons. Nice to see the filmmakers paid respect to the legends.

13. A Bulletin Board Lists the Names of Famous Disney Characters

After Goofy’s new girlfriend Sylvia helps him bring his grades up, she looks at a bulletin board to check his scores on midterm exams. If you look at the lower right-hand corner, you may notice some ads offering “pets for sale,” but these animals happen to be all-too-familiar Disney animals. The posters list Simba and Nala (The Lion King), Fat Cat (Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers), and Bambi (Bambi). We have to wonder what other famous Disney critters are being sold on this campus?

14. One Rainbow-Haired X-Games Onlooker Is Holding a Strange Number 

During the official coverage of the X-Games semi-finals, Ken the sportscaster is giving his review of the main events, but you may notice something strange about one onlooker. One dude wearing a rainbow-colored afro and sunglasses is holding a sign that reads 4351-700. So, what does this number mean, exactly?

As it turns out, “4351-700” is the patent code for Goofy’s 70s look in this film (listed for 1998).

Talk about paying attention to details.
An Extremely Goofy Movie is available on DVD on Amazon.com and Netflix.