Every dog has its day, and Mickey Mouse’s canine buddy Goofy finally had his moment in the spotlight with 1995’s A Goofy Movie. And though the story of a father and son overcoming their differences on a road trip was overshadowed at the time by big-budget Disney classics such as The Lion King and Pocahontas, over time, A Goofy Movie has become truly beloved. A vital part of the movie’s enduring appeal is its soundtrack, and one song in particular: the slinky pop-funk of “I 2 I” by Tevin Campbell.
A Goofy Movie was a spin-off of the hit Disney Channel animated series, Goof Troop, which focused on the relationship between the lovably ditzy Goofy and his streetwise son Max, as they settled in a new neighbourhood. Disney chief Jeffrey Katzenberg saw the show’s parent-child dynamic and realized the potential for a movie based on personal experiences. “Like a lot of parents, [he] was struggling at the time with his teenage daughter,” A Goofy Movie screenwriter Jymn Magon told Vanity Fair in 2020. “He said, ‘I couldn’t figure out how to get through to her. But we ended up taking a car trip together… Somewhere along the way, we bonded. I want a story like that.’”
Order the vinyl edition of the 30th anniversary edition of A Goofy Movie now.
A Goofy Movie follows the much-loved pair of anthropomorphic pooches as they embark upon an epic trip across the United States. Eager to prove to his high school crush, Roxanne, that he’s “not just a goof,” Max gatecrashes a school assembly with a spectacular lip-synched performance of “Stand Out” by his favourite pop star, Powerline. Carried away by his sudden notoriety, Max asks Roxanne to a party the following week and is overjoyed when she agrees. But when the school principal informs Goofy that his son caused a riot and berates his parenting, he decides to take Max on a fishing trip in the hope of putting him on the straight and narrow. Unsure of what to tell Roxanne, Max blurts out that he can’t make the party because his dad and Powerline are old pals and will be performing with the star in Los Angeles.
Unsurprisingly, the Goofs’ trip is packed with madcap adventures. They visit a rundown opossum-themed amusement park, accidentally lure Bigfoot to their camp while fishing, surf their car as it hurtles down a river towards a waterfall, and – once they open up to one another – do a whole lot of father-son bonding. Eventually, Goofy decides to take Max to the Powerline concert and the stage is set for his son to perform with his idol. Our heroes sneak into the venue in instrument cases, arriving just as Powerline is about to perform “1 2 1”. After being pursued by venue security, the Goofs end up on stage, impressing Powerline with their moves. Back home, Roxanne is watching the concert at the party and is suitably impressed.
“I 2 I” is the perfect song for the moment. Not only does the Prince-like party jam give Goofy and Max a chance to strut their stuff, its lyrics speak of the importance of communication in seeing “eye to eye,” summing up the movie’s themes. And after hearing about Powerline through the entire movie, when we finally see him perform, resplendent in bright yellow jumpsuit and with a deadly cool, gravity-defying haircut, we understand why the pop star means so much to Max.
For the voice of Powerline, the studio turned to rising R&B star Tevin Campbell, whose soulful, soaring voice gave life to the cartoon superstar. Though only 18 at the time of A Goofy Movie’s release, Campbell had already had an impressive career. Campbell signed a major label record deal in 1988, when he was just 12, and the following year featured as a lead vocalist on Quincy Jones’ Back On The Block album. Campbell’s debut single, “Round And Round” was produced by Prince and featured on the soundtrack to the superstar’s 1990 movie Graffiti Bridge. Debut album T.E.V.I.N included the US Billboard No 6 hit “Tell Me What You Want Me To Do” and his follow-up, 1993’s I’m Ready, went double-platinum. With Campbell’s star quality and vocals from Rosie Gaines and production from David Z – Prince’s right-hand man and engineer during his impeccable run of 80s albums – it’s no surprise that “I 2 I” was so irresistible.
The reaction and legacy
Though A Goofy Movie had a limited run in theaters, it found its audience when released on home video. “It started for me a couple of months after the movie had been released on videotape,” director Kevin Lima told Vanity Fair. “Because you’re absolutely right – it did not catch the world on fire. I had read an article where this family was talking about how they had a ritual every night in which they raised their glasses before they ate dinner and said, ‘To the open road.’ And I realized, Wow, this thing has outreaching arms in a way I never thought it possibly could.”
Campbell realized just how powerful his performance as Powerline had been years later, as he told Forbes, “I started Broadway in 2005, and, of course, I sing two songs in the play, Hairspray. I had kids coming up to me, asking me, ‘Are you Powerline?’ I was like, ‘What? How did you know that?’ [And they said,] ‘Because I can tell, your voice is the same.’ I never really knew the impact it had… It’s ridiculous. It’s really, really crazy.”
And as a generation who grew up loving A Goofy Movie come of age and pass it on to their children, the love for “I 2 I” and Powerline is only growing stronger. Campbell’s performance of the track at a 2015 Disney convention has over two million views on YouTube and the song has inspired a TikTok dance craze. It even has famous fans eager to sing its praises – star of Paul Thomas Anderson’s 2021 movie Licorice Pizza, Alana Haim told Vice in 2022, “If you haven’t seen it, you need to watch A Goofy Movie. It’s the best movie of all time,” and she even performed “I 2 I” with Haim at a show that year (complete with Powerline-style hand movements).
A Goofy Movie may have been an underdog on its release, but decades on, it’s a cherished Disney classic. The love for the movie and its soundtrack isn’t lost on Campbell, “Powerline is like an alter ego or something like that, it’s kind of cool to say, ‘Yeah, I did those songs.’ It’s gonna be cool forever, I don’t know how to explain it. It’s two different worlds, it’s really cool.”
Order the vinyl edition of the 30th anniversary edition of A Goofy Movie now.
