Review: The Fox And The Hound (1981)

The Fox and the Hound (1981)

3.0

ANIMATION
U.S. Release Date: 07/10/1981
Running Length: 83 Minutes
MPAA Classification: G
Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1
Cast: (Voices) Mickey Rooney, Kurt Russell, Jack Albertson, Sandy Duncan, Jeanette Nolan
Director: Ted Berman, Richard Rich, Art Stevens
Screenplay: Larry Clemmons, Ted Berman, David Michener, Peter Young, Burny Mattinson, Steve Hulett, Earl Kress, Vance Gerry (based off of the book by Daniel P. Mannix)
Music: Buddy Baker
U.S. Distributor: Buena Vista Distribution Company

Review by: Carter Moulton

02/19/09

The Fox and the Hound has aged quite a bit over the years—much like its main characters do in the film. Watching it certainly brought back childhood memories, but, this time around, I found myself thinking, “how did they get away with some of this stuff?” The film creates a paradox by shaping an owl character—“Big Momma”—to fit wtithin the arena of racial slander, while at the same time using its story to showcase the beauty of cross-cultural and cross-racial—literally cross-species—friendships and acceptance.

Perhaps even more derogatory, the main antagonist, Amos Slade (voiced by Jack Albertson, grandpa Joe in Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory), is a loony who redefines the name “hillbilly”—listen to the music every time he’s on screen. He shouts phrases like “Dag Blastit!” and sings songs about “hootin’ and a’hollerin.” While, at least for me, this produced a few laughs, it’s an obvious insult to anyone who has ever hunted.

Since most of the observations above won’t matter to a child in terms of entertainment value, let’s look at the things that would matter. It’s a story about an abandoned baby fox named Tod and his friendship with a puppy hound-dog named Copper. A lonely old woman (Widow Tweed) looks after Tod, treating him like a puppy. Amos “Dag Blastit!” Slade is Copper’s owner. He also owns another hunting dog named Chief (voiced by Pat Buttram, who also voiced the Sherif of Nottingham in Disney’s Robin Hood). Slade seems to have no life. He’s often shown sleeping in the afternoon, only to break down his own door, sporting long-john trousers and a shotgun, whenever he hears a disturbance in the yard.

Big Momma (the owl) is an onlooker as the story unfolds, occasionally swooping in to offer advice to Tod. A somewhat unrelated subplot focuses on Dinky and Boomer, two birds, as they try to catch a little worm. They are reminiscent of Harry and Marv from Home Alone, Dinky being the physically small, fast-talking-New-Yorkian brains of the operation, and Boomer being the physically large, brainless meathead. This subplot works much in the way that Scrat’s (the squirrel who desperately wants to bury his acorn) from Ice Age does.

We know that Tod and Cooper's friendship is doomed from the beginning. Copper gets scolded everytime he plays with Tod, and eventually he goes on a hunting trip with Amos and Chief. Tod anxiously awaits the return of his friend, but when Copper returns in the spring, he’s grown into a skilled hunting dog—and foxes are hunted. We see their friendship turn from love into hatred into respect.

Needless to say, this is one of the most depressing Disney animated films I’ve ever seen. It starts off with a credit sequence that is terrifying—seriously, listen to the music and pay close attention to the gloomy colors. The film, at times, is also undeniably adorable—watch for a scene where Copper, in puppy form, attempts to howl after sniffing down Tod. The music is hit-or-miss. "Best of Friends" is catchy, but I've already forgotten the other songs. Amos Slade provides some hilarious, chaotic moments, and there is enough exciting material in the The Fox and the Hound to deserve inclusion into the collection of the “Disney Classics”.

Artistically, The Fox and the Hound seems watered-down in comparison to its predecessors. Often times there are only a handful of animated items sticking out of the lifeless watercolor palettes. What is moving still looks beautiful, with great detail. It’s an enjoyable experience to take in, but you can't help drawing a comparison to the other Disney films, which are more inspired and alive. The climax and resolution of the film are superb—the former is played out in silence, an artistic decision that adds to The Fox and the Hound’s merit.