This 44-Year-Old Disney Cartoon Punches Harder Than Any Adult Drama
Feel like you need a good cry? Don’t go for Hachi, there’s a Disney cartoon waiting for you to tug at your heartstrings. Stay here to find out which animated movie will break your heart.
If you lived until your days not knowing that in 1981 Disney released a movie that people say was almost “scientifically crafted to break you”, consider yourself lucky. The rest of us know that The Fox and the Hound is without doubt the saddest Disney cartoon ever created.
The animated movie is so much more than just something to entertain children so they wouldn’t disturb their parents: it’s a powerful, emotionally complex story that resonates deeply even today, punching harder than many adult dramas.
Director Ted Berman and Richard Rich crafted a story that doesn't shy away from life's harshest realities, making it Disney's most mature animated feature of the era, and also the most emotionally devastating.
What Is ‘The Fox and the Hound’ About?
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The story follows Tod, an orphaned fox kit, and Copper, a hound puppy, who form an unlikely friendship despite their natural roles as predator and prey. Their innocent bond represents the purity of childhood connections, yet untainted by the expectations society will eventually impose on them.
The impact: The Fox and the Hound is powerful because of its unflinching portrayal of how even the strongest friendships can be destroyed by external forces. As Tod and Copper grow older, their respective social groups force them into traditional roles. Copper's owner, Amos Slade, trains him to hunt foxes, while Tod must learn to survive in the wild.
And the scene in which Widow Tweed takes Tod to the forest is heartbreaking.
“Seriously, I lost my sh*t every time I saw this movie when I was younger. I Haven't seen it since I was probably 10, because my mother gave the movie away so that she didn't have to deal with me crying for hours every time I watched it,” Redditor TheMetalMatt said.
Why you should watch it: Unlike typical Disney fare, The Fox and the Hound does not conclude with a fairy-tale happy ending. Instead, it portrays a bittersweet acceptance of reality, which even adults are still struggling to accept.
