The Fox and the Hound

Starring: (voices of) Mickey Rooney, Kurt Russell, Peal Bailey, Sandy Duncan
Written by: Larry Clemmons, Daniel P. Mannix, Ted Berman, Peter Young
Director: Richard Rich, Ted Berman
Year: 1981

Rating: * * * 1/2   Stars       +       (Fan Bonus *  )  Total: * * * 1/2

Two young characters, from different worlds, become the best of friends, but are forced to be enemies. This story is so heart-wrenching, if shown to target audiences, it would boarder on child abuse.

The film opens with the young fox, Tod (voiced by Kieth Coogan), witnesses his Mother being killed by a hunter. Scared, and all alone, he is eventually taken in and adopted by a kindly old widow named Widow Tweed (Jeanette Nolan). Tod, being both young and a fox, naturally gets into some mischief as his curiosity gets the better of him. He wanders nest door and discovers a young hound dog pup named Copper (voiced by Corey Feldman). They're first curious about each other, but soon form a friendship. Occasionally, their playtime is interrupted by Chief, the old hound dog (voiced by Pat Buttram) and their Master, Amos Slade. Amos (voiced by Jack Albertson) is a hunter, and Chief is his trained hunting dog. Naturally, they hate foxes, putting young Tod in considerable danger every time he comes to visit Copper. But their youthful exhuberance ignore these warning signs as they vow to be best friends foer life. One day, Copper is taken away with Amos and Chief to "learn the ropes." When he returns, Copper has matured somewhat, having been exposed to the hunt, and warns Tod not to come back. Tod, still being innocent and naive, does not heed Copper's warning and returns to play. Amos sees Tod and fires off a few rounds at Tod, who scurries home to Widow Tweed. Amos screams that he'll kill Tod the next chance he gets.

Fearing for his safety, she takes Tod and drives him off into the middle of the woods and abandons him. In classic Disney fashion, there is always a song that accompanies scenes of dramatic significance, and this is no exception. Widow Tweed, through the song, conveys how her heart is breaking, and that she loves him, but realizes she cannot keep him safe anymore. Disney's fine animation conveys enough facial expressions to illustrate Tod's utter confusion as why she's leaving him, and his sense of fear and abandonment washes over him just like it did the day his Mother died. He finds the world a dangerous place, and longs for home.

Time moves on, and both Tod and Copper are now adults. Voice acting is now taken over by Mickey Rooney and Kurt Russell respectively. In the wilderness, Tod meets a female fox named Vixey(Sandy Duncan) and quickly warms up to her. This is the first time he has encountered another of his kind. She teaches him the basics of life in the wilderness. Copper, now a fully grown hound dog, has earned the respect of old Chief and his master Amos, as Copper has turned into a fine hunting dog. 

This, of course, leads to the films climax where on a hunting trip these two former friends cross paths. Copper attacks Tod, who is shocked at Coppers attitude, but quickly fights back as to distract the hunting party away from Sandy. As the conflict continues they run afoul of a grizzly, and must work together to overcome their mutual threat. They save an injured Amos from the bear and part ways. The final scene shows Copper and Chief hanging out at Widow Tweeds, as she attends to Amos's bandages. Tod and Vixey look on from the safety of the wood's edge. In a way, Disney tries to summon a happy ending by illustrating that all the characters have a companion, and won't live in fear or loneliness. This fails, because the film plays back the clip of Copper and Tod vowing to be best friends, when the message is clear: If you're different, you cannot be friends. It's better just to stick with your own kind. Not exactly a positive life lesson for the kids.

This film is rank and file Disney fair, with colorful characters, fine musical numbers, and great animation. The film does deviate from established stories of good vs evil. Rather, this film deals with the realities and ambiguities of life. If you suffer from depression, anxiety, or have abandonment issues, you have been warned.

SEE THE TRAILER: The Fox and the Hound