10 Surprisingly Dark Children's Movies From The 80s
7. The Fox And The Hound (1981)
Based
on the novel by Daniel P. Mannix, The Fox and the Hound is an interesting
premise: a drama involving the friendship of two natural adversaries,
struggling to preserve their relationship despite exterior pressures to conform
to conventional definitions. Released in 1981, the film was a tremendous
success, grossing over sixty million dollars worldwide, making it one of the
most successful animated films of all time.
In the film, Cooper – the hound, played by Kurt Russell –becomes a hunting dog despite his friendship with Tod – the fox, played by Mickey Rooney. Eventually, the two friends fight to the death, the hound intent on murdering the fox, and only dissuaded by a sudden bear attack.
As a result, the film is responsible for some seriously mixed-messages. On the one hand, it’s promoting unconventional relationships; on the other, it’s suggesting that natural tendencies can never be completely overcome.
Cooper and Tod reframe from murdering one another, but their friendship comes to an unequivocal end regardless. There’s also something indescribably disturbing about watching a cartoon fox and hound attempt to murder one another, especially considering the real world parallels.