Last night I watched The Fox and the Hound for the first time since I was a kid. Of all the classic Disney movies this was not one of favourites and I think I finally figured out why. This movie is really sad. I don’t remember it being so sad, I know that it is about a fox and hound who are friends but because of the circumstance, being natural enemies, they are unable to remain friends, but it really is a downer.
The friendship between Copper and Todd only really happens during the length of song, The Best of Friends, and then Copper goes off to be trained as a hunting dog. When Copper returns both him and Todd have grown up, and soon because Copper’s mentor Chief gets injured do to an accident caused by Todd, Copper becomes fixated on hunting down Todd. This is the first thing that is really sad, how quickly Copper changes his mind on the friendship between him and Todd. I understand that he had to choose a side and the natural side he would take would be that of the dog that helped him to become a better hunting dog, but Copper chooses to hunt Todd all the while knowing that his master, the hunter, planned on killing Todd. It truly is disheartening to think that someone’s affection could change in such a dramatic way, but I suppose that is actually something that happens in real life; maybe that is why it makes this story so sad.
I think that the saddest part of this movie is by far the scene when the widow drops Todd off in the reserve to save him from the hunter. Over the scene plays a voice over by the widow which says: “Goodbye may seem forever, farewell is like the end, but in my heart is the memory and there you’ll always be”. The combination of the sad images and this line actually had me tearing up, which is something of an accomplishment considering I rarely ever cry during movies.
Soon after the widow drops Todd off the hunter and Copper come looking for him. They finally find Todd and chase him all through the forest. Finally, they stumble upon a bear, and while Todd gets past the bear, the hunter and Copper do not. Todd hears the fight between the bear and Copper and rushes back to help. Todd defeats the bear, but in doing so falls from a great height into a pool of water. Todd is alive, but injured, and the hunter comes upon him readying his shot. Just then Copper appears and stands in front of Todd protecting him from the hunter. These are the last acts of friendship and from here they part ways never to see each other again. It is nice to think that there was still enough friendship and feelings between the fox and the hound to save each other from harm. I honestly am not sure how to feel about this, because it could be heart-warming to think that they both still cared for each other enough to save the other; but it’s is sad to think that even if they do both have some sort of friendly feeling toward the other, they cannot be friends.
I guess that not every story can have a happy ending, but this ending just leaves me feeling a bit depressed. The Fox and the Hound is an interesting story, and one that should be told, it makes me remember just how important friendships are. You never know who will be there for you in the end, and I suppose that in this case this may demonstrate what a true friendship is; caring for someone so much that you would risk your own life for that person or fox or hound.
Just incase you want to cry here is the scene when the widow drops of Todd.
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