Oliver & Company: My Favorite Disney Movie (And How it Got Screwed over)

I've been meaning to do this article for a while and I am surprised I didn't do it earlier... But Here it goes

Now Objectively speaking, If you were to ask me what the best Disney Movie is... I'd Tell you Beauty And The Beast. But if you were to ask me what MY favorite Disney Movie is... I'd tell you Oliver & Company in a heartbeat.

Ever since I was a kid, Oliver & Company was my favorite movie growing up. This movie has become so impactful in my life that not only has it shaped my taste in media and been the gateway to my love for the 1980s; but It has also shaped the way I draw and (to an extent) tell stories.

And yet, despite all of this; is a movie that, much like the 1980s themselves, has largely been ignored by Disney. I knew as a kid that I watched this movie more than my 2000s kids peers, but what shocks me more is that I might have watched it even more than the average 90s (and even 80s) kids did... as this movie only came out on home video the year before I was born.

But Before we get into that... Lets get into the film

Loosely based off of Dickens's Oliver Twist and set in 1980s New York City, Oliver & Company follows the adventure of the eponymous protagonist; a cute little orphan kitten by the name of Oliver. Left to roam the streets alone after failing to be adopted, Oliver is eventually taken in by a gang of street dogs; led by the street smart Terrier Dodger (voiced by Billy Joel). They are owned by Fagin (voiced by Dom Deluise) who owes a loan shark debt to the gangster Sykes, who threatens to kill him if he doesn't pay back his debt in three days.

While going out on the streets to obtain the money through...less than legal means... Oliver gets stranded in a limousine that the dogs attempted to steal

This is where we meet Jenny, a cute little girl that I talked about in a previous article about my top Disney Female Characters. When we meet Jenny, she is sad about her wealthy parents not being home in time for her birthday. Upon meeting Oliver, her heart goes out to her and she adopts him; much to the ire of her poodle Georgette (voiced by Bette Meddler). Jenny soon becomes very attached to Oliver as we see in the "Good Company" scene.

Eventually, Dodger's gang manages to get Oliver back home, only to realized that he wanted to be with Jenny (much to the anger and heartbreak of Dodger). However, Fagin (realizing where he had been the whole time) decides to seize the opportunity and fake a randsom...

...An Idea cut short when he learns that Oliver belonged to a little girl. In the situation, Jenny is Kidnapped and Dodger (having a change of heart) assists Oliver and leads his gang of dogs to rescue her. A chase soon breaks out as Jenny, Oliver, dodger, and the gang flee on Fagin's scooter through the subway, being pursued by Sykes in his Lincoln Continental. Sykes is eventually killed off by an oncoming train and the day is saved.

The Movie ends on a happy note with Jenny celebrating her birthday with her new cat Oliver and her new friends; Fagin and his dogs.

Like most movies I call my favorite, Its a very simple film. Not much to the story per se (as far as Disney goes), but very well done.

First off, I enjoyed the characters. Oliver is an adorable and kind little kitten who stll comes through as a hero when needed. Jenny is an adorable little girl with a kind and heartwarming personality untainted by wealth. Dodger is a lovable scoundrel who still shows a soft "older brother" side to him to Oliver. Even Fagin and his dogs have a certain charm to them. My personal favorite is Francis; who's sophisticated attitude put a whole new meaning to the term "English Bulldog"

and who can forget this cheeky little line from the movie by Tito...

The only exceptions to this rule are the villains; Sykes and his Dobermen. However, I will give the film credit that it pays his ruthless villainy straight without any charismatic flair. He's evil and you genuinely want to see him fail; which can sometimes work better for a villain. He also reminds me a bit of Rourke from Atlantis the Lost Empire, but without the twist.

There is also the setting; New York City in the 1980s. This one was kinda awkward for me as a kid; mostly because 9/11 just happened. Nevertheless, It became a sort of gateway into not only New York City before 9/11, but also to 1980s America. I will give this movie, and most movies set in New York City before 9/11 (e.g. Ghostbusters, Home Alone 2, We're Back A Dinosaur Story, etc.) that it provided a perfect snapshot into a world lost to time; as well as giving me an interest in New York City in the first place (though I've never bee there and, if Modi is any indication, never will go)

And then of course there is the music. I personally love the soundtrack, bar none, better than any other soundtrack from Disney. But more importantly; The Movie's soundtrack ended up being my gateway into 80s music. In fact my first exposure to Billy Joel, The Pointer Sisters, Bette Meddler (+ Barry Manilow to an extent), and Huey Lewis came from this movie; which eventually led me further to bands like Journey, Madonna, Michael Jacksons, and all the rest. The Music plays out like the pop songs associated with the aformentioned singers, but I felt fit in perfectly well in the film. My Personal Favorite is a tie Between Good Company or Once Upon A Time in New York City. For the most part, This whole movie ended up being my Gateway into the 1980s.

With all of that Said, I grew up on this movie during a time where I knew my peers were all watching Shrek or Bee Movie instead, which I personally resented. I never liked CGI in the first place and one of my reasons for getting into Cartooning was to one day make a 2D animated film akin to Oliver & Company that people could watch in theaters... just like the good old days.

Here was the problem though...

Oliver & Company was pretty much seen as a supplemental film by Disney, meant to be a stepping stone for the Disney Renaissance than the actual start of it. Basically, this movie got screwed over by Disney Execs long before it had a chance

The movie was the first animated feature to be pitched under the Eisner era at a time where Disney was seriously considering shutting down its animation department (basically to continue the crappy live action films that got its company in a bad spot in the first place). The Idea was to create a more Modern Disney Animated movie in a contemporary setting, pivoting away from the fantasies that they were used to. Initally, Disney put everything into this movie, only for all of it to go to The Little Mermaid once production started on that movie. Oliver and Company would unceremoniously open on the exact same day as The Land Before Time. Ultimately, Oliver & Company outgrossed Land Before Time domestically, but at the cost of being a critical failure. Disney would then bury the film in the infamous Disney Vault until 1996, when the movie was finally released on VHS.

In a bittersweet way, Oliver & Company (like Fluppy Dogs) has become a mandela effect movie for Eighties nostalgia; expertly reflecting their time periods only to be buried and only discovered years later by the internet, appreciated for being someting that the twenty first isn't and may never be.

But I am at least grateful for this movie and the Impact it has on my life. Hopefully, If the internet helps, other future generations can grow up on, and love, this movie and movies like it... the way I had after the fact.