Waking Sleeping Beauty

Waking Sleeping Beauty from 2009 is a captivating documentary that offers an insider's look at the pulse of the renowned Walt Disney Animation Studios during its darkest days and its inspiring resurgence in the 90s. The film is helmed with narrations from key figures in Disney's triumphant storyline, including Roy Edward Disney, John Lasseter, and Michael Eisner.

Directed by animator turned producer, Don Hahn, the documentary is on somewhat privileged ground in that it benefits from an abundance of previously unseen footage, including candid shots from the studios, as well as insights from the key figures themselves. This affords the documentary an intimate perspective of the events that led up to Disney’s comeback in the animation industry.

Waking Sleeping Beauty provides an experience that is more of a roller-coaster ride than a pleasant walk through Memory Lane. The year is 1984, and the revered studio is falling on hard times - not only creatively but also commercially. The film offers an honest glimpse of this bleak period for Disney, which is largely marked by backstage politics and innumerable battles for control of the studio.

The film sets its focus on three influential figures – Michael Eisner, the CEO of The Walt Disney Company; Jeffrey Katzenberg, Chairman of Walt Disney Studios; and Roy E. Disney, Walt Disney’s nephew – and how their collaborative, yet somewhat turbulent, relationship influenced the course of the prestigious studio. And amidst this turmoil, a new wave of young animators emerged, who would go on to make some of the most successful animated films in history.

The film does an impressive job of keeping a balanced point of view and is able to show perspectives from all those involved. Not only does it cover high-ranking executives such as Eisner, Katzenberg, and Disney but it also caters to the view from the trenches with insights from the men and women who were responsible for the actual art of Disney's films. This includes the likes of John Lasseter, prime architect of Pixar's groundbreaking films and Tim Burton who went on to become a visionary director.

Energized and revolutionized under new management, the film journeys through the process of how the artists staged a remarkable comeback with a series of blockbuster hits such as The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and The Lion King. These iconic films not only reestablished Disney's supremacy in the field of animation but also shaped a generation of audiences worldwide.

The uniqueness of Waking Sleeping Beauty lies in the fact that it eschews talking heads and chooses to take a unique narrative path. The interesting anecdotes, behind-the-scenes footage, interviews, newspaper headlines, and personal video footage narrate much of the story, thanks to the huge amount of archival material available. It intertwines personal narratives with the broader arc of the company's story, successfully making it both a business case study and a human drama.

The soundtrack of the film is, in true Disney fashion, filled with memorable movie tunes that nostalgically catapults audiences back into those charming Disney films. These tracks spark emotion and connection, bridging the gap between the audience and the middle of all the action in the film.

Waking Sleeping Beauty offers a lustrous plot without sugarcoating the triumphant yet turbulent era of Disney Animation. It gives an unprecedented look into the highly creative, charismatic, and occasionally contentious personalities that collectively saved a sinking animation studio. It remarkably manages to combine art and the business world, showing how the clash of these two led to an incredible era of creativity.

Steeped in Disney history and filled with gripping personal and professional dramas, Waking Sleeping Beauty is an engrossing documentary that will be valuable not only for fans of Disney films but to anyone interested in film history, animation, and corporate storytelling. Whether you are a Disney enthusiast, an animation lover, or simply a fan of good storytelling, this film is an absolute must-watch. It is a detailed, carefully crafted documentary essential for understanding the rise, fall, and resurgence of one of the most influential cultural institutions of our time. Say hello to nostalgia, and let Waking Sleeping Beauty take you back to the golden age of Disney Animation.