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Mickey vs. Eisner vs. Katzenberg

Before the advent of computers and CGI, we viewed animation in terms of Disney, even though there were considerable contributions from other sources. Ever since 1937, when Walt Disney brought us "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs", the name Disney has become synonymous with the genre.

But by the mid-1980's the bloom had fallen off of the rose. By then, Disney's film division had ventured strongly into the realm of non-animation, as well. Their animation factory was on the precipice of disappearance. What would have previously been thought of as impossible was now a very real possibility.

With "Waking Sleeping Beauty", director Don Hahn and producer Peter Schneider have given us a very unusual glimpse into how Disney Studios turned that trend around. Between 1984-94, Disney produced a string of mega-hits, including "The Little Mermaid", "Beauty and the Beast", "Aladdin", and "The Lion King". What makes this documentary so effective is that it is told from the inside, using primarily home video footage shot by the animators themselves. Because no one ever expected any of these home movies to be shown anywhere, you get a spectacularly accurate and non-staged viewpoint.

Despite it being such a good time for the corporation and for the general audience, the strife behind the scenes was also great entertainment, even if the people who were living it weren't all that entertained. A couple of enormous egos floated above it all. Roy Disney (Walt's nephew) was still there representing the old guard. Brought in to stave off bankruptcy were Michael Eisner and Jeffrey Katzenberg, both of whom had been very successful at Paramount.

Eisner, Katzenberg and the late Disney, agreed to interviews for this documentary, and they speak candidly, but there is a sense that they are holding back on some of the nasty feelings they still have for the other big fish in the Disney pond.

This thoroughly unique peek inside a large corporation's somewhat dirty laundry is a voyeur's delight. If only there could have been a bit more dishing by the main combatants. That would have propelled this to must-see status. Even without that, though, it's still an awful lot of fun that combines our childlike love of animation with a bit of the grimy underside of the business part of it all. This is no Mickey Mouse production.