Waking Sleeping Beauty (2009)

Director:

Don Hahn

Writer:

Patrick Pacheco (screenplay)

Release Date:

April 2010 (USA)

Genre:

Documentary

Plot:

The art of modern animation is brought to life by a perfect storm of art, business and circumstance. |

Plot Keywords:

Character Name In Title

Cast

  (Credited cast)

Tim Burton	...	Himself
John Lasseter	...	Himself
Roy Edward Disney	...	Himself
Don Bluth	...	Himself
John Musker	...	Himself
Jeffrey Katzenberg	...	Himself
Michael Eisner	...	Himself
Glen Keane	...	Himself
Christopher Emerson	...	Various (voice)
Don Hahn	...	Narrator
Randy Cartwright	...	Himself

Also Known As:

Persistence of Vision (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG for some thematic elements and brief mild language.

Runtime:

86 min | Canada:86 min (Toronto International Film Festival)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

USA:PG (certificate #45545)

Company:

Stone Circle Pictures

A look behind the scenes at the re-birth of Disney animation

I was at a showing of this film at the Toronto International Film Festival last night followed by a short Q&A session with producers Don Hahn and Peter Schneider. Exclusively using archival footage, much of it home video quality, it tells the story of Disney animation between the years 1984 and 1994. This period started with the studios almost being closed down and ended with classic and successful animated films like 'Beauty and the Beast' and 'The Lion King'. As Don Hahn said last night "We are trained so well in the disciplines of animated films that we made another movie that is 82 minutes long and includes a laugh and a cry". The business side of the industry is examined, warts and all, while looking at the relationship between Roy Disney, Michael Eisner and Jeffrey Katzenburg, with Katzenburg probably coming off worst. Recent audio interview clips are used but the film has no 'talking heads' sequences. The film gives an insightful glimpse behind the scenes at Disney animation during this particular time period. We get to see a depressed looking Tim Burton working at a drawing board in the mid-eighties and at least two live action 'pies in the face', which must be a good thing. The bad news is that this will not be on general release until next April at the earliest. It will be shown at more film festivals this year and the producers did say last night that they will personally deliver and show the movie to appropriate interested groups in the early months of 2010 to try and create word of mouth publicity. Get your friends together and give them a call.