Waking Sleeping Beauty (2009)

71% of critics liked it
(49 reviews)
80% of users liked it
(3,533 ratings)

Walt Disney Pictures has been the leading name in animated filmmaking since the 1930s, but the studio's crown was looking more than a little tarnished in the 1980s after a series of expensive commercial and critical disappointments such as The Fox and the Hound, The Black Cauldron, and The Great… More Walt Disney Pictures has been the leading name in animated filmmaking since the 1930s, but the studio's crown was looking more than a little tarnished in the 1980s after a series of expensive commercial and critical disappointments such as The Fox and the Hound, The Black Cauldron, and The Great Mouse Detective. At that time, a handful of Disney executives were questioning the wisdom of continuing to make animated films, as the company was making more money in live-action movies, theme parks, and television. That changed when Roy Disney -- Walt's nephew and the last figure from the studio's Golden Age management team still on board -- teamed up with newly hired studio executives Michael D. Eisner and Jeffrey Katzenberg to restore their reputation for both quality and commercial appeal. With the success of Who Framed Roger Rabbit in 1988, the team sparked a new interest in animation on the big screen, and a string of smash hits that began with The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast launched a new era of both acclaim and box-office success for the company. But those successes didn't come without behind-the-scenes conflict, and Don Hahn, a longtime producer at Disney, offers an inside look at the creative squabbles and battles amongst the management that came during Disney's climb back to the top of Hollywood's mountain in the documentary Waking Sleeping Beauty. Along with behind-the-scenes footage and rare personal artwork created by the studio's animation staff (including some unflattering cartoons of their bosses), the film includes interviews with many key figures of this era in Disney history, and several people who enjoyed greater success after leaving the company, such as Tim Burton and John Lasseter. Waking Sleeping Beauty was an official selection at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Play Trailer

Rating, Runtime: PG, 1 hr. 26 min.
Directed By: Don Hahn
Genres: Documentary, Television

In Theaters: Mar 26, 2010 Wide
On DVD: Nov 30, 2010
Studio: Walt Disney Pictures

Critic Reviews

Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post
More Belle, more Ariel, more Simba -- and less of Eisner and Co. -- would have made a more interesting movie.
Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News
A few too many industry asides, but filled with behind-the-scenes moments.
Stephen Holden, New York Times
Sly retrospective exercise in corporate self-congratulation masquerading as an insider's tell-all.
J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader
Even in its sanitized state, this movie about the generational revolt that reinvigorated Disney's animation department in the 1980s and '90s is fascinating
Kyle Smith, New York Post
Waking Sleeping Beauty doesn't have as much behind-the-scenes juice as you'd hope.
Claudia Puig, USA Today
Waking Sleeping Beauty covers a dream era in the history of animation, but it could have delved a little deeper to keep us wide-eyed and engaged.
David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews
An intriguing yet uneven documentary...
Jeffrey Chen, Window to the Movies
Carries the mystique of Walt Disney, whose animated features can be regarded as a genetic line with ups and downs as compellingly dramatic as the history of royal families.
Ryan Cracknell, Movie Views
Combining honest commentary with archival footage, Waking Sleeping Beauty offers a refreshing look at a side large companies often steer clear of.
Sean Means, Salt Lake Tribune
[Director Don Hahn's] interviews are used as voice-over to a lively mix of Disney film clips, behind-the-scenes footage and rare home movies taken by Disney staffers.
James Verniere, Boston Herald
Featuring interviews with such luminaries as Tim Burton, John Lasseter, Don Bluth, Michael Eisner, the late Howard Ashman, the irascible Roy Disney and others, the film is a self-congratulatory dud.
Tricia Olszewski, Washington City Paper
A subpar movie about exceptional ones, and you won't really care who was responsible.
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul), St. Paul Pioneer Press
It's not one of those documentaries whose appeal stretches beyond people who are already interested in the subject, but animation buffs will eat it up.
Jeff Vice, Deseret News, Salt Lake City
[It] may not be thrilling, riveting viewing for some, but for animation fans, and for aficionados of Disney, the movie is must-see.
Rob Thomas, Wisconsin State Journal
Instead, it's a fascinating look at how a group of talented, flawed individuals managed to pull together for a while and make some beautiful and lasting films. There's something kind of magical about that, too.
Moira MacDonald, Seattle Times
It's a not-so-great movie about some great movies.
Robert W. Butler, Kansas City Star
Waking Sleeping Beauty will matter only to those who grew up on Walt Disney's animated films. In other words, all of us.
Gary Thompson, Philadelphia Daily News
Feature animation had an explosively great year in 2009, so it's startling to be reminded in Waking Sleeping Beauty that it was all but dead 20 years ago.
Brian Orndorf, BrianOrndorf.com
It's a must-see for any Disney purist, but is also an emotive, stunningly valuable documentary in its own right.
C. Edwards, New York Press
The entire story is worked into a perfect success story package, concluding right before the studios more controversial period begins, which just goes to show, you can always have a happy ending, if you know where to stop the story.

Read all 22 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Michael E

An interesting look back at the past of Disney's second age of Renaissance in the late 80s and early 90s. But my only problem with the film, its SO SLOW PACE. It may only be around an hour and a half, but it moves at the speed of a snail, and it feels like its 2 and a half hours,… More
An interesting look back at the past of Disney's second age of Renaissance in the late 80s and early 90s. But my only problem with the film, its SO SLOW PACE. It may only be around an hour and a half, but it moves at the speed of a snail, and it feels like its 2 and a half hours, but still it is a very interesting look back at Disney's second rebirth.
Jennifer X

I really want to like this movie, but it was basically a big "aren't we all awesome" masturbatory celebration rather than any juicy dirt.
Fernando Rafael Q

Engrossing account of the men who saved Disney's animation branch and brought it to a second "Golden Age" from the late-eighties to the mid-nineties (and all the drama that arose between them). Touching film is filled with interesting trivia and little-known facts about… More
Engrossing account of the men who saved Disney's animation branch and brought it to a second "Golden Age" from the late-eighties to the mid-nineties (and all the drama that arose between them). Touching film is filled with interesting trivia and little-known facts about the biggest name in family entertainment ever. Waking Sleeping Beauty incorporates testimonies old and new, vintage video footage, animated clips, and, most importantly, the opinions of everyone that matters. The many different points of view prevent it from becoming a one-sided account. Essential viewing for Disney junkies.
Jake .

The thing I love the most about Waking Sleeping Beauty is that it really is about absolutely nothing. I mean, alright, there's stuff going on, but it's not this complicated, detailed mess. It's more like, 'yeah, this what we did and how we felt while doing it.… More
The thing I love the most about Waking Sleeping Beauty is that it really is about absolutely nothing. I mean, alright, there's stuff going on, but it's not this complicated, detailed mess. It's more like, 'yeah, this what we did and how we felt while doing it. Isn't it great?' It's just this celebration of what was arguably the greatest era of Disney animation. That is just before Pixar's thugs took over the market. Personally, I got a bit sentimental, curz tha little mermaid is like the best movie eva! <3 And then there are also a couple really brief shots of Jack and Sally - if you don't know who they are by name alone, just leave. Now. Anyway, I was really surprised and the film is a helluva lot of fun. It's sort of reminder of why you fell in love with Simba, Ariel, Lumier, or Miku to begin with.
Ken S

Fantastic, great footage that shows Tim Burton as the creepy weird kid you always knew he was.
Walter M

"Waking Sleeping Beauty" is a breezy backstage look at the reemergence of the formerly moribund Disney animation studios, starting in 1984 with the hiring of Michael Eisner and Frank Wells to run the company, with Eisner bringing in Jeffrey Katzenberg. It had been decades… More
"Waking Sleeping Beauty" is a breezy backstage look at the reemergence of the formerly moribund Disney animation studios, starting in 1984 with the hiring of Michael Eisner and Frank Wells to run the company, with Eisner bringing in Jeffrey Katzenberg. It had been decades since Disney was tops in animation and "The Black Cauldron," the first production under the new regime, was less than successful. So much so, at one point, that it looked like the animation division was going to be shut down, so the animators staged their own version of "Apocalypse Now." But then Disney went on a winning streak starting with "The Little Mermaid" which led to "Beauty and the Beast" which led to "Aladdin" and finally "The Lion King." Even with all the glitz and glamor, "Waking Sleeping Beauty" rightfully concentrates on all the hard work it took to get there.(How anybody could concentrate on drawing with a live lion in the room is beyond me.) But I disagree with the assertion that the above films made it cooler for adult audiences to like animated films. That would come later with the rise of Pixar. In fact, a lot of this entertaining and insightful documentary feels like prologue, and not just because a young Tim Burton is photographed at a drawing desk.
Jeff T

Wonderful documentary covering the Disney animation years from 1984-1994 (the re-birth of the brand, from LITTLE MERMAID through LION KING). Full of insider you-were-there interviews, footage and home movies, this film also covers the great infusion of creativity that Howard Ashman… More
Wonderful documentary covering the Disney animation years from 1984-1994 (the re-birth of the brand, from LITTLE MERMAID through LION KING). Full of insider you-were-there interviews, footage and home movies, this film also covers the great infusion of creativity that Howard Ashman brought to the studio when he and writing partner Alan Menken came on board. It also, quite movingly, chronicles Ashman's last days, and that alone is enough to make this essential viewing for not only the animated film fan, but the musical theatre fan as well. It's one of those documentaries that zooms by, and leaves you wishing it were twice the length, because every tidbit you get is a gem. Don't miss the gems!
Jason V

Does Waking Sleeping Beauty get deep enough or honest enough about the trials of the Disney company? Not really. Does it give a tantalizing glimpse into a dysfunctional organization where expectations kept getting raised without needed improvements in staffing and infrastructure,… More
Does Waking Sleeping Beauty get deep enough or honest enough about the trials of the Disney company? Not really. Does it give a tantalizing glimpse into a dysfunctional organization where expectations kept getting raised without needed improvements in staffing and infrastructure, not to mention in interpersonal relations? Absolutely. Are some of the films between 1984 and 1994 glossed over with precious little information (like The Rescuers Down Under)? Yup. Are there fundamental problems with the way the doc is edited together, such as not having current interviews on camera and opting for only the audio of those conversations? Double yup. But you know what? For a company with an image of family and friends, Waking Sleeping Beauty throws cold water on the entire endeavor. A brisk 85-minutes, WSB gives the audience a starting place from which to seek out other docs on the Disney company. It begins the conversation and doesn't pretend to finish it.
Dannielle A

The true story about the people behind Disney's magic who brought in millions and could "do no wrong." The truth is that they were arrogant and prideful and fought all the time but they were brilliant entertainers and amazing businessmen who took risks and succeeded in… More
The true story about the people behind Disney's magic who brought in millions and could "do no wrong." The truth is that they were arrogant and prideful and fought all the time but they were brilliant entertainers and amazing businessmen who took risks and succeeded in delivering some of the most beloved Disney films of all time. This movie includes testimonies and vintage home videos along with clips from our favorite stories. I never knew they basically made up the story as they went along. No wonder The Black Cauldron sucked so bad!!!
Andrew F

Fascinating and insightful, but it felt a little too much like one big commercial for Disney.
Andrew P

An absolutely fascinating and truthful account of Disney from mid 80s until the mid 90s. All of the footage feels like a really special and uncut insight into the world of Disney. Totally worth the watch.
Kyle S

Facsinating and enthralling documentary of "The Disney Renaissance," the period from 1984-1994, where Disney hit their all-time low (The Black Cauldren) followed by a gradual increase both critically and commercialy, until they hit their all-time high (The Little Mermaid,… More
Facsinating and enthralling documentary of "The Disney Renaissance," the period from 1984-1994, where Disney hit their all-time low (The Black Cauldren) followed by a gradual increase both critically and commercialy, until they hit their all-time high (The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King). It chronicles the rise and fall of big names such as Roy Disney, Michael Eisner, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Frank Wells, Peter Schneider, Howard Ashman, Ron Clements, John Musker, Don Bluth, Tim Burton, Richard Williams, John Lasseter, Joe Ranft among others. See this if you are interested in Disney, Animation, or can appreciate documentaries in general.