Out of every non-Disney animated movie, none has been mistaken as a product of the House of Mouse more than 20th Century Fox's "Anastasia." And that is no coincidence. The film's existence was intended as a challenge to Disney itself, and thus, many of the qualities synonymous with the Disney movies of the '90s can also be found within the adapted Russian legend. Whether it was an attempt to beat Disney at their own game, or simply a message that other studios could make impactful animated pictures, "Anastasia's" place within the pop culture landscape will always be tied, in a way, to Disney Animation. Let's get into it. In order to properly discuss "Anastasia," we must first talk about Don Bluth. At just 18, he was hired as legendary animator John Lounsbery's assistant for "Sleeping Beauty." As much as Bluth loved Disney Animation, he says that he found the job "kind of
boring," so he left to pursue further education amongst other things. It wasn't until 1971 that he would return full time to Disney as an animation trainee. Bluth, along with several other animators - most notably Gary Goldman and John Pomeroy - gradually became dissatisfied with the state of Disney Animation. Walt believed that animation was art - a notion Bluth was deeply inspired by. He'd been at Disney both before and after Walt's death, so he had a unique perspective and could clearly see that the studio was not the same anymore. The constant mantra of "What Would Walt Do?" began to grate on Bluth. Everyone was lost trying to guess what their former leader would have done and they didn't have anyone to actually lead the them in the present. No one was being trained to step up
into new leadership roles. The business side of the company was also starting to eclipse the artistic side. Bluth would face opposition whenever he tried to add details like shadows into the animation because he was told the cost was too great. It was around this time that Bluth, Goldman, and Pomeroy agreed that “It wasn’t fun anymore and Disney were not interested in making it any better.” They also felt they'd “missed the boat and that most of the good stuff was done between 1937-1955.” So they led a group of animators that would meet in Bluth's garage on weekends in an attempt to keep the true art of traditional animation alive. Their original intention was not to leave the studio, but repeatedly being shot down creatively and money taking precedence over everything caused them to break. Bluth resigned during production on "The Fox and the Hound" in 1979, boldly walking out with a sizable group of Disney animators and starting his own animation studio: Don Bluth Productions. He said, “We left because the corporate structure was just too calcified and we couldn’t fix it, we knew they would be angry when we left, and call us traitors and everything else but we knew we had to to try to resurrect what was beautiful and what Walt believed in.” The project they'd been working on in Bluth's garage became the studio's first official work - a short film called "Banjo the Woodpile Cat." They went on to release their first feature film in 1982, "The Secret of NIMH." The movie was critically acclaimed, but modest box office revenue and an industry-wide animation strike forced the studio to file for bankruptcy. In 1985, Bluth, Goldman, and Pomeroy joined forces with a businessman named Morris Sullivan and established Sullivan Bluth Studios. Steven Spielberg had seen "The Secret of NIMH" and been impressed by the animation so he reached out to collaborate with Bluth. This led to the creation of a movie that's impact would make waves: 1986's "An American Tail." At its time, the film became the highest grossing non-Disney animated movie ever. This got Disney quaking in their boots a little bit. Bluth said that it "woke the sleeping giant Disney" and forced them to think of new ways to compete. They could no longer coast along making mediocre works because they weren't the only ones in the game anymore. This competition was instrumental
in the road leading up to Disney's Renaissance era. Bluth went on to collaborate with Spielberg once more with "The Land Before Time" in 1988. Sullivan Bluth Studios would release several animated pictures between 1989 and 1995 but most of them flopped critically and commercially. In their pursuit to be a new player in the field of animation, Disney felt threatened enough to do all they could to snuff them out. It could be taken as a compliment, but I'm sure it didn't feel like a good thing at the time. Around this period, Bluth and Goldman had been meeting with 20th Century Fox to discuss the possibility of them leading a new animation studio in Phoenix, Arizona. This ended up becoming Fox Animation Studios and their first film would be "Anastasia" which released on November 21st 1997. Despite Disney's best attempts to thwart it, "Anastasia" proved to be a big success. It made 140 million at the worldwide box office, making it Bluth's highest grossing film. The success wasn't meant to last, however. Bluth's next movie with Fox was called "Titan A.E." and it lost millions of dollars, leading to 20th Century Fox shutting down the Fox Animation Studio in Phoenix. Don Bluth's animation career after Disney was a roller coaster to say the least. Money troubles constantly plagued him, but he managed to put out several high quality movies that people still cherish to this day. And he even got Disney sweating at times. I'm sure he looks back on his choices with little to no regret. I used to view Don Bluth in a bit of a negative light because I thought it was disloyal to leave the company he worked for, taking employees with him and directly challenging them, but after researching the history in more depth, I have a certain respect for him and his fellow animators. His passion for upholding the integrity of traditional animation is admirable, and it all goes back to Walt himself. I'm a Disney fan and I'll always be one, but they can definitely tend to place value on money above art. Bluth's disdain for Disney was for the corporate side of it, and he tried his best to fight it but they wouldn't budge, so I totally understand his decision to leave. And I'm glad he did because he changed animation history. As I mentioned earlier, "Anastasia" is often assumed to be a Disney flick, and looking at the film's inception, this makes a lot of sense. I always thought people used to confuse it for Disney is simply because it was an animated princess movie, but it goes much deeper than that. Its origins come from Disney animators, but the similarities don't stop there. Bluth initially left Disney because he thought they were reducing costs at the expense of the art, so he sought to challenge them by leaving and bringing back the artistic values of traditional animation. Once Disney perceived Bluth's films
as a threat, it contributed to them drastically changing things and this (along with many other factors) led them straight into their iconic Renaissance. After this I think Bluth adjusted
his goals. Disney had returned to making great art, so now he wanted to square up with them as a worthy opponent in this lopsided game of Monopoly. That makes "Anastasia" an odd entity
because it exists as a challenge to Disney animated movies while also trying its hardest
to be one. Jeffrey Gantz of The Phoenix said of "Anastasia," “If imitation is indeed the sincerest form of flattery, then the folks at Disney should feel royally complimented.” I believe it's in "Anastasia's" animation, its story, and especially its soundtrack that the most similarities to the Renaissance can be found. Let's explore that. "Anastasia" looks remarkably like a Disney movie. This isn't a huge surprise seeing as former Disney animators literally worked on the film, but it is interesting when you remember Don Bluth didn't think so highly of Disney Animation when he left. I think it's a testament to how much Disney improved their work between the '70s and '90s. "Anastasia" has more lighting effects like shadows in it than I believe I've ever seen in a Disney animated film, though. I find it quite cool and impressive because it's something that's easy to miss but it really adds to the overall quality of the picture. Something that's possibly a bit ironic is the somewhat heavy utilization of computer animation in "Anastasia." It's in line with the Renaissance
because Disney animated movies were starting to incorporate CGI more and more at this time, but
Bluth always puts so much emphasis on traditional animation methods. I suppose at a certain point
you've got to try new things and change with the times. I appreciate how experimental the film
gets visually, specifically in the Paris sequence. The backgrounds are really ambitiously stylized and they add a lot of richness to the setting. Marjorie Baumgarten of The Austin Chronicle said of “Anastasia,” “this sumptuous-looking film clearly spared no expense in its visual rendering; its optical flourishes and attention to detail aim for the Disney gold standard and, for the most part, come pretty darn close.” Nothing says "Disney" like a plot revolving around a princess, and
that's exactly what "Anastasia" is. While the premise is based on Russian history, it's largely fictionalized - not too unlike, say, "Pocahontas." It was described by Gemini Films, the
Russian distributor of the film, as “a fairy tale set against the background of real Russian events.” The specific plot elements were based on Fox’s live-action adaptation of “Anastasia” from 1956, and that film was based on the 1954 play by Marcelle Maurette. Fox apparently tried to be more historically accurate at first, but Bluth and Goldman, who co-directed the film, thought it was a tad too dark. The script was then reworked into something more light-hearted with elements of romance and comedy much more in line with Disney movies. One of the biggest creative liberties
Bluth's version took came in the form of Rasputin. Not only did they change his role in history, they gave him magical powers and introduced a curse that made his body literally fall apart. This was inspired by the real Rasputin being very difficult to kill. Rasputin fits in quite well amongst Disney Renaissance villains, particularly Hades. He feels he was done wrong by the royal family, he lives underground, and he has a silly sidekick. He also has his own musical number, but I'll talk about that more later. Anastasia is a royal protagonist with a cute animal sidekick who helps guide her. That's pretty clear-cut Disney. There's also the bicker-filled development of the romance between Anya and Dimitri. There are touching moments, and even a happily ever after. Thematically, the movie revolves around the concepts of love, belonging, and family that are also present through much of the Renaissance. Far and away the biggest reason I think "Anastasia" is thought to be a Disney movie is because it's a musical done in the Broadway style. My last video was all about the beginning of the Disney Renaissance and the part that Howard Ashman played in bringing Broadway to animation. It's arguably the very reason Disney didn't go under. By making the songs inseparable from the story, they became that much more impactful, and audiences responded extremely well. It seemed that Fox wanted a crack at it as well, and they did a phenomenal job. The “Anastasia” soundtrack is among my favorite movie soundtracks ever. Lyricist Lynn Ahrens and composer Stephen Flaherty wrote the songs for the film. They'd actually signed on to work on a Disney project called "Song of the Sea" years prior to this that never ended up being produced. A former Disney executive contacted them to audition for "Anastasia" and it was their feature film debut. There are 7 songs throughout the movie. I'm going to run through them in order explaining their role and their closest Renaissance equivalents. If you have different thoughts, please share them in the comments below. The opening song is the superb ensemble number “A Rumor in St. Petersburg.” This track’s purpose is to introduce us to the story and the world of the film. It sets the stage. I’m thinking its closest equivalent is “The Bells of Notre Dame.” But the Renaissance has no shortage of great openers. The second musical number is “Journey to the Past.” I think this is the most vital song to the film, and it’s easily the most comparable to a Disney song. My last video explored how “Part of Your World” was really what sparked the Renaissance, and it’s the same kind of song as “Journey to the Past” – an “I Want” song. It's when the protagonist pours out their innermost thoughts and desires. They lay out their goals, and by the end of the movie, they'll likely be fulfilled. These types of songs give their movies real heart and emotion - something for audiences to relate to and root for. For Anya, she wants to find out who she is. She wants a home and a family. To be loved. This is very human and it's a very powerful. The songwriters themselves have said that this song “launches her on the road to discovering who she really is and expresses all of her anxieties and hopes for the future.” "Journey to the Past" went on to be the most enduring song from the movie, and that's very unsurprising to me not only because of the type of song it is, but because it's just so well done. If this was a Disney song, it would be in my Top 10 – easily The soft, glimmering opening that builds along with the stunning melody thrills me. It hits my heart, it gets me excited,
it makes me like the character, and it sounds so pretty. Liz Callaway, a Broadway actress, provided the singing voice for Anastasia, and it was an impeccable casting. I'd describe her performance here
as Jodi Benson meets Lea Salonga. She exudes a passion and restraint quite like what Benson did under the coaching of Howard Ashman in "Part of Your World" while also singing with the same sort
of crystal tone that Salonga displayed for "A Whole New World" and "Reflection." Callaway provided Jasmine's singing in the Aladdin sequels, so it checks out. She also sang for Odette in "The Swan Princess" and for Kiara in The Lion King sequel, so she's got this princess thing down. As an “I Want” song, “Journey to the Past” has numerous equivalents. Along with “Part of Your World,” and “Reflection,” I’d also mention “Go The Distance” and “Out There” as matches. “Anastasia’s” third song is an eerily stunning number entitled, “Once Upon a December." This track is almost like a counterpart or continuation of Anya’s “I Want” song, but it’s more dream-like – it’s more of a fantasy. I actually don't know what to equate this to as it's pretty unique. It recurs multiple times throughout the film and it also serves as a connecting point between Anastasia and her grandmother. It's Anya's first clue to remembering who she is. Rest in peace, Angela Lansbury. In Disney, leading ladies usually don't
get two solo songs outside of reprises. The only one that comes to mind is Pocahontas. Let me know if you can think of a proper equivalent here. What I do know is that it's a spectacular song that's especially impressive lyrically. Next up is the villain song. "In the Dark of the Night" is sung by Rasputin underground as he lays out his evil plan to his minions amidst a green backdrop. Oh, and it's performed by Jim Cummings. Does this sound familiar? I think this song is a lot of fun, but Ahrens and Flaherty didn’t enjoy the magical elements and historical inaccuracies in the film, so in their stage musical version of “Anastasia,” they omitted the song and the character altogether. The fifth track, “Learn to Do It” is what’s referred to as a “comic list” song. It’s usually an entertaining number with a “you can do it” sort of sentiment. I think “Learn to Do It” is one of the most fun songs to sing along to, and it's creative wordiness really reminds me of Howard Ashman's lyrical talent. In that regard, I relate it to “Under the Sea,” “Be Our Guest,” and “Prince Ali,” but in terms of the sentiment, I get more of a “One Last Hope” or “I’ll Make a Man Out of You” vibe. They all have that sort of training montage thing going on. These tracks tend to be catchy with a simple hook and complex verses. The “Learn to Do It” reprise is next. It’s sung by the character Vlad as he watches Anya and Dmitri begin to fall in love. As a reprise, it's not entirely its own thing, but it does serve the purpose of a love song. There are plenty of reprises within the Disney Renaissance, but “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” has to be the closest comparison. The last song in the film is “Paris Holds the Key (To Your Heart).” The song is what’s called the “plotless Act II opener,” but I think it has more going on than that. It introduces us to the new world of Paris, which in contrast to the current state of Russia is important in terms of context for the time period. It also allows Dimitri a moment of reflection, as he's realized Anya really is the Grand Duchess at this point. I love the contrast of everyone else's excitement with his more melancholy introspection. I’m not sure about a Disney counterpart for this one either. If you can think of one, let me know. In the end credits, Aaliyah does a rendition of "Journey To The Past" and Deana Carter sings "Once Upon a December." The trend of popular artists performing versions of songs during the credits began when Céline Dion & Peabo Bryson sang the title track for “Beauty and the Beast.” Sidenote: I adore the song "At the Beginning" that also plays during the end credits. The film was scored by David Newman. His father composed the music for Fox's 1956 "Anastasia" so it's pretty cool that they were able to keep it in the family. And while David hasn't worked much for Disney, his brother Thomas and his cousin
Randy sure have. With that exploration of "Anastasia's" animation, story, and soundtrack, I
believe I've made the case for "Anastasia" being highly aligned with the qualities of a Disney Renaissance movie. I feel that it could be slotted into that collection quite seamlessly. Nothing against this movie itself, but I've always found that "The Rescuers Down Under" is a sore thumb in the Renaissance and "Anastasia" would fit in much better. It's always weird to talk about "Anastasia" in relation to Disney because Don Bluth started out not wanting to be like Disney, and then once the Renaissance happened, it seemed like the opposite. Because partially thanks to his
competition, Disney upped their quality again. Scott Mendelson of Forbes says of “Anastasia,” “It was a splashy, big-budget musical that very much played like a Mad Libs variation of the stereotypical Broadway-inspired Disney blockbuster of the moment.” I think that's a bit of a crude way to
put it that underplays the sheer quality of "Anastasia," but I agree with the sentiment of its
similarities to Disney Renaissance films. Another quote from Mendelson expresses that “Anastasia” “was meant to show that Disney wasn’t the only studio in town that could do what Disney did.” And by that measure, I’d say Bluth succeeded with flying colors. He always faced adversity after jumping ship from the animation juggernaut, but what he achieved was special, and for many reasons, I'm grateful that he took the risk. "Anastasia" is one of my favorite animated movies of all time. It rivals my love even for some of my favorite Disney films. It could be a sore point that since Disney acquired Fox, “Anastasia” can now be viewed on Disney+, but Bluth is surprisingly okay with it. He said that as long as people can continue to see and connect to the movie, he's happy. Oh, and as long as Disney doesn’t start presenting Anastasia as a member of their Disney princess line-up. Disney may own Fox, but that doesn't make Anastasia a Disney princess. Thank you so much for joining me on this "journey to the past" exploring Don Bluth's departure from Disney leading all the way up to what I consider to be his magnum opus: "Anastasia." If you love this movie, please share why in the comments below. Also feel free to share your favorite Don Bluth or other non-Disney animated films. There's a lot I've yet to see, so I'd like to potentially explore that area further in the future. If you enjoyed this video, consider hitting like and subscribe. And head over to The Trove to check out more video essays, rankings, and trivia videos. You can expect more content like this coming soon. Thanks again for hanging out, and I'll see you next time.
