My Own Personal Nerdy Disney and Animation Scrutinizing Analyses: "Anastasia" - The 20th Century Fox and Don Bluth Animated Movie That Was Essentially The First Successful Disney Renaissance Knockoff

Hi folks! Welcome to My Own Personal Nerdy Disney Scrutinizing Analyses blog, a blog where I'm analyzing several Disney films or Disney in general! These entries are meant to be my analyses only. Not reviews or statements. Just fun analyses! Though I'll make some personal remarks now and then, the content of these entries is meant to be depicted objectively. They're made for entertainment purpose only and the pictures/clips are copyright Disney or other companies.

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This is what your fate will look like when you`re haunted by a lunatic like Rasputin :)

Cinderella was gone for the
moment :)

It`s hard to believe that we once lived in a World where animation was completely different: Disney was still the King of Animation, most studios tried to duplictate it`s formula and Hand Drawn animation was still relevant. However, the last years of the past Century, things began to change a little bit. In 1995, Pixar released the first CGI Animated Feature ever, Toy Story. And the Disney Renaissance had started to somewhat decline with the releases of Pocahontas, The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Hercules (regardless of how you individually perceive them, they were controversial on their own right and were considered to be the Black Sheeps of the Renaissance).

This is how you fly as a dog :)

Therefore, animation was looking for a reinvention. Many studios were getting into the animation field at the time and some of them were rumored to challenge Disney`s throne. In 1997, Anastasia was rumord to be 20th Century Fox`s first legitimate challenge to the Disney`s realm. And frankly, Anastasia succeeded with it. While it perhaps wasn`t an innovation to animation as a whole, as it basically a Disney knock-off and didn`t set the Box Office on fire (as technically Hercules did better), it still made it`s impact with it`s Box Office ($58,406,347 Domestically and $139,804,348 Worldwide) and was welcomed to the World of Animation.

General Information About Anastasia

Released November 21th 1997, 20th Century Fox`s Anastasia was the 9th Full-Length Feature directed by Don Bluth and Gary Goldman. Anastasia was the first animated feature to be produced by 20th Century Fox`s own animation division, Fox Animation Studios. While Anastasia didn`t change animation completely, it started the ball rolling for non-Disney properties to make their way (even the buzz out of Disney was that it was good). And it was criticially received well, too. Even to this day, many animation fans regard it highly. While Anastasia was essentially a Disney clone, it was a rare clone who actually managed to be perceived as equal to Disney. While being based on the Russian myth of Anastasia, at least it was steeped in something that Disney`s been synonymous with: A tale with a Princess.

Anastasia even had an A-List cast with Meg Ryan as Anastasia (sung by Aladdin`s Liz Callaway and Kirsten Dunst and Lacey Chabert doing her parts as a child), John Cusack as Dimitri, Kelsey Grammer as Vladimir, Angela Landsbury as Dowager Empress Marie, Hank Azaria as Bartok and Christopher Lloyd as Rasputin (by Disney veteran Jim Cummings did the singing). David Newman was the composer (his father, Alfred, recorded the fanfare for Fox and scored the 1956 version of Anastasia) and having artists like Richard Marx, Donna Lewis and the late Aaliyah contributing to the end credit songs. Bob Tzudiker and Noni White (The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Tarzan) were among the screenwriters.

Anastasia was also filmed in Cinemascope (to make it more epic). But yeah, Disney were fully aware of the competiton, so they re-released The Little Mermaid for a limited time and the remake of Flubber (who Fox was more worried about). Which is why Disney banned advertisements for Anastasia in The Wonderful World of Disney. But Anastasia was also promoted with as much a fanfare and merchandise as the regular Disney property at the time (Fox biggest marketing campaign ever).

Information About Don Bluth

By discussing Anastasia, we`ll also have to take consideration to it`s aformentioned director, Don Bluth. Who`s essentially a household name and a veteran in animation. Bluth started as an animator in Disney in the 1950`s. But during the production of The Fox and the Hound, Bluth left the studio in 1979 to start his own studio, Don Bluth Productions, along with some Disney animators. Bluth was frustrated with the corporate nature of Disney’s animation production. Bluth and Goldman left Hollywood for Ireland in the late ’80s to take advantage of it`s lower labor costs. But the enterprise was folded in ’93. However, Bluth didn`t have much success until An American Tail (1986) and The Land Before Time (1988).

At the time, Bluth`s success was eclipsing Disney`s, but fate turned out otherwise during the 1990`s. Where Disney climbed on top on the chain of animation and Bluth`s following features failed. In 1994, Goldman and Bluth were approached to work for Fox Animation (being the only choices). Considering that Bluth mainly did his own thing and was known for it, it would`ve been tempting to call Anastasia a retrograde. While it wasn`t technically his first fairy tale starting a female (Thumberlina, anyone?), it`s certainly was his most cherished (and funny enough, Bluth met a Southern lady who predicted Anastasia`s success). But yeah, Bluth said that of all his films, Anastasia was the one he was most excited about.

Behind the Scenes Information

Despite being based on the historical myth, Anastasia was also based on the 20th Century Fox film of the same name (with Ingrid Bergman and Yul Brenner) and the Marcelle Maurette play. So it would`ve been tempting to accuse Fox for doing self-cannibalization. But Bluth and Goldman were urged to adapt one of their existing properties. The crew wanted to do a premise like My Fair Lady, where a girl is transformed from ordinary to glorious. Annie Get Your Gum was also considered. It was Fox`s CEO Bill Mechanic who suggested Anastasia (cause it stood out).

The script was originally very adult and about politics, and without any magic or comedy. But was reworked into a romantic comedy. Bluth and Goldman enlisted former CIA agents in Moscow and St. Petersburg for researching the events. The crew went to Russia in January 1995 for one week. It took a long time for the story team to figure out the villain. But Bluth didn`t wanted to depict Vladimir Lenin and the Bolsheviks, and toyed with a police chief with a vendetta against Anastasia. Instead, they went with Rasputin because of the different things they did to try to destroy him and what a horrible man he was. Which justified it more.

Meg Ryan was his first and only choice for the title character. As Fox wanted her from the because of her sweetness and spunk. However, Ryan was hesitant about accepting the role due to its dark historical events. To persuade her, the animation team took an audio clip from Sleepless in Seattle made an animation reel based on it. Liz Callaway was brought in before Ryan was cast. Hoping to do the background vocals, but the demos were liked so much that they were ultimately used in the final film.

Originally Ryan was going to record her lines separately from the others cast. However, after Ryan finding the method too challenging, she and John Cusack recorded the dialogue together. Christopher Lloyd was hired because of his popularity from the Back to the Future trilogy. Bartok was initially written for Woody Allen and afterwards Martin Short. Who gave a great performance. which was actually animated. But Short was also shooting Mars Attack at the same time.

Anastasia herself was partially based on Audrey Hepburn. The designers gave Anastasia a street look with her hair in order to make her a little more streetwise. Originally Bluth designed Dimitri to be too handsome. But Mechanics wanted him to be more regular. The bump in Dimitri`s nose kept him from being a perfect prince. Bluth admires Dimitri the most of the characters. But yeah, Bluth couldn`t see why preview audiences found him sexy at the end, despite how they took away his sex appeal. And yes, Johnny Depp was going to play Dimitri, cause Depp wanted the character to look like him.

The overall production took three years. Originally it was slated for a spring 1997 release. Many of the artists who worked on Anastasia were first-timers. Composers Stephen Ahrens and Lynn Flaherty were working on a Disney film when a former Disney executive contacted them for Anastasia. The first song they wrote was Once Upon a December. And it was written during a heatwave. Journey to the Past was described in The New York Times to be the Let It Go of the '90s. Consumers walked into Disney’s stores asking for Anastasia products. In Burbank, Disney employees were pushing Anastasia toys away at Toys ‘R’ Us. Marketers of Anastasia merchandise said comparisons to Disney weren't exactly an insult, but an advantage.

How Anastasia Copied the Disney Renaissance Formula & It`s Inclusion to the Disney Company

I was inspired by Billy Idol :)

While most Animation Studios tried to strive for Disney`s formula in the 1990`s, Anastasia was labeled for being the one who did it successfully. True that Richard Rich`s The Swan Princess was another contender for a semi-successful Disney clone. But still not as much as Anastasia. But Anastasia recycled all of the Disney components of the Renaissance: A hero yearning for his/hers place in the world, a plucky and spunky heroine (Anastasia herself happens to be one of the best heroines to ever grace the animated screen.

I threw this rose away cause
I didn`t wanted to cursed :)
Like the Beast :)

Being both sassy and snarky), a love interest, comedic sidekicks (there`s even anomosity between the hero`s sidekick and the love interest, which is a Disney trope), a villain and musical numbers. Even the climax with a final confrontation is here (and to have the heroine actually defeat her villain). And the musical numbers follows the same patterns as Disney`s: An introductory number, an I Want song, love song (despite not being an actual duet), Villain number and a comical number. But Anastasia happens to be even more Broadway than Disney ever was, incorporating more dancing into their numbers.

Yes, my royal title makes my
name be hanging on the
clouds :)

In fact, many Disney fans have regarded Anastasia so much that it`s been often featured in fanmade videos in YouTube of the Renaissance. And true that many have mistaken it for being a Disney property (and yes, a Fox Animation executive Chris Meledandri was told by many that they thought it was Disney). But Anastasia feels a little bit like Beauty and the Beast in scope and tone (and not due to have Angela Landsbury in a matriarchal role), as it emulates a similar feel as the 1991 Feature (Anastasia also has a similar scene to The Hunchback of Notre Dame. By starting through the clouds).

Welcome to the Tea Club :)

And sure, now that Disney has bought 20th Century Fox, it would`ve been tempting to assume that the merging was done to include Anastasia herself into the Disney Princess lineup. And while it`s a relevant thought, it still hasn`t been done yet. In 2022, Bluth said he accepted Disney's ownership of the film as long as it didn`t marketed her as another Disney Princess". But in December 2022, Disney released the first merchandise (a mug) to honor its 25th anniversary. Which could`ve always be interpreted as a sign of being included.

The Historical Inaccuracy and Scrutiny

However, by adapting Anastasia, it`s impossible to not scrutinize the fact that it was adapting a historical event that normally would`ve been unsuitable for animation: The Russian Revolution. By both sanitizing and sugercoating the political aspects of it (which was a deliberate choice, as the directors realized the source material was too dark for their film). With that said, Anastasia happened to follow the same pattern as another animated feature that was loosely based on a historical event, Pocahontas. The similarities are strikingly similar, as both were not based on a true woman who actually lived. But an mythical event in their lives that was surrounded by myths. In fact, Anastasia was released in a time where Disney were doing their Disneyfications of source materials that derived from sources that weren`t fairy tales. And followed the same pattern. And yes, it`s easy to scream blasphemy.

And yes, it would`ve been tempting to call out Anastasia for that lone reason. And wonder if the scrutiny and backlash was just the same as Pocahontas`. Cause yes, it was (especially by Romanov descendants), despite how the Russian reception was positive. But to compare the overall backlashes of Pocahontas vs. Anastasia`s, the truth is that Pocahontas was hampered by many controversies. And not only by it`s historical inaccuracy. And frankly, Anastasia was perceived as a superior movie than Pocahontas. Which is why it`s backlash was smaller.

Yet for the romantized version of the story, Anastasia still ends with a nod to history: How the heroine gives away her royal title to be with her love interest. Most likely how that it would`ve been unrealistic to having her keep her title when her fate ended tragically (in fact, it`s remarkable how both Anastasia and Hercules had a similar goal: To give up what they originally wanted, their families, to be with their love interests. Who originally used them for selfish reasons and betrayed them).

But yeah, there are many connections/tidbits to history: Dimitri was based on a European Prince who vouched for Anna Anderson's identity as Anastasia. He had only met Anastasia once and during her childhood, so he was not considered a credible source. Anastasia received a music box from her Grandmother. The drawing Anastasia made to her Grandmama was made from the real Anastasia. Vladimir was based on Count Vladimir Frederiks, Czar Nicholas II's Chief Court Minister. But shrug, Rasputin going after Anastasia was something that was made up.

The Flaws of Anastasia

Are you looking at the portrait
or at me? :)

To scrutinize the story-structure of Anastasia, it`s still a straight-forward retelling of the story and plays it fairly straight. However, from an analytical, adult point of view, there are some structural flaws to the screenplay that prevents it to reach it`s full potential. Despite being based on a well-known myth, Anastasia plays it fairly safe by showing the backstory of the events and leaving the mystical aspect behind. How Rasputin`s devils helps to unlock the gate for the oppressors to invade the Russian Palace is one of the superficial tidbits that makes the overall believability of the drama less convincing.

Since you`re so conceited,
Bartok, I thought you should
look at yourself through an
exceptional reflection :)

The Revolution aspect of the film is something that is never dwelved into. While the movie establishes Anastasia`s relationship with the rest of her family during the flashbacks, it would`ve probably made a bigger emotional impact if it established it more before the revolutional events. But as for the other flaws of the movie, the reunion parts are a little tedious and drags the film. Rasputin himself also is a flaw, as he switches from being genuinely menacing and scary to be downright pathetic and whiny (the scenes of him falling apart amsued the children, even Goldman`s grandson. And how Rasputin was able to sink to his own body also got laughs). Even his motivation to kill the Anastasia and her family is barely touched upon.

The Cheapquel & Attractions

They allowed me to have
this fire for ten minutes :)

Since Anastasia was released in a time where Disney were constantly churning out cheapquels to their properties, Anastasia went through a similar transition when that market was lucrative. Released in November 1999, Bartok the Magnificent was a spinoff movie centering around the titular bat. At least it was a prequel to the events, where Bartok serves as a con artist and few of the characters from Anastasia present. And centering around the kidnapping of Prince Ivan. But at least Bluth and Goldman were involved with this prequel, as well as the songwriting team. And since it was a direct-to-video property, it certainly was on par with most of the Disney cheapquels: Being a second-rate product (no offense to the creators).

Yes, I`m that tiny, but
they made the picture
of me bigger :)

Just as with the regular Disney porperty, Anastasia was given it`s own treatment on an Ice Show in 1998. In 2017, Anastasia was officially adapted as a Stage Show on Broadway. While still following the same storyline, it does departs from it by introducing new characters, locations and including the political elements more. Which was a deliberate choice by Composers Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens, who originally wanted it for the movie. It`s remarkable that it took over 20 years to adapt it on stage. But while it received mixed reviews, it still was a moderate success, after all. Grossing over $1 million weekly and have recouped its $12.5 million investment.

Epilogue

I wanted to copy
Belle`s dress :) It`s not
copyright her
anymore :)

At the end, Anastasia is regarded as being one of the most regarded Disney knockoffs. Also in a time when Disney was still the King of Animation. And it`s fair to say that it`s deservedly so. It has managed to gain a following and a fanbase of it`s own. With that said, since I usually conclude my entries with stating my own opinion, the truth is while I like Anastasia, I`ll also consider it to be a flawed film as a whole. Due to it`s aforementioned flaws.

I wanted to rise above
everyone :) Don`t aske
me how :)

However, Anastasia also have many strenghts: The animation is beautiful, the songs are catchy, Anastasia herself is a incredibly memorable heroine, Pooka is truly adorable and the voice acting is mostly superb. And it does have some genuine moments of fun and charm. Still, what probably made Anastasia resonate with audiences was it`s emotional depth. As it`s filled with substance and depth. So while Anastasia may not be great, it`s still enchanting and mesmerizing and deserves it`s recognition. Having already reached it`s Silver Anniversary in the Fall of 2022 and to synergize with it being 25 years since it was released on VHS, there`s nothing left than to wish Anastasia Happy Past 25th Anniversary and may you continue to have many more.