Dream On Silly Dreamer

What is the sound of Walt Disney Feature Animation imploding? Sadly, it’s the small plaintive whimper made by Dream On Silly Dreamer, an amateur documentary created by shell-shocked Disney artists who got axed when the studio began phasing out traditional, hand-drawn 2-D animation a few years back. (Goodbye, Lion King; hello, Chicken Little.) The DVD edition, with many scenes extended from the original cut, plays like a real-life version of The Office, as artists vent their anger at former Disney managers (including deposed chief Michael Eisner) and mourn the death of a seven-decade-or-so legacy. It’s a unique, nervy home movie, and a heartbreaker.