Watch Walt Before Mickey

Walt Before Mickey is a 2015 biographical drama film which chronicles the early life of Walt Disney before he became a prominent figure in the entertainment industry. The film features Thomas Ian Nicholas in the role of Walt, Jon Heder as his brother Roy, and Armando Gutierrez as Ub Iwerks, Walt's longtime friend and creative partner.

The movie begins in the early 1900s in the small town of Marceline, Missouri, where Walt and his family lived. The film depicts Walt's childhood and how his interest in drawing and storytelling was sparked at an early age. It then moves on to the time when Walt, along with his family, moved to Kansas City where he started his first job as a cartoonist.

Walt Before Mickey captures the struggles and challenges that Walt faced in his early days as he tried to establish himself in the animation business. The audience is shown how Walt faced constant rejection and financial difficulties, yet persisted in pursuing his passion for storytelling and animation. Along the way, Walt meets his future business partner, Ub Iwerks, and together they create a series of failed animation ventures which lead Walt to Los Angeles, where he finally finds some success.

The film shows how Walt's never-give-up attitude and creativity enabled him to survive and thrive in the highly competitive animation industry. We see how he went from creating simple animations to making groundbreaking shorts, such as "Steamboat Willie," which featured Mickey Mouse and changed the course of animation history.

Apart from exploring Walt's professional life, the film also delves into his personal life and relationships. The audience is introduced to Walt's loyal wife Lillian and his brother Roy, who supported him through thick and thin. There are also scenes that show the conflicts and rifts among the animators and business owners that contributed to Walt's eventual departure from the animation studio he co-founded.

Overall, Walt Before Mickey is a heartwarming and inspiring biographical drama that showcases Walt Disney's early struggles and triumphs in the animation industry. The movie allows us to see the man behind the worldwide phenomenon, and the sacrifices he made in order to turn his dreams into reality. Thomas Ian Nicholas does an excellent job portraying Walt, bringing the character to life with a mix of determination, humor, and passion. Jon Heder and Armando Gutierrez also give strong performances as Roy and Iwerks, respectively. The film's cinematography and production design effectively capture the era in which the story unfolds, immersing the audience in the sights and sounds of early twentieth-century America.

In conclusion, whether you're a Disney fan or just someone who appreciates a good underdog story, Walt Before Mickey is a movie worth watching. It offers a glimpse into the early years of a visionary filmmaker, and celebrates the power of perseverance, hard work, and imagination.

Walt Before Mickey is a 2015 drama with a runtime of 1 hour and 50 minutes. It has received moderate reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 5.9.