John Musker and Ron Clements' 1989 film follows Ariel, a mermaid who dreams of living above the water. She only becomes more determined to do so when she falls in love with a human, Prince Eric, and must enter into a dangerous bargain with the sea witch Ursula to try to follow her heart.
"Mermaid" is often credited with bringing the animated-film branch of the Disney company back into prominence after a string of box office and critical disappointments. The time period after the release of "Mermaid," in which such Disney films as "Beauty and the Beast" and "The Lion King" were released, is sometimes called the Disney Renaissance. This is chronicled in the 2009 documentary "Waking Sleeping Beauty."
