Starring Carol Spinney, Jim Henson, Joe Flahtery, and Dave Thomas
Directed by Ken Kwapis
Music and Lyrics by various
Sesame Street began in 1969 as a way to use television to teach basic concepts to children. Thanks to the creative, fast-cutting sketches and the endearing Muppet and human characters teaching toddlers basic concepts, it became one of the first hits for the then-brand new Public Broadcasting System. By the early 80's, it was so popular, Jim Henson and Children's Television Worship turned it into the fourth Muppets film. How does Big Bird and the residents of Sesame Street look in this kid-oriented road trip? Let's begin, not on Sesame Street, but first with Oscar the Grouch and his "Grouch Anthem," and then with the Feathered Friends Board of Birds, and find out...
The Story: The Feathered Friends are charged with finding stray birds good homes. For some reason, gruff Miss Finch (Sally Kellerman) believes Big Bird (Spinney) should be with other birds. She encourages him to leave Sesame Street to live with the Dodo family in Ocean View, Illinois. This proves to be ill-advised all around. Big Bird doesn't fit in with the silly, unimaginative Dodos, who don't approve of him having non-bird friends. When they won't let Big Bird's best friend Mr. Snuffleupagus (Martin P. Robinson) visit because he isn't a bird, Big Bird runs away.
When the word reaches Sesame Street, many of Big Bird's friends grab a car or plane and go after him. They're not the only ones who want him. Con-men carnival barkers Sid (Flahtery) and Sam Sleaze (Thomas) think Big Bird would be the perfect attraction for their low-rent carnival. After they trap Big Bird, it's up to two kids to reach the others and get them to rescue him.
The Song and Dance: I've loved this movie since it ran on cable a lot in the mid-80's. The movie is just as charming and witty as the earlier Henson films featuring the Muppet Show cast. There's a lot of creative puppetry here, including Bert (Frank Oz) and Ernie (Henson) in their bi-plane and the hilarious scene with Maria (Sonia Manzano) and Oscar (Spinney) starting a food fight at the Grouch diner the Don't Drop Inn. Along with Flahtery and Thomas as the hilariously obnoxious con-men, look for cameos by Chevy Chase, John Candy, Sandra Bernhard, Paul Bartel, country singer Waylon Jennings, and later voice actress Alyson Court as one of the kids in the farm sequence.
Favorite Number: We open with Oscar the Grouch leading us in "The Grouch Anthem." The whole number is ridiculously random and is never referred to again, but it's so funny, it's hard to complain. The title song from the TV show introduces the expanded Sesame Street set, as Big Bird skates by, greeting all his friends. Turkey truck driver Jennings reminds Big Bird that there "Ain't No Road Too Long" as he and the Sesame Street residents sing about getting where they want to go in the film's best number.
"One Little Star" becomes a touching trio for Big Bird, Olivia, and Snuffy as each wish they were together. Big Bird and the two farm kids Floyd (Benjamin Barrett) and Ruthie (Court) go about their chores on an "Easy Goin' Day." Bert spies Big Bird while they're in the plane, but Ernie would rather do tricks and sing about how it's an "Upside-Down World" while scaring Big Bird silly. "I'm So Blue" is Big Bird's sad ballad at the carnival when he's an exhibition and thinks he'll never get home. It's so heartbreaking, even Sid Sleaze bawls.
Trivia: The film was actually made in Canada to save money, including the expanded Sesame Street set.
When filming the "Upside-Down World" number, Jim Henson and Frank Oz were actually in an airplane 18 feet off the ground.
Jim Henson and Richard Hunt's last theatrical Muppet film.
When the Count is counting credits in the end, he says "Hi Mom." He's referring to Joan Ganz Cooney, the creator of Sesame Street and the then-head of Children's Television Workshop.
This was a minor flop in the summer of 1985. Competition included Back to the Future, Pee Wee's Big Adventure, Weird Science, and The Black Cauldron.
What I Don't Like: I'm not sure how kids today would feel about this one. Yeah, Big Bird is still around, but Elmo is only seen very briefly leaning out a window in the finale, and obviously, it lacks newer characters like Rosita and Abby Cadabba. Miss Finch not only seems silly, chasing Big Bird across the country, but her change of heart in the end is too abrupt to be believable. This has a very odd feel to it. It's really more like the Muppet films that preceded it than the show it's based on. I think that works with it being a film, but those expecting it to be more like the non-linear show may be a bit surprised. There's also a few sad or scary moments that you may need to hold your toddler's hand for and explain that it'll all come out fine in the end.
The Big Finale: I've loved this movie since I first saw it on cable as a kid. If your little ones don't mind the lack of newer characters and can handle some of the darker moments, they may enjoy it just as much as I did in the 80's.
Home Media: Easy to find anywhere. Several streaming services currently have it for free with ads, including Tubi.
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