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Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey

United States

2011

80 Min
Color
English
  • Currently 3.8/5 Stars.
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DIR Constance Marks

PROD Corinne LaPook, Constance Marks, James Miller

DP James Miller

CAST Kevin Clash, Bill Barretta, Fran Brill, Joan Ganz Cooney, Whoopi Goldberg, Rosie O'Donnell, Frank Oz, Martin P. Robinson, Caroll Spinney

ED Philip Shane, Justin Weinstein

MUSIC Joel Goodman

Sundance (U.S. Documentary Competition): Special Jury Prize, SXSW (Festival Favorites), Melbourne (Documentaries), Mill Valley (Children's Filmfest)

Synopsis

Each and every day, millions of kids tune in to Sesame Street to see one of the world’s most adored and recognizable children’s characters, a furry red monster named Elmo. Yet, with all of Elmo’s fame, the man behind the Muppet is able to walk down the street without being recognized.

Meet Kevin Clash. As an average teenager growing up in Baltimore in the 1970s, Kevin had very different aspirations from his classmates—he wanted to be a puppeteer. More specifically, he wanted to be part of Jim Henson’s team of Muppeteers, the creative force responsible for delivering the magic of Sesame Street on a daily basis. With a supportive family behind him every step of the way, Kevin made those dreams come true. Combining amazing archival footage with material from the present day, filmmaker Constance Marks explores his story in vivid detail, chronicling the meteoric rise of Jim Henson’s Muppets in the process. —Sundance Film Festival

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thiagones

2Feb13

No início, eu não tava dando tanta bola, mas da metade pro fim eu me emocionei. Mesmo. Quase chorei. O funeral do Jim Henson, que é exibido rapidamente em um momento do filme, é uma das coisas mais tocantes que eu já vi. Mais uma vez aquele velho papo de "siga seus sonhos, acredite bastante e trabalhe duro que você chega lá". Mais uma vez é demais ouvir esse papo e ver que é tudo verdade.

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Benoit

7Oct12

Very nice documentary, except they try too much to make you cry in it (piano, sick childs, ...). About muppets, I would rather recommand the old documentary "Of Muppets and Men". But I had a great time watching "Being Elmo" !

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Christopher A. Cook

28Aug12

This movie made me feel good, and reminded me of how wonderful mentoring can be. A dying concept that I'm glad Kevin Cash continues. I hope to some day be in a position where I can do for others what Kermit did for Kevin, and Kevin continues to do.

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my nigga totoro

25Jul12

Elmo isn't that cute, and Jim Henson wasn't that great. Yeah, I know, I have no soul.

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Articles

Our roundup of essays and articles on this film.

DVD Review: BEING ELMO: A PUPPETEER'S JOURNEY

By Twitchfilm.com on April 2, 2012
I’ll be frank, I’m not a child of the Elmo generation. I grew up among the second wave of Sesame Street characters in the early ’80s, before Elmo became the icon he is today. I remember the character making
→ read on Twitchfilm.com

BEING ELMO: A PUPPETEER'S JOURNEY Review

By Twitchfilm.com on December 2, 2011
A new behind-the-scenes-of-the-Muppets documentary is always something to be happy about, even if it’s centered on the one character in the mix that makes me, for one, particularly grouchy. I know, I know
→ read on Twitchfilm.com

2011 Dallas International Film Festival Has Announced Its Full Slate

By Twitchfilm.com on April 29, 2011
Since my good buddy Peter Martin is handling things for us down at SXSW, I’ll be the one to bring the full DIFF schedule to Twitch.  The Dallas International Film Festival began in 2006 as AFI Dallas
→ read on Twitchfilm.com

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amazing

By MR. Univers​e on January 15, 2012

The film traces Kevin Clash’s rise from his modest beginnings in Baltimore to his current success as the man behind Elmo, one of the world’s most recognizable and adored characters. Millions of children…  read review

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