Whoopi goldberg narrates elmo creator kevin clashs remarkable journey from a workingclass baltimore neighborhood to jim hensons sesame street. Documentary competition from the sundance film festival 2011 trailer genre. A puppeteers journey, which premiered at sundance back in january. Criticisms and nitpicks crumble at the feet of a documentary like being elmo. A puppeteers journey 2011 interviews with frank oz, rosie odonnell, whoopi goldberg and others highlight a portrait of kevin clash, the man who brings sesame street muppet elmo. Narrated by whoopi goldberg, being elmo traces clashs early beginnings from backyard puppet shows to working with his idol, jim henson, and creating one of the most famous puppet characters in the world. Enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing being elmo. There were 12 other movies released on the same date, including the three musketeers, johnny english reborn and the mighty macs. Last week, i had the pleasure, the very wonderful pleasure, of taking my youngest son sammy to our local indie theater for a viewing of being elmo.
I have little doubt in my mind that the avengers will end up being my favourite movie of the year, but one film has come really close to taking the top spot in the form of jason segels attempt to bring the muppets back into the public eye. With kevin clash, whoopi goldberg, frank oz, bill barretta. A puppeteers journey stars kevin clash, whoopi goldberg the pg movie has a runtime of about 1 hr 25 min, and received a score of 71 out of 100 on. The story of kevin clash, the puppeteer behind the beloved muppet elmo of sesame street, from his childhood in baltimore to fulfilling his dream of working with master puppeteer jim henson.
A puppeteers journey is a 2011 american documentary film about kevin clash, a puppeteer who performed the sesame street character elmo. The muppet elmo is one of the most beloved characters among children across the globe. Includes footage featuring frank oz, jim henson, michelle obama, kofi annan, rosie odonnell, carol spinney and whoopi goldberg. Narrated by whoopi goldberg, this documentary includes rare archival footage, interviews with frank. A puppeteers journey is a 2011 american documentary film about kevin clash, the puppeteer behind the sesame street character elmo who became a rising star and created a global sensation.
A puppeteers journey, a flawed documentary that has, at its center, the most unquestionably likable protagonist this side of marge gunderson. Yet, with all of elmos fame, the man behind the icon is able to walk down the street without being recognized. Beloved by millions of children and adults alike, sesame streets elmo is an international icon. Theres a remarkable restraint in the documentary being elmo.
The documentary traces clashs career as a puppeteer from the day he made his first puppet out of his fathers coat until the present day as he jets around the world training various puppeteers for the international versions of sesame street. A puppeteers journey aims to remedy that, chronicling the life of elmo mastermind kevin clash. A puppeteers journey was one of the most talked about documentaries coming out of the 2011 sundance film festival. Few people know his creator, kevin clash, who dreamed of working with his idol, master puppeteer jim henson. Youll see this firsthand in the festival awardwinning pbs documentary being elmo. Displaying his creativity and talent at a young age, kevin ultimately found a home on sesame. Beloved by children of all ages around the world, elmo is an international icon. Even though the film is focused on clash, we also get to learn quite a bit about the art of puppetry, such as how the puppets made and how their.
As a teenager growing up in baltimore in the 1970s, clash had very different aspirations from his classmates he wanted to be a part of. There are currently eleven videos available for the film, of which one and only one is a trailer, as listed below. Fascinated by puppets from an early age, clash started making his own muppets and characters and put up backyard shows for the neighborhood kids. Also sign me up for fanmail to get updates on all things movies.
A puppeteers journey 2011 an average rating of 75%. His name is kevin clash, and he is the fiftysomething sesame street performer who operates and voices the character of elmo. I was in high school and my girlfriend and i were on a movie date and theres a glorified patriotic moment late in the movie, where mel gibsons character, his son recently killed in the revolutionary war that mel actively opposed, poetically takes up an american flag in a. As a teenager growing up in baltimore in the 1970s, kevin had very different aspirations from his classmates he wanted to be a puppeteer. A puppeteers journey, which has a domestic theatrical release in the year of 2011. Meet the unlikely man behind the puppet the heart and soul of elmo kevin clash.
Narrated by whoopi goldberg, this documentary includes rare archival footage, interviews with frank oz. A puppeteers journey ebert presents at the movies video clip for being elmo. Elmo, who is recognized as one of the worlds most beloved childrens characters, could have allowed. To this day, when a make a wish child or a sick child is there, the majority of the time, theyll ask for elmo. A puppeteers journey is a documentary that follows him through a series of good breaks that led him into the universe of jim henson and sesame street, and we even hear an eyewitness account to the day he discovered the elmo character after another puppeteer grew frustrated and threw elmo at kevin, saying, here, you try it, kevin fooled around with a series of voices. The documentary will have its pbs premiere on independent lens in april, 2012. A puppeteers journey, which christens the bloor cinema as the new home of. A documentary on the man behind the muppet elmo puppeteer kevin clash. A puppeteers journey focuses on the muppet performer kevin clash, who performed and voiced elmo, the adorable and lovable red monster from sesame street until late 2012 the movie follows his upbringing in baltimore, his passion for creating and performing with puppets. One of my most anticipated films of the 2011 sundance film festival was a documentary titled being elmo.
This inspiring and awardwinning documentary film tells the story of baltimore native kevin clash, who dreamed of being a puppeteer as a child. A puppeteers journey offers a backstage look at clashs life and times, a look into his working methods, and insight into how he informs elmos personality and uses the character to send a positive message to the world. A puppeteers journey, the inspirational tale of kevin clash, the man who plays the. One of the biggest crowdpleasers out of this years festival circuit was being elmo.
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