Less than two weeks before the Muppets, with much anticipation, return to the big screen in the movie of the same name, a smaller film has arrived involving another of Jim Henson’s timeless creations. “Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’s Journey” won’t make the millions that “The Muppets” will. Nor will it be seen by anything approaching the same number of viewers. But for all that, this little movie with a big heart could end up inspiring, and touching, many more people. Elmo might be the most beloved of all the “Sesame Street” characters. Retailers were injured, in fact, in 1996 when the Tickle Me Elmo doll became that Christmas’ must-have toy and determined parents rushed stores that received shipments. But it took Elmo many years to find his voice. Kevin Clash was the fourth person to inhabit the puppet. But he’s the man who made Elmo an icon, puppeteering him longer than anyone else. His falsetto is the sound we all associate with the huggable creature.
It’s an unlikely distinction for a kid who grew up in Baltimore’s African-American community. (Clash was the first black man to join the Jim Henson family.) But from his first viewing of “Sesame Street” as a child in the 1960s, Clash was hooked. He began making his own puppets, once stealing the lining of his father’s coat, and showed them off in little shows for his friends. He was still in high school when he got his first job as a puppeteer, working on a Baltimore television station. By the early 1980s, he was working regularly on “Captain Kangaroo.”
| On screen |
| ‘Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’s Journey’ |
| 3 out of 4 stars |
| Stars: Kevin Clash, Whoopi Goldberg, Frank Oz |
| Directors: Constance Marks, Philip Shane |
| Rated: Not rated |
| Running time: 85 minutes |
His story is also the story of modern puppetry, and his own rise parallels that of his idol, Henson. Clash seems something like Henson, a sweet man with a wild imagination. But his dedication — some might say obsession — has had its price. In 2003, he and his high school sweetheart divorced.
Narrated by Whoopi Goldberg and featuring interviews with the legendary Frank Oz, as well as other Muppeteers, “Being Elmo” isn’t just a backstage look at the people behind the puppets. It’s a humane story about how, sometimes, our dreams can take us to places we might only have, well, dreamed of.
