Sesame Street Presents Follow That Bird

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Sesame Street presents Follow That Bird
Follow That Bird movie poster
Directed by	Ken Kwapis
Produced by	Tony Garnett Executive Producer: Joan Ganz Cooney Associate Producer: Patricia Churchill
Written by	Judy Freudberg Tony Geiss
Starring	Dave Thomas Joe Flaherty feautring the muppet performers: Caroll Spinney Jim Henson Frank Oz
Music by	Lennie Niehaus Van Dyke Parks
Distributed by	Henson Associates Warner Bros. Pictures
Release date(s)	August 2, 1985
Running time	89 minutes
Language	English
Gross revenue	$13,961,370
Followed by	The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland

Sesame Street presents Follow That Bird (commonly shortened to Follow That Bird) is a film directed by Ken Kwapis, starring many Sesame Street characters (both puppets and live actors). This was the first of two Sesame Street feature films, followed in 1999 by The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland. The film was produced by Henson Associates and Warner Bros. Pictures, and originally released to movie theatres in 1985.

Songs include "The Grouch Anthem," "One Little Star" (sung separately by Big Bird, Olivia and Snuffleupagus), "Ain't No Road Too Long" (sung separately by Big Bird, Waylon Jennings, Cookie Monster, Bert, Ernie, Grover, the Count, Gordon, and Olivia), "Upside-Down World" (sung by Ernie and Bert), "I'm So Blue" (sung by Big Bird), and "Easy Goin' Day" (sung by Big Bird and Alyson Court).

Contents 1 Plot 2 Cast and characters 2.1 Main Cast 2.2 Muppet Cast 2.3 Sesame Street Human Cast 2.4 Cameo Appearances 3 External links

[edit] Plot

Big Bird is sent to Oceanview, Illinois, to live with a family of dodo birds by Miss Finch, a social worker who thinks he needs to be with his own kind (other birds, instead of the diverse Sesame Street). His new family thinks exactly the same, even saying Big Bird should have a bird as a best friend instead of Mr. Snuffleupagus. This causes Big Bird much distress.

He soon runs away from home. His Street friends band together to find him. In a Volkswagen Beetle is the group of Gordon, Olivia, Linda and Cookie Monster. Count von Count departs in his own car, known as the Countmobile. Bert and Ernie go out to search in a plane, Grover flies as Supergrover and later falls into the Volkswagen. Maria leaves with Oscar, Telly and a Honker in Oscar's Sloppy Jalopy. They all head out across America in search for their beloved Big Bird.

Big Bird has various adventures in his attempt to get home. First he hitches a ride with Waylon Jennings who plays a turkey truck driver. He then meets a pair of kids at a farm who let him stay with them for a while. All the time, Big Bird is being pursued by Miss Finch who wants to take him back to the Dodos. He has to leave the farm because of her arrival.

He is also sought by two scam artists, the Sleaze brothers, who operate a lousy carnival, the Sleaze Brothers Funfair. They want to capture Big Bird to put him on display.

Eventually, Big Bird arrives in Toadstool, dubbed "The Mushroom City." Shortly after arriving, Miss Finch finds him there, and gives chase through the city. On the outskirts of Toadstool, The Sleaze Brothers have set up their funfair, when Big Bird shows up asking if they have a place to hide him from Miss Finch. The two brothers then put Big Bird in their 'hiding cage.' Shortly afterwards, the two brothers decide to paint Big Bird blue, and tout him as "The Bluebird of Happiness." However, Big Bird's performance is not one of happiness, but of sadness, as he sings a song wishing to be back home with his friends.

After the show, two children sneak backstage to see him. Upon noticing them, Big Bird asks them to call Sesame Street to tell his friends where he is. The children do so, and the next day, his friends sneak into the circus tent to try and free him.

However, the Sleaze brothers quietly wake up, and attempt to drive off with Big Bird in tow. Eventually, Gordon and Olivia give chase and succeed in rescuing him from the truck. Shortly afterwards, The Sleaze Brothers are pulled over by a state trooper (John Candy) who questions them about multiple felonies. Sam tries to cover up the situation, but the officer simply replies "Tell it to the judge".

When he is finally brought home, Big Bird is happy to be back, but then looks on as Miss Finch arrives, to announce that she has found another bird family for him. Maria convinces Miss Finch that Big Bird can be, and is, happy there on Sesame Street—that it does not make any difference that his family consists of humans, monsters, grouches, honkers, and the other varieties of eclectic species on Sesame Street. What matters is that they are family.

After considering what she's heard, and realizing how far his friends went to try and bring him back, Miss Finch declares that Sesame Street is Big Bird's home.

At the beginning of the end credits, Count von Count begins to count the movie credits (in a nod to the original series, Count calls Joan Ganz Cooney, the co-creator of Sesame Street, "mom" when her name is credited as one of the executive producers). By the end of the credits in a brief "bonus scene" Count announces 278 credits and does his trademark laugh accompanied by a thunderclap (no lightning flash was present as was in his usual running gag).

[edit] Cast and characters

[edit] Main Cast

• Dave Thomas as Sam Sleaze
• Joe Flaherty as Sid Sleaze
• Sally Kellerman as Miss Finch (voice)
• Alyson Court as Ruthie

[edit] Muppet Cast

• Caroll Spinney as Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch
• Jim Henson as Kermit the Frog and Ernie
• Frank Oz as Cookie Monster, Bert, and Grover
• Jerry Nelson as Count von Count, Herry, and Biff
• Richard Hunt as Forgetful Jones, Gladys the Cow, Bird, Feathered Friends Owl, Sully, Monster
• Martin P. Robinson and Bryant Young as Snuffleupagus
• Kevin Clash as Board of Birds, various Muppets, Elmo (uncredited small cameo)
• Laraine Newman as Voice of Mommy Dodo
• Brian Hohlfeld as Voice of Daddy Dodo
• Cathy Silvers as Voice of Marie Dodo
• Eddie Deezen as Voice of Donnie Dodo

[edit] Sesame Street Human Cast

• Bob McGrath as Bob
• Roscoe Orman as Gordon
• Linda Bove as Linda
• Sonia Manzano as Maria
• Emilio Delgado as Luis
• Loretta Long as Susan
• Alaina Reed as Olivia

[edit] Cameo Appearances

• Sandra Bernhard as Grouch Waitress
• Chevy Chase as Newscaster
• John Candy as State Trooper
• Waylon Jennings as Truck Driver

[edit] External links

• Sesame Street Presents Follow That Bird on Muppet Wiki, an external wiki
• Sesame Street presents Follow That Bird at the Internet Movie Database
• Follow That Bird Review by the Nostalgia Critic

v • d • e Sesame Street General Sesame Workshop • History • The Muppets • Characters Segments Elmo's World • Bert and Ernie • Grover series • Healthy Habits for Life • Sesame Street News Flash • Monsterpiece Theater • Teeny Little Super Guy · others... Spin-offs Follow That Bird • The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland • Play with Me Sesame • Sesame Beginnings • Sesame Street Unpaved • Tickle Me Elmo • Elmo Live Production Puppeteers • Crew • Animators • Emmy Awards • Songs • Discography • Street Gang: The Complete History of Sesame Street

v • d • e Films directed by Ken Kwapis The Beniker Gang (1984) · Sesame Street Presents Follow That Bird (1985) · Vibes (1988) · He Said, She Said (1991) · Dunston Checks In (1996) · The Beautician and the Beast (1997) · Sexual Life (2005) · The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (2005) · License to Wed (2007) · He's Just Not That into You (2009)