Follow That Bird

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source: Follow That Bird

Follow That Bird is a five star event that has spectacular music. In my opinion Follow That Bird is a movie the whole family will enjoy. My favorite part is when the Muppet patrons order tossed salad and the Muppet Grouch cook gives them what they ordered via slingshot. Big Bird of Sesame Street is much smarter than the DoDo family of Canary Road. Like their name the Dodos behave extremely ridiculous and Big Bird would rather return to his familiar surroundings Sesame Street. Sandra Berhnard played a Grouch waitress and John Candy played the state trooper both were excellent. The movie was filmed in Canada. The scenery was peaceful rural farmland with fields of corn. Other notable characters, Sally Kellerman sweet voice suited Miss finch. Buy the movie you will love it!

I only watched this film when I was very young, and some of it stuck with me all over all these years. I remember seeing it for the first time. (Gosh, I can't believe I actually 'forced' to watch this with my parents at night and thought they loved Sesame Street! I can imagine them being very bored while they watched this with me.) I am guessing this is the film I saw when I was about six-years-old, based on the plot. What I remember was that Big Bird was lost or far away from home, and he looks up at the stars or something and wishes he was back home, and it was all very emotional. I remember that he was also in China or some other country and he had befriended a little girl. It seems odd that I remember some of this after all these years, but it must have been well done because I enjoyed it and it was very emotional and I wanted to watch it again but I was never able to.

The gang from "Sesame Street" hit the big screen and they hit a bull's-eye. The story is simple: Big Bird is taken away from his warm nest on SS and taken to live with a ditsy foster family of dodo birds. Homesick and lonely, he sets off on a journey back home while being pursued by his friends, social workers and carnival owners. This movie is pretty much perfect, in it's own way. The all-star cast (a Muppet tradition) just shine and deliver sweet and likable performances with Dave Thomas and Joe Flaherty stand-outs as the bumbling villains. Carroll Spinney also delivers a heart-warming performance as Big Bird. In fact, there's not a dent in sight when it comes to this collection of actors. The story might be simple but would you have it any other way? When comparing this to the sequel, "Elmo in Grouchland", this comes off like "Die Hard" which I consider an amusing comparison. My only real complaint is the forgettable songs. Overall for the kids and young at heart, this is a joy.

It took me about 28 years before I finally got around to seeing Follow That Bird and I kind of feel guilty about it. Like many kids, I watched Sesame Street in its prime circa. 1974-82, although I liked The Electric Company more. I grew up watching these actors and Muppets. By 1985, I was too old for Sesame Street and would only watch it while waiting for my younger brothers to finish watching it so I could change the channel to watch music videos. I had a chance to rent it on VHS in 1988 but never did. After awhile, I forgot about the film altogether. Finally, I watched the film a few weeks ago and I realized I missed seeing a joyful movie that is free of the condescending tone and shilling that today's kids fare provides. Big Bird (voiced by Caroll Spinney) is forced to leave Sesame Street by some social welfare group for birds led by Miss Finch (voiced by Sally Kellerman) because they feel children-aged birds would be better off having adult birds and a bird family raising him than the more-than-capable human adults he has for his neighbors. After leaving for Oceanview, Illinois and unhappy with the Dodo family, he decides naively to walk back to NYC and when his friends back home get the Amber alert on the news from Chevy Chase, they all form several groups to intercept him. Unfortunately, the Sleaze Brothers (SCTV's Joe Flaherty and Dave Thomas) also hear the news and see Big Bird as their ticket to $$$. They are able to capture him and it's up to his old friends to free him. What I loved about the movie is that there's no talking down or condescending treatment of the audience. It's just a great children's film that teaches the importance of friendship and devotion to said friends. The actors don't try to change their personas. Maria, Gordon, Bob, Cookie Monster, Grover, etc. are the same people we saw in the T.V. show. The music, sadly, isn't very good but "I'm So Blue", sung when Big Bird is captured by the Sleaze Brothers is an exception. When a painted blue Big Bird sings his sad song, you feel empathy for the guy. I doubt if Barney was painted yellow, anybody would show him the same treatment. It would be seen as the greatest comedy scene in Hollywood instead. While the movie is G-rated, adults will see some spoofs from various movies; subtle as they are. The opening song featuring Oscar The Grouch in front of a U.S. flag reminded me of Patton while the food fight featuring Sandra Bernhard (!) gave me flashbacks to Blazing Saddles. It's too bad the film faired poorly in the box office despite critical acclaim. If you can find a way to see this film and your kids aren't Elmo fanatics (he was nothing in 1985) they will enjoy it immensely. You can only then hope we'll revert to more of Follow That Bird and less of, say, Twilight.

I loved sesame street and this film to a certain extent. But the birds who take Big Bird scared the hell out of me and i think a lot of people so what i'm really saying is that i don't think this film is suitable for young children, maybe i just got scared easily but i'm just warning anyone out there to view with caution. I loved john candy in it!! 6/10

This movie Among others that are based on children's TV show, this movie creates a wonderful story that actually goes with the flow!! This movie has every element of family entertainment that you can think of... adventure, morals, comic humor, and most of all, the Muppet's that make this movie so memorable for the whole family to enjoy!!!!! It really is the best Seasme Street movie to be made! It also creates the best children's movie ever made for us 90s kids out there who are looking for Nostalgia!!!

Sesame Street Presents Follow That Bird (1985): Dir: Ken Kwapis / Cast: Dave Thomas, Joe Flaherty, Waylon Jennings, Sandra Bernhard, Alyson Court: Sesame Street celebrates one of its most beloved characters in Big Bird. He lives on Sesame Street amongst humans as well as other Muppet characters such as Oscar the grouch, Grover, and the Cookie Monster. Central plot regards an authority bird named Miss Finch who cannot mind her own business. Instead she sees Big Bird as unhappy because he doesn't live with other birds. So she sets him up with a family of dodos that are about as much fun as slamming your head repeatedly in the car door. Big Bird agrees and begins the trek back home where he makes interesting encounters. The human actors on Sesame Street set out to meet Big Bird and help him get home while his fellow Muppet pals set out as well. Cookie Monster attempts to devour a car. Grover becomes Super Grover and tries to take flight. Bert and Ernie go by plane. Cameos by Dave Thomas and Joe Flaherty as a couple of scheming circus swindlers out to capture Big Bird for their own use. Waylon Jennings sings the only decent song during the film as he gives Big Bird a lift. Sandra Bernhard works at a grouch diner. Alyson Court even makes an appearance as a youngster sheltering Big Bird on a farm. Delightful family romp that reminds us what true unity is all about. Score: 9 / 10

While there is nothing really spectacular about this film, I'd still recommend it based on the good performances by Chevy Chase, Dave Thomas, Joe Flaherty, the late Waylon Jennings as a truck driver, and the late John Candy as a policeman. Big Bird is the central character in this film. A social worker, upon seeing that Big Bird doesn't live with other birds, sets him up with a Dodo family to be adopted. Unfortunately he is not happy in his new surroundings, and runs away from home, trying to get back to Sesame Street. On the way home, he encounters adventure with all kinds of people, and discovers where he really wants to be. His true home, Sesame Street. I recommend it for Sesame Street aged kids. The adults will enjoy the cameos.