I AM BIG BIRD: THE CAROLL SPINNEY STORY – The Review

If you were to compile a list of iconic children’s TV characters, who would occupy a slot near the very top, say in the top five (to quote a recent Chris Rock flick)? Oh, we’re not talking about those denizens of “Toon-town”, so no Scooby Doo or Spongebob Squarepants. Well, at the dawn of the tube there was the freckle-faced marionette Howdy Doody and his pal/handler “Buffalo Bob” Smith. Then, as Mr. Doody hung up his strings, Bob Keeshan (a vet of that former show) arrived as Captain Kangaroo along with his real-life buddies (Mr. Green Jeans) and more puppet and costumed cast mates (Bunny Rabbit, Mr. Moose, and Dancing Bear). He was a TV mainstay for decades along with that gentle, soothing-voiced Fred Rogers and his puppet-filled neighborhood. Just a few years after his debut on PBS, a most influential classic educational kids’ program premiered on a very “sunny” day in 1969. O f course I’m talking about  “Sesame Street” which continues on to this day, every,well,weekday. Of the countless live actors and actresses and puppet (er, Muppet) performers, he was the very first breakout star, a pre-schooler superstar actually. He was on that first show and he’s still there, nearly half a century later eclipsing all the previously mentioned icons. Now a new documentary celebrates the man behind the feathers as Caroll Spinney loudly and proudly tells the world I AM BIG BIRD.

Just like George Bailey, Mr. Spinney has had a pretty wonderful life. A shy, quiet child (like many similar performers), he gravitated toward puppets as a way of breaking out of his shell (foretelling his future role). His parents (particularly his father) didn’t understand  their son’s obsession, but Carroll continued on. Soon he was part of a local TV kids show n Boston that lead to that area’s version of the Bozo the Clown show (most major TV markets had their own licensed pie-throwing, manic, red-headed harlequin). There Caroll came up with new puppets and characters. Eventually he ended up performing a disastrous set at a puppet festival. But his creativity sparked the interest of a future mentor who was in that audience. Backstage, Carrol was stunned by the kind words and encouragement from Muppet mastermind Jim Henson. A few years later, Henson thought of Carroll when he needed more performers for a  public television project. Originally, the gangly, loose-limbed yellow bird was a silly, a wacky goofball. But with the behind-the-scenes tinkering, he evolved into the quizzical, child-like creature that became a surrogate for the pre-school audience. Kids worldwide fell in love with him and Big Bird became a staple of the most honored children’s TV show ever (over 150 Emmys!!), “Sesame Street” and continues to educate and entertain new generations.

Co-directors David LaMattina (who also wrote the screenplay) and Chad N. Walker utilize several film-making techniques to tell Carroll’s fascinating story. There’s fairly simplistic 2-D hand-drawn cell animation (looking much like cartoon segments from the early days of “Sesame”) that’s employed to illustrate many pivotal anecdotes (meeting Henson, etc.). Much, more engaging and whimsical than actor re-creations, it’s perhaps best used to give an X-ray view inside of the title star itself, giving us a peek of how Spinney suffers for his art (now, there’s some claustrophobia). We see lots of home movie footage of the Spinney family along with early art and photographs (he was quite a cartoonist/animator). Of course, there are lots of testimonials from Spinney’s friends and co-workers like Muppet vet Frank Oz plus “Street-mates” including Bob McGrath (another performer there from the beginning) and Loretta “Susan” Long. And though the bird gets most of the screen time and title, the film makers also show the development of Spinney’s other signature character Oscar the Grouch, the sour to Big Bird’s sweet (you know, he started off as a caramel-brown color?). There’s engaging sequences on two specials produced in China (with a tearful on-camera reunion with Caroll’s young co-star) and Carroll’s romance and partnership with second wife Debra (unfortunately his first wife is never interviewed, and is cast in a somewhat negative light). And there are his grown children interviewed in addition. Plus Spinney tells of his eventually reconciliation with his folks.

But his life is not all peaches and cream (or birdseed milk shakes). Cast members tell tales of Spinney suffering much verbal abuse from a veteran director. Plus there’s the sudden death of genius/mentor Henson and show sidekick Will Lee AKA Mr. Hooper (the loss made for quite a memorable episode). The biggest stunner may be the story of how Spinney was almost a casuality of a national tragedy. And Spinney reflects on the changing times as the show now targets a much younger audience reflected by the ascension of a certain ticklish red fuzzball, while he trains an eventual successor (he does some stunt work already). Oh, and then there’s the humorously horrific tale of the star getting “plucked’ during a campus appearance. Plus we’re reminded of the last big presidential election when the yellow guy became a campaign issue. Aside from an overly cloying music track, I AM BIG BIRD is a fascinating profile of the gifted man who’s been a sweet, fine feathered hero to children for seven decades now. Rest, and nest, well Mr. Spinney.

4 out of 5

I AM BIG BIRD is playing in theatres and is available through video on demand