I Am Big Bird: The Caroll Spinney Story Review

Bird Of A Feather

News spread like wildfire across the world this week once ABC announced a new Muppet TV show would be on the channel this Fall, and why shouldn't such news have been greeted with excitement? The various felt creations of geniuses like Jim Henson and Frank Oz have become among the most well-known characters in all and for good reason. Inside these stylized critters, such as a wise-cracking bear or a monster who loves cookies, one can see real human emotions,  a few of which aren't routinely discussed in typical film or television programming.

Just look at Big Bird, the character played by the subject of this documentary entitled I Am Big Bird: The Caroll Spinney Story. As various interview subjects point out during the feature, Big Bird has a personality that captures the childlike innocence that can resonate with both youngsters and older viewers. Much of that persona derives from Spinney, a fellow whose spent much of his life performing as the enormous fowl.

Much of the movie centers around the ups and downs of Spinneys life, from his early fascinations with puppets to quarrels he had with a director on the set of Sesame Street. These events are discussed in a winsome manner from various personalities like Frank Oz and Jerry Nielsen, who really help set up the scope of Spinneys accomplishments on both a large and small scale. The fact that Spinney is now 81 lends his recollections over the events that have transpired in his life a sense of perspective that's extremely transfixing.

In addition to these interviews, pieces of animation are shown to help depict certain scenarios within the film, namely how Spinney is able to operate the various parts of the complex Big Bird costume. Beyond his work as that famous fowl, the personal life of the actor is also discussed, and aside from a score that can be a mite overbearing when executing more melancholy music in morose moments, these portions of the feature only make one further appreciate Spinney as a person.

Actually, that was one of my favorite parts of this documentary, is how it's able to make a guy responsible for bringing to life two incredibly well known characters into a fully fleshed out human being. Credit must go to a tight story structure that keeps things moving along at a quick, but not rushed, pace, as well as the entertaining tales told from the aforementioned interview subjects. Regaling their stories of Sesame Street episodes far in the past are superb to listen to, especially since it helps one realize how single soul like Caroll Spinney as both an incredible puppeteer and a captivating individual.