The Muppet Movie (1979)

Kermit and his newfound friends trek across America to find success in Hollywood, but a frog legs merchant is after Kermit.

Director:

James Frawley

Writers:

Jerry Juhl, Jack Burns

Stars:

Jim Henson, Frank Oz, Jerry Nelson

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 3 wins & 9 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jim Henson	...	Kermit the Frog / Rowlf / Dr. Teeth / Waldorf / Swedish Chef / Link Hogthrob / Doc Hopper's Men (voice)
Frank Oz	...	Miss Piggy / Fozzie Bear / Animal / Sam the Eagle / Doc Hopper's Men / Marvin Suggs / Swedish Chef (assistant) / Motorcycle Guy (voice)
Jerry Nelson	...	Floyd Pepper / Crazy Harry / Robin the Frog / Lew Zealand / Camilla / Blue Frackle (voice)
Richard Hunt	...	Scooter / Statler / Janice / Sweetums / Beaker / Fozzie Bear (assistant) (voice)
Dave Goelz	...	The Great Gonzo / Zoot / Dr. Bunsen Honeydew / Doglion / Iraqian in El Sleezo Cafe / Nigel / Pig (voice)
Charles Durning	...	Doc Hopper
Austin Pendleton	...	Max
Edgar Bergen	...	Self / Charlie McCarthy
Milton Berle	...	Mad Man Mooney
Mel Brooks	...	Professor Max Krassman
James Coburn	...	El Sleezo Cafe Owner
Dom DeLuise	...	Bernie the Agent
Elliott Gould	...	Beauty Contest Compere
Bob Hope	...	Ice Cream Vendor
Madeline Kahn	...	El Sleezo Patron

Storyline

While living the quiet life in a swamp, Kermit the Frog is approached by a Hollywood agent to audition for the chance of a lifetime. So Kermit takes this chance for his big break as he makes the journey to Hollywood. Along the way, Kermit comes across several quirky new friends including comedic Fozzie Bear, beautiful but feisty Miss Piggy, and the Great Gonzo. But Kermit must also watch out for ruthless Doc Hopper, who plans to use him as his spokesman for his frog legs food chain.

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Plot Keywords:

the muppets | hare krishna | national film registry | troubled production | charlie mccarthy character | 

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Taglines:

More entertaining than humanly possible!

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Genres:

Adventure | Comedy | Family | Musical

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Certificate:

G

Did You Know?

Trivia

"I Hope That Somethin' Better Comes Along" is a rare duet between Rowlf and Kermit, because Jim Henson usually performed both characters. Kermit, a simple "glove" puppet, could be operated with one hand, but because of his design, Rowlf required two performers: Henson's right hand would control the mouth, his left hand would control Rowlf's left hand, while another puppeteer would operate the right hand--meaning that in order to perform both roles at once, Henson would need three hands. In order to achieve the duet, the two tracks were recorded separately by Jim, and then combined into one. Henson and another puppeteer performed Rowlf (who required a more dynamic performance), while Kermit, who only had to sit and "lip-sync" the number, was taken over by a third puppeteer, marking one of the rare times Henson entrusted Kermit's performance to someone other than himself.

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Goofs

The colors of Gonzo's balloons change and rearrange during his flight.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Statler: I'm Statler.
Waldorf: I'm Waldorf. We're here to heckle "The Muppet Movie".
Gate Guard: Gentlemen, that's straight ahead. Private screening room D.
Statler: Private screening?
Waldorf: Yeah, they're afraid to show it in public.
[they laugh as their car proceeds forward]

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Crazy Credits

Over first few credits, Sweetums bursts out of the screen, followed by many Muppet gags

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Alternate Versions

A scene in which Fozzie Bear is menaced by a sailor brandishing a broken bottle was cut by the New Zealand censors as being too violent for children.

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Connections

Featured in Saturday Night Live: Seth Rogen/Phoenix (2009)

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Soundtracks

Can You Picture That
Music and Lyrics by Paul Williams and Kenny Ascher
Performed by Jim Henson, Frank Oz, Jerry Nelson, Richard Hunt, and Dave Goelz

User Reviews

Write your own ending: Existential awareness in hand puppets

In many ways, the perfect movie. The "Incredible Journey" and Horatio Alger tale come together for a positive spin on the usually depressing subject of existentialism. In essence, the travails of the muppets boil down to the finale song of the movie: "Life's like a movie, write your own ending, keep believing, keep pretending." They create their own reality, which has all the trappings of every epic tale: a lofty goal at the end of what is necessarily a obstacle-laden journey; an ever-increasing group of like-minded individuals for camaraderie; a nasty set of villians who are not beyond all redemption; and a big-budget Hollywood ending because, darn it all, they CAN.

Only Jim Henson could pull this off. He walks the line between sentimentality and philosophy without swerving too long or too hard into either. Of course it seems odd that invest such weight into a film starring puppets, but in the end perhaps they are the perfect, uh, puppet to make these points. The movie's atmosphere allows for the pure enjoyment of the Hollywood dream, the "happy" ending, unnecessary cameos, and bursting into song at the drop of a hat. Usually these aspects are anathema to quality in film, but the self-deprecating manner under which the story is delivered makes for guilt-free viewing. One of the few films that can truly be called "suitable for all ages."

The other muppet-related films (including "The Empire Strikes Back"), while palatable, do not touch the simple grace of this film. Take, for instance, the musical number "Hope that Something Better Comes Along," the duet of Kermit and Rowlf. Amusing in its vaudevillian goofiness, yet makes a bitingly crucial point about the motivations behind life choices. Brilliant.

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 June 1979 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Muppet Movie

Filming Locations:

Santa Clarita, California, USA

Box Office

Gross USA:

$65,810,475

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$65,810,475

Company Credits

Production Co:

Henson Associates (HA), ITC Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1