Follow That Bird (1985)

Big Bird is sent to live far from Sesame Street by a pesky social worker. Unhappy, Big Bird runs away from his foster home, prompting the rest of the Sesame Street gang to go on a cross-country journey to find him.

Director:

Ken Kwapis

Writers:

Tony Geiss, Judy Freudberg

Stars:

Caroll Spinney, Jim Henson, Frank Oz

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Caroll Spinney	...	Big Bird / Oscar the Grouch / Bruno the Trashman (voice)
Jim Henson	...	Kermit the Frog / Ernie (voice)
Frank Oz	...	Cookie Monster / Bert / Grover (voice)
Richard Hunt	...	Gladys the Cow / Feathered Friends Owl (voice)
Kathryn Mullen	...	Feathered Friend's Magistrate / Grouch Diner Patron (voice)
Jerry Nelson	...	Count von Count / Herry Monster (voice)
Paul Bartel	...	Grouch Cook
Sandra Bernhard	...	Grouch Waitress
John Candy	...	State Trooper
Chevy Chase	...	Newscaster
Joe Flaherty	...	Sid Sleaze
Waylon Jennings	...	Truck Driver
Dave Thomas	...	Sam Sleaze
Laraine Newman	...	Mommy Dodo (voice)
Brian Hohlfeld	...	Daddy Dodo (voice)

Storyline

Eccentric and lovable Big Bird lives a very carefree life with his friends on Sesame Street. But his happiness is cut short when a strict social worker named Miss Finch sends Big Bird away to live with a wacky family of Dodo birds. After a long week and feeling homesick, Big Bird decides that he has had enough and sets out back to Sesame Street. Word gets around and Big Bird is totally unaware that his friends are in search of him. But Big Bird better watch out because both Miss Finch and two unsuccessful carnival owners are also after him for their own purposes.

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Plot Keywords:

bird | big bird | sesame street | social worker | dodo | 

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Taglines:

It's Big Adventure! It's Big Laughs! It's Big Bird on the Big Screen!

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Genres:

Adventure | Comedy | Family | Music

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Certificate:

G

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English American Sign Language

Release Date:

2 August 1985 (USA)

Also Known As:

Sesame Street Presents: Follow that Bird

Filming Locations:

Toronto International Studios, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$2,415,626, 4 August 1985, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$13,961,370, 31 December 2004

Company Credits

Production Co:

Children's Television Workshop (CTW), Henson Associates (HA), Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Ken Kwapis' directorial debut.

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Goofs

When Bert and Ernie spot Big Bird on the ground, they switch places. Normally it's Bert who's flying the plane and Ernie in the back. But when they see Big Bird, suddenly Ernie is in the front and Bert is in the back. This is corrected a few shots later.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Announcer: Ladies and gentlemen, would you please rise for the Grouch Anthem.
Oscar the Grouch: No, no, no! With the Grouch Anthem, you stay sitting down! Down in front there!

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Crazy Credits

In the closing credits, the Count counts the crew members. At the end of the closing credits, the Count gives a final tally.

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Connections

Referenced in The Cinema Snob: Baby Huey's Great Easter Adventure (2018)

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Soundtracks

Working On My Atitude
By Troy Seals and Eddie Setser
Performed by Ronnie Milsap

User Reviews

Perhaps the best Sesame Street movie

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.