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 / Additional Muppets (voice)
Richard Hunt	...	Gladys the Cow / Feathered Friends Owl / Additional Muppets / Grouches (voice)
Kathryn Mullen	...	Feathered Friend's Magistrate / Grouch Diner Patron / Little Girl / Additional Muppets (voice)
Jerry Nelson	...	Count von Count / Herry Monster / Additional Muppets (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:

travelling | journey | running away | foster child | song | 

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Taglines:

The First Sesame Street Movie Ever.

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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

The Count's license plate actually reads 12345678910.

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Goofs

When Big Bird, Ruthie, and Floyd are singing "Easy Going Day," in the shots of the water pump taken from Big Bird's side of the trough Floyd is holding a reddish-orange watering can directly under the spout, but in the reverse shots of Big Bird from Floyd's side, it is nowhere to be seen.

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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

Featured in I Am Big Bird: The Caroll Spinney Story (2014)

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Soundtracks

All Together Now
By Wood Newton and Michael Noble
Performed by Alabama

User Reviews

One of the best Sesame Street movies ever!

This movie may be a little dated (It may be hard to believe, but it came out almost 20 years ago!), but it is definitely one of the best Sesame Street movies ever written.

I am amazed at the cast of this movie: Sandra Bernhard, Chevy Chase, Waylon Jennings, and Joe Flaherty just to name a few. They definitely add "spice" to an already good movie.

If you or your child is looking for a nice Sesame Street movie, I definitely recommend "Follow That Bird". I think it recently came out on DVD. If you have already seen it, you should see "Big Bird in Japan" or "Big Bird in China". However, they (especially "Big Bird in Japan")are a bit harder to find, and I don't think they're out on DVD yet, but they are on VHS. I do not recommend "The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland", however.