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 license plate of the turkey truck in which Big Bird gets a ride from driver Waylon Jennings during the song "Ain't No Road Too Long" reads GOBBLE.

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Goofs

Before Big Bird jumps from the Sleaze Brothers' truck to the hood of the Volkswagen, his feet move from the edge to about a foot away from it between shots.

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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

Big Bird pumps up a balloon W and it floats up to become the Warner Bros logo. He then makes a Sesame Street (1969) announcement: "Sesame Street is brought to you today by the letters W and B!"

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Connections

Referenced in The Cinema Snob: The Passion of the Christ (2015)

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Soundtracks

Sesame Street Theme
By Joe Raposo, Jon Stone, and Bruce Hart

User Reviews

The cutest movie ever made?

I've had this movie ever since I was a little girl and I remember someone asking me, "Why do you still have a Sesame Street movie in your video collection?" I tell them one, because it has a wonderful storyline attached to it; two, because it features the world-famous Jim Henson's Muppets and three, I don't mind my children watching it with me. Come to think of it, I wouldn't even be embarrassed if my children saw me watching it all by myself. It's that kind of movie, I loved it then and I still love it today.

You have to give Sesame Street credit, it's the longest running children's show on television, it's audience has grown to more than 1 million viewers, many were children when the show began in 1969 and are now introducing it to their children. You can take Barney and Thomas the Tank Engine, Teletubbies or even the Wiggles but give me Big Bird and Kermit the Frog any day.