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

Caroll Spinney has been Sesame Street's Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch since 1969; at 78-years-old, he has no intention of stopping.

Directors:

Dave LaMattina, Chad N. Walker (as Chad Walker)

Writer:

Dave LaMattina

Stars:

Caroll Spinney, Jim Henson, Frank Oz

1 win & 6 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Frank Oz	...	Himself
Jim Henson	...	Additional Muppets / Himself (archive footage)
Steve Whitmire	...	Himself (archive footage)
Roscoe Orman	...	Himself
Caroll Spinney	...	Himself
Sonia Manzano	...	Herself
Alison Bartlett	...	Herself
Dave Goelz	...	Himself
Jerry Nelson	...	Himself
Emilio Delgado	...	Himself
Matt Vogel	...	Himself
Eric Jacobson	...	Himself
Bob McGrath	...	Himself
Fran Brill	...	Herself
Leslie Carrara	...	Herself

Storyline

Think you know everything there is to know about Sesame Street? You don't. You might know that Frank Oz turned down an offer to play Big Bird, but you probably don't know that until a last minute change of heart by NASA, Big Bird was supposed to go to space aboard the Challenger. Or you may know that Oscar the Grouch got his voice from a cantankerous cabbie, but you'd be surprised to learn that a fire in his trash can almost led to Caroll's untimely demise. Caroll's stories are the stuff of legend. He has been a constant presence in our lives for over 40 years, his path weaving through American history like that of Forrest Gump. His time inside the Bird has taught him about the world and about himself. I AM BIG BIRD will peel away the instances in Caroll's life that inspired his creation of characters that influenced generations of children. And, as the yellow feathers give way to gray hair, it is the man, not the puppet, who will steal your heart.

---

Plot Keywords:

sesame street | puppeteer | the muppets | puppetry | 

---

Taglines:

Big Bird guided you through childhood. Let Caroll take you the rest of the way.

---

Genres:

Documentary | Biography | Drama

---

Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 May 2015 (USA)

Also Known As:

I Am Big Bird

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$100,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$10,000, 10 May 2015, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$13,000, 10 May 2015

Company Credits

Production Co:

Copper Pot Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

86 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film was partially funded by fan donations. More than $120,000 was raised for the film after people donated amounts between $1 and $10,000.

---

Quotes

Sonia Manzano: I have always loved Big Bird because he's... complicated. So he has a lot of emotional qualities that a lot of the Muppets don't have.

---

Connections

Features Conan (2010)

User Reviews

DON'T watch this is you're dealing with depression....though it is wonderful.

This film is all about the life and work of Carroll Spinney, the puppeteer responsible for Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch from "Sesame Street". Unlike many of the other Muppet folks, Spinney generally did not do other characters (like on "The Muppet Show") and a major portion of the documentary is about the life and history of Big Bird. It's all very interesting and touching--especially if you grew up with these characters. It's also depressing, as the film also talks about the untimely death of Jim Henson--and I challenge any Muppet fan to watch this with dry eyes. Because of that, at times, the film is a bit depressing to watch...which isn't a problem unless you are already depressed.

By the way, this film is NOT captioned...which really sucks as my youngest wasn't able to enjoy the film unless I sat there translating it into sign language.