"The American Dream Can Come True"
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What You Need To Know:
BEING ELMO suffers a little bit for being rather rudimentary in its approach, without a lot of stylistic flourishes. That said, BEING ELMO is the kind of uplifting documentary that can inspire any viewer, but especially children, to aspire to great things and do the hard work that’s required. It’s a wonderful picture of the American Dream in action. During the end credits of BEING ELMO, there’s a catchy song that credits Kevin Clash’s talent as coming from Heaven.
Content:
(BB, C, PP, CapCap, M) Strong moral worldview, with talk about love and a song during the end credits protagonist’s talent as coming from Heaven above, plus a strong message about pursuing the American Dream through hard work and creativity; no foul language, no violence; no sex; no nudity; no alcohol; no smoking or drugs; and, a passing vague reference to strain between subject and his family because of subject being wrapped up in his work.
More Detail:
BEING ELMO: A PUPPETEER’S JOURNEY is a wonderfully uplifting, overwhelmingly positive, and insightful portrayal of the man behind Elmo, the popular Muppet character.
Kevin Clash grew up poor and African-American in Baltimore. He dreamed of becoming a Muppeteer – a puppeteer for The Muppets – from his earliest childhood, then went on to achieve his dream by becoming the first black Muppeteer and the performer behind Elmo, one of the most popular Muppets of all time.
This is a great movie for any documentary fan who wants to gain insight into a positive, entertaining subject. This makes it a refreshing change of pace from most documentaries these days, which appear to focus on corruption, war, and other tragedies.
BEING ELMO features Clash prominently. The soft-spoken and joy-filled Clash takes the cameras back to his humble beginnings in a poor urban neighborhood. He recounts his childhood and shows film and direct examples of his own puppet-making efforts growing up. Those efforts display his incredible focus, hard work, and near-scientific attention to detail and learning how to make puppets just as well as his idols. He also entertained children at his mother’s daycare center.
The hard work pays off as he became the first black Muppeteer ever, and went on to become the life force behind the vastly popular “Sesame Street” character Elmo. Because of his success, Clash produces and directs things for “Sesame Street,” and travels around the globe training other puppeteers.
Along the way, lots of photos and footage offer a parallel history of “Sesame Street” and the Muppets as well as Muppet inventor the late Jim Henson. They show the effects that worldwide fame had on this shy and private man. Although Henson always remained upbeat and positive, he was driven by the awareness that he always has to create a positive image and message for his youngest fans.
Quality-wise, BEING ELMO suffers a little bit for being rather rudimentary in its approach, without a lot of stylistic flourishes. That said, BEING ELMO is the kind of documentary that can inspire any viewer, but especially children, to aspire to great things and do the hard work to pursue them. It’s a wonderful picture of the American Dream in action. During the end credits, there’s a catchy song that credits Kevin Clash’s talent as coming from Heaven.
Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.
You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.
Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.
Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.
You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.
Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.
