I Am Big Bird: The Caroll Spinney Story

Name: I Am Big Bird: The Caroll Spinney Story
Genre: Biography, Drama, Documentary
Released: May 6, 2015
Duration: 90 min
Rating: 71
Cast: Caroll Spinney, Debra Spinney, Frank Oz, Jim Henson

2015

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 20 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 11 Ratings

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5.4	User Score Mixed or average reviews based on 11 Ratings

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I Am Big Bird: The Caroll Spinney Story

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Movie Details & Credits

Tribeca Film | Release Date: May 6, 2015 | Not Rated

Starring: Caroll Spinney, Debra Spinney, Frank Oz, Jim Henson

Summary: For 45 years, Caroll Spinney has been beloved by generations of children as the man behind Sesame Street's Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch - and at 80 years old, he has no intention of stopping. A loving portrait of the man in the yellow suit, I Am Big Bird features extraordinary footage of Spinney's earliest collaborations with Jim Henson asFor 45 years, Caroll Spinney has been beloved by generations of children as the man behind Sesame Street's Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch - and at 80 years old, he has no intention of stopping. A loving portrait of the man in the yellow suit, I Am Big Bird features extraordinary footage of Spinney's earliest collaborations with Jim Henson as it traces his journey from bullied child to childhood icon. And as the yellow feathers give way to grey hair, it is the man, not the puppet, who will steal your heart. [Tribeca Film]… Expand

Director: Chad N. Walker and Dave LaMattina

Genre(s): Biography, Drama, Documentary

Rating: Not Rated

Runtime: 90 min

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Critic Reviews

Richard Roeper

May 14, 2015

I Am Big Bird is a loving, respectful (if at times shamelessly sentimental) portrayal of Spinney. Read full review

Chris Nashawaty

Apr 30, 2015

Out of costume, Spinney is as impossibly sunny as his alter ego (with none of the crankiness of his other incarnation, Oscar the Grouch). At 80, he has no plans to hang up his feathers—welcome news for kids and parents everywhere. Read full review

Frank Scheck

May 6, 2015

Shines a much deserved spotlight on this unheralded artist. Read full review

Alan Scherstuhl

May 5, 2015

I like what I Am Big Bird is trying to do — I just wish it were a little less Bird-nice, and a little more Grouch-frank. Read full review

Betsy Sharkey

May 14, 2015

From the beginning, the filmmakers promise an affectionate look at the man, and in that they deliver. Read full review

Ronnie Scheib

May 16, 2015

As endless processions of friends and colleagues attest to Spinney’s genius, and the filmmakers wallow in never-before-seen behind-the-scenes imagery, they fail to fully capture the actual art of puppeteering, with woefully few substantial excerpts from the show itself. Read full review

Jesse Hassenger

May 6, 2015

Henson saw potential in Spinney that he proceeded to realize over the course of many years. I Am Big Bird only has 90 minutes to cover the basics. Read full review

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User Reviews

IloveJbalof1

Aug 2, 2015

Wonderful picture. It is truly a work of art that everyone needs to see to believe it. I loved every minute of it and I hope you think so to. You will most likely love this movie because it is the one and only big bird

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bigjames

Oct 19, 2015

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Documentary team Walker and LaMattina are able to wrap the character of Caroll Spinneey up into a neat gift presented through his alter ego's Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch.

The beloved Sesame Street characters are revealed as deeper aspects of their masters psyche. Caroll expresses his tortured side, and exposes his ability to recede into his childhood and channel the inner child that is Big Bird's persona. Caroll himself describes his relationship with Big Bird by saying, "I don't own the character, but I'm pretty sure I own his soul."

This documentary is about the exploration of a man's soul, and how he longs for the approval of people around him (his father, his wife, co-workers, audience), which in the end the audience is made to believe he has achieved this. Where this documentary leaks a bit in craft is the excessive use of musical overlay in the interviews, which takes away the emotional tone and inflection from the interviewees.

Also (although this may be a cheap-shot at the film-makers, I feel it is a valid point), LaMattina and Walker use a technique I found impressive and relevant, but unfortunately stolen from a documentary that was released the year previous. The archival footage from a game show called "To Tell the Truth", was used - more effectively in my opinion - in a documentary called "An Honest Liar", released on April 18, 2014 - "I am Big Bird..." was released on May 1, 2015. I can't believe this is a simple coincidence. Using other film-makers techniques is fine, but doing the exact same sequence is too much of a rip-off. Music and the ripped-off sequence are the only two bad parts of this otherwise whimsical film.

(Sidenote: I give this film a 67/100, but Metacritic only allows users to rate 1-10, so I rounded up to a 7.)… Expand

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