The Muppet Movie (1979)

Director:

James Frawley

Writers:

Jack Burns (written by) &
Jerry Juhl (written by)

Release Date:

22 June 1979 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Comedy | Family | Musical

Tagline:

More entertaining than humanly possible

Plot:

Kermit and his new found friends trek across America to find success in Hollywood, but a frog-legs merchant is after Kermit.

Plot Keywords:

On The Road | Origin Story | Whimsical | Journey | Friendship

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 1 win & 8 nominations

Cast

Jim Henson	...	Kermit the Frog / Rowlf / Dr. Teeth / Waldorf / Doc Hopper's Men / Link Hogthrob / Swedish Chef (voice)
Frank Oz	...	Miss Piggy / Fozzie Bear / Animal / Sam the Eagle / Doc Hopper's Men / Marvin Suggs (uncredited) / Swedish Chef (hands) (uncredited) / Motorcycle Guy (uncredited) (voice)
Jerry Nelson	...	Floyd Pepper / Robin the Frog / Crazy Harry / Lew Zealand / Camilla / Dr. Bunsen Honeydew (assistant) (uncredited) (voice)
Richard Hunt	...	Scooter / Statler / Janice / Sweetums / Beaker / Fozzie Bear (assistant) (voice)
Dave Goelz	...	The Great Gonzo / Dr. Bunsen Honeydew / Zoot / Doglion / Iraqian in El Sleezo Cafe / Pig (voice)
Charles Durning	...	Doc Hopper
Austin Pendleton	...	Max
Edgar Bergen	...	Himself / Charlie McCarthy (voice)
Milton Berle	...	Mad Man Mooney
Mel Brooks	...	Professor Max Krassman
James Coburn	...	El Sleezo Cafe Owner
Dom DeLuise	...	Bernie the Agent
Elliott Gould	...	Beauty Contest Compere
Bob Hope	...	Ice Cream Vendor
Madeline Kahn	...	El Sleezo Patron

Runtime:

97 min | USA:95 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Portugal:M/6 | Canada:G | Singapore:PG | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Finland:S | UK:U | USA:G | Brazil:Livre

Filming Locations:

Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA

Company:

Henson Associates (HA)

Trivia:

Jim Henson spent an entire day in a 50-gallon steel drum submerged in a pond for the opening scene of Kermit in the swamp.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Fozzie and Kermit first stop in front of the church they are facing one way, after they fall asleep they are facing another.

Quotes:

El Sleezo Pianist: And now, filling in for the vacationing El Sleezo Dancing Girls, the funny, furry, fabulous - Fozzie Bear!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Zodiac Killer (2005)

Soundtrack:

Rainbow connection

Write your own ending: Existential awareness in hand puppets

In many ways, the perfect movie. The "Incredible Journey" and Horatio Alger tale come together for a positive spin on the usually depressing subject of existentialism. In essence, the travails of the muppets boil down to the finale song of the movie: "Life's like a movie, write your own ending, keep believing, keep pretending." They create their own reality, which has all the trappings of every epic tale: a lofty goal at the end of what is necessarily a obstacle-laden journey; an ever-increasing group of like-minded individuals for camaraderie; a nasty set of villians who are not beyond all redemption; and a big-budget Hollywood ending because, darn it all, they CAN.

Only Jim Henson could pull this off. He walks the line between sentimentality and philosophy without swerving too long or too hard into either. Of course it seems odd that invest such weight into a film starring puppets, but in the end perhaps they are the perfect, uh, puppet to make these points. The movie's atmosphere allows for the pure enjoyment of the Hollywood dream, the "happy" ending, unnecessary cameos, and bursting into song at the drop of a hat. Usually these aspects are anathema to quality in film, but the self-deprecating manner under which the story is delivered makes for guilt-free viewing. One of the few films that can truly be called "suitable for all ages."

The other muppet-related films (including "The Empire Strikes Back"), while palatable, do not touch the simple grace of this film. Take, for instance, the musical number "Hope that Something Better Comes Along," the duet of Kermit and Rowlf. Amusing in its vaudevillian goofiness, yet makes a bitingly crucial point about the motivations behind life choices. Brilliant.