I Am Big Bird: The Caroll Spinney Story

There's barely a discouraging word to be heard in Dave LaMattina and Chad Walker's biographical documentary on the octogenarian puppeteer who has played the beloved titular Sesame Street character from the beginning. Carroll Spinney did have a turbulent relationship with his father (who considered his son's fascination with puppetry impractical), his first marriage ended in divorce, and the death of Muppets founder Jim Henson was a terrible blow. But Spinney's mother was an encouraging presence, he eventually reconciled with his dad, and his second marriage has enjoyed an almost fairy-tale-like quality. And while Henson's death was a shock, the company continued to flourish, and Spinney remains an active member after 45 years. Archival material (home movies, show clips, behind-the-scenes footage, and stills) is interspersed with excerpts from interviews of friends and colleagues, along with Spinney's loving wife, Diana. The approach here is almost invariably cheerful, despite the fact that Spinney's other great Muppets role was as Oscar the Grouch, presenting a picture of a man who has led an almost charmed life (Big Bird was supposed to fly on the ill-fated Challenger space shuttle to spark kids' interest in the flight, but the costume was too large and Spinney was replaced by Christa McAuliffe), A fine portrait of an entertainer who projects a childlike “gee whiz” quality that hasn't dimmed in his elder years, this is recommended. [Note: DVD extras include deleted scenes (13 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: a decent extras package for a solid biographical profile.] (F. Swietek)