Being Elmo

Being Elmo (2011): United States – directed by Constance Marks and Philip Shane

Rated PG by the MPAA – contains a little mild language

Being Elmo is an incredibly pleasant film, one constructed almost entirely out of niceness. And almost all of the niceness comes courtesy of its featured individual, Kevin Clash. His name is not as recognizable as the fruits of his work; he has embodied Elmo for years. The documentary about him represents solid filmmaking, but it his character that shines through and makes the film well worth watching.

The film follows Kevin’s odd and interesting life from childhood. Kevin recalls his first story about making a puppet; finding his father’s coat to have an interesting texture he cut it up and crafted a puppet. His parents recall their joy at this discovery, and immediately hoped that it would turn into a lucrative career for their son. The family seems to have been lower middle class, but Kevin’s meteoric ride to the top of the puppeteering game was both unexpected and pleasant. At times Kevin struggles through school and with his friends and neighbors; they can’t understand why a young, handsome boy would want to play with dolls and make silly voices. But Kevin saw the joy that would come over children’s faces when he performed, and he persevered.

Watching “Sesame Street” and “Kaptain Kangaroo” had sparked Kevin’s imagination, and his natural talent for hand making puppets, creating voices and characters, and being a general nice guy all helped him. A bit of spunk helped, too, as he recalls a trip to meet Jim Henson’s puppet creator in New York. Through a series of connections and auditions Kevin soon lands a job at his local Baltimore station. Within a few years, it seems, he’s called to New York and appears on “Kaptain Kangaroo” and “Sesame Street.” Before long he’s even meeting his idol, Jim Henson, and has offers to work on movies with the legendary puppet master.

But Kevin’s creation of Elmo is his finest achievement, and he pays some penalties, it appears, for his total involvement in the character. The tradeoff is difficult, though, for Elmo brings joy and love to so many children around the world. Kevin is careful to pay everything back, and seems driven to be a force for good in people’s lives. One scene toward the end has him showing around a young and earnest puppeteer, just as Kevin was given a tour and an education at an early age.

One fascinating aspect of the film is the sheer amount of work and talent that goes into puppeteering. The film covers a wide spectrum, from voices and handwork to actual handiwork such as the special stitches the puppet makers use to create seamless heads like Kermit’s. It is sure to give all audiences a new appreciation for the art form.

It helps that there is so much archival footage from Kevin’s early life. Not just his television work, but auditions, casting calls, meetings with famous puppet masters, and even early home videos. These serve to complete the story; there are no missing pieces that require stills and voice over to explain. There are plenty of talking heads, naturally, but impressive B-roll to lend an air of authenticity to the entire film.

With its nice central character and in-depth exploration of puppetry, Being Elmo seems almost like a mix of Dumbstruck, the documentary about ventriloquists, and Mister Rogers & Me, another sweet doc about another very nice man. Those two primarily played the festival circuit, but Being Elmo is a notch above either and worthy of a wider audience. Not everyone will be blown away by the film, but it will be hard to find anyone too critical of it. Being Elmo is so unrelentingly, and authentically nice that it is almost immune to criticism. Almost like The Muppets [review here]. I wonder if there’s a connection…