Review: I Am Big Bird

It's a safe bet that most people have good memories about Big Bird -- the big, lovable, yellow, childlike bird instantly finds a way to connect to your heart, no matter what age you are. But not many people think about the man behind the bird -- Carol Spinney, the puppeteer who has been manning Bird Bird's (and Oscar the Grouch's) voice and body since 1969.

The film deftly paints a picture of the relationship between man and bird -- or, more accurately, how the two are one and the same. The beginning is less cohesive -- less footage from Carol's early life and time on the Bozo Show means more abstract images to fill the screen while the interviews rattle on -- but eventually his biography reaches Sesame Street, and the gaps close up. There is no shortage of footage from this point on, as you learn about Carol's difficult adjustment into the Sesame Street community and his "right hand work", then watch his career blossom as he takes over the character of Big Bird.

There's a lot in this documentary that may surprise you -- after all, not all of Carol Spinney's life is laid out for the public. It's a touching piece to commemorate a man who still can't get enough of the job -- he's had an intern waiting to fill his shoes for 15 years, but hasn't decided to quit yet. I AM BIG BIRD is now playing at the Midtown Cinema -- come get a fresh perspective on a man ingrained into everyone's childhood!