Steve Pulaski "(He's) a six year old's Brad Pitt" proclaims a father of two whose kids get the once in a lifetime chance to meet Elmo, the Sesame Street puppet. You can see the smile on the kids' faces as they are simply entranced with meeting one of the most recognizable characters in Television history, right up there with Homer Simpson and Spongebob Squarepants. Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey revolves around Kevin Clash, an optimistic soul who has wanted to be a puppeteer since his youth, and achieved untold greatness along with the everlasting support of his parents and his family.I realize how cliché that sounds, but the documentary shows us how parental encouragement and motivation can push us through rigid and unforgivable instances. Clash's main point of criticism at a young age was he liked to play with dolls and showed little to no interest in sports or athletes. To him, the real heroes were those who communicated with children through puppets. Instead of idolizing Micky Mantle, he idolized Jim Henson, the creator of the Muppet characters.Clash spent hours perfecting his puppets, but was greatly limited in resources. Nowadays, when going to hobby stores and collector outlets, just about anything can be made. All it takes is imagination and persistency. Doll houses, bracelets, and crafts of all shapes and sizes can be made. The possibilities are endless, and thanks to the internet, it can play a huge role in collecting the items needed. But when growing up in humble Baltimore, with very little spending money, things like softer, more versatile fabric and fleece weren't accessible to Clash. He had to make due with the minimal equipment he had. When sifting through old puppets with a friend, he finds one that has the wrong color thread sewn to the mouth.It wasn't long before his puppet shows for the neighbors paid off, when Clash got to meet and work with his idol, Jim Henson, on a number of different shows and skits. Alas, this all lead up to his role of Elmo. Before Clash, Elmo's character was rowdy and ill-behaved. It wasn't until he got a hold of him and made the character bleed with charisma, silliness, and his most pivotal trait, love and happiness, did the true Elmo begin to see the light. Seeing the character as wacky and as silly as ever in the documentary brought a grand amount of emotion to me, especially in the third act. The character doesn't show an ounce of dislike for anybody, and seems to show the more limitless side of Clash himself. One person in the documentary explains that he believes Elmo is how Clash truly wants to act, but doesn't want to endure all the strangeness that will rub off on his coworkers. His solution is to project his feelings onto a puppet that is instantly recognizable and insanely lovable.Whenever I think of Elmo, my mind sails off on a tangent back when I was two years old. Every kid watched Sesame Street. I think that was almost a federal mandate. This was around that time the "Tickle Me Elmo" dolls were becoming increasingly popular, and clerks and customers alike were being trampled because people were scrambling to buy one for their children. My mom even said there were ads in the classified sections selling dolls for upwards of $200. My uncle won an "Elmo" doll in a drawing at K-Mart and was given it in seclusion in a shoebox, so as not to be mugged or conspicuous when walking out the door. I was given it on, what I believe, was my birthday. My mom turned the doll on, and it began shaking and laughing repeatedly. I was shaking and crying repeatedly. I was terrified of the doll, as I hated toys that moved and spoke. I'm sure my uncle was just overjoyed with my reaction.As far as the documentary itself goes, it's a whimsical event, but a short one at that, clocking in at roughly seventy-two minutes minus credits. It feels thin, unfinished, and slightly underdeveloped. We only learn about Clash's journey with Elmo towards the end of the documentary, and the film seems to gloss over specific parts such as Elmo's popularity, his fans of all ages, and just in pop culture in general. One can say this was more about Clash's life, but a small segment on how his popularity has spread like wildfire would've been appreciated. Nonetheless, this is a wonderful documentary, projecting light on a character we all know, and the puppeteer, whose name, at first, doesn't ring any bells.Starring: Kevin Clash, Whoopi Goldberg, and Rosie O'Donnell. Directed by: Constance Marks.

TheDocHierarchy In 1985, seasoned puppeteer Richard Hunt was growing exasperated with his attempts to find a voice and personality for a mediocre, bit-part furry red muppet. Believing it to be futile, he threw the role to Kevin Clash, a young, talented puppeteer who had only recently joined the Sesame Street crew. Adopting a falsetto tone and a desire for a muppet to represent 'love and kindness', Elmo was born.Marks' story is ostensibly that of Kevin Clash, but we soon learn that the puppeteer and his puppet are essentially one and the same. Growing in a large, working-class family in Baltimore, puppetry was always Clash's calling. Ignoring the social embarrassment of the hobby, the artform's future star would perform impromptu shows for local kids in his garden, build new muppets out of his parents' clothes and eventually garner his first local TV role before he finished high school. Those same kids who teased him would now vote him most likely to be a millionaire. They weren't wrong.Whoopi Goldberg is the somewhat questionable narrator of the rest of Clash's journey to stardom. With a lot of hard work and the odd phone call from his mother on his behalf, Kevin is soon rubbing shoulders with the likes of Frank Oz (of Miss Piggy and Grover fame), muppet designer Kermet Love, and eventually the father of the artform, Jim Henson himself. The grandfather-grandson relationship with Love is the film's high point; inviting the young puppeteer into his workshop, Henson's chief designer unlocks the magical world that Clash has longed to immerse himself in. Thereafter, it appears only a question of how hard Clash is willing to work until he gets his big break with Elmo.There is a whole other documentary in the character of Elmo himself (and I'm sure they exist), but to see the giant Clash operate the lovable monster as he meets Make-A-Wish children and their families is as heart-warming as their situation is heart-breaking. To be responsible for and continue to operate a character that means so much to so many is a wonderful testament to the character of Clash himself. Given a world dominated by the gritty and complex, Elmo's simple message of love and care is a much-needed comfort - for all ages and sizes. There are admittedly parts of the puppeteer's story that Marks chooses not to explore; the black Clash is implored to use his race as a card to get himself onto a Jim Henson project, yet the question of race is not mentioned thereafter (despite the obvious lack of black puppeteers in most of the footage shown). Similarly, his relationship with his ex-wife is skimmed over despite allusions to problems associated with treating their new-born daughter as just another puppet. If the intention was to keep a story about Elmo fairly up- beat and happy, fair enough, but there's not much of a moral message in simply ignoring the lulls of life.Having not grown up exposed to the Sesame Street phenomenon or the wider cinematic world of Jim Henson's band of muppets (Muppets: A Christmas Carol still confuses me to this day), I was concerned I would miss something with Marks' 'Being Elmo'. I need not have worried. While Mark's film is not the in-depth look at the artform of puppetry that many may have hoped, it is nevertheless a charming biopic about Clash and the rewards of hard work and persistence in chasing one's dream. And ultimately, it is rather comforting to know that the love and care personified by Elmo is in no way artificial - if Clash wasn't the gregarious, warm character we see, would we think differently of the muppet on his arm?Concluding Thought: If Elmo is a quintessentially Kevin Clash creation, when the puppeteer retires, does the puppet go with him?

liz22193 I knew Kevin in High School (Dundalk Sr High) back in Baltimore County Maryland, although he probably doesn't remember me. We were in music class together and he was I think, 2 years ahead of me. Nobody in our school could say anything negative about Kevin. From day one, he was hard working and driven, but also the sweetest, kindest and funniest boy in class.I remember a school concert once, the chorus was on stage sitting on the risers and Kevin was in front of us; but behind the piano with some of his own puppet creations. Kevin was putting on a short show for the audience when he accidentally hit his head (fairly hard) on the back of the piano. Teenagers, being what they are, started laughing and giggling behind Kevin, but the audience had no idea what had happened. We could tell Kevin was hurting, the gestures his body was making behind that piano emphasized his discomfort in a very comical way. Kevin continued on with his show without missing a beat, a puppet change or a line of dialogue. Even at that age, he was a professional.Kevin played one of the leads in our schools production of "Guys and Dolls", he was Skye Masterson. I think every girl in the High School fell at least a little in love with Kevin during that show. You may know Kevin as the voice of Elmo and other puppet characters, but when he sings, EVERYONE stops to listen! I'm proud to have known Kevin, even if it was just in passing. I enjoy telling people, "I went to High School with Elmo" and watching their reactions as I proudly tell them about Kevin. Kevin Clash's life story is truly an inspiration. Though there might have been a few rough spots here and there, Kevin is proof that anyone, no matter what their circumstances, can make their dreams come true.

noetzel-eliora From the opening shot of Elmo's eyes and nose pressed up to the screen, it is clear to the audience that this film will be warm and fuzzy (pun intended). Kevin Clash's journey from a quiet kid with an unusual passion, to one of the most legendary and well-respected puppeteers in the world, is downright inspirational. Walking out of the movie theater, I nearly decided to quit my job and pursue my childhood dream of being the first singing ballet dancer in space (then I remembered my rent check dues in two days... alas...).Being Elmo is not just a screen adaptation of Mr.Clash's incredible book, "My Life as a Furry Red Monster." It is a cinematic adventure that takes you through Kevin's journey and introduces you to a world of puppeteers who live and breathe to create childhood magic. You see and hear stories about the legendary Jim Henson, who is not just the name sake of a major company, but a real person whom Kevin Clash admired tremendously. You observe clips of the television shows that filled Kevin's childhood, and gain a true sense of gratitude for the wonder and excitement muppets once brought, and for many people, continue to bring, into our lives. Not only is the arch of Kevin's career inspirationally depicted, but the film is a cinematic collection of amazing footage. The amount of work that went obtaining rare footage of Jim Henson interviews, old television shows, and Kevin Clash's audition tapes, as well as the way in which the creative team re-created memories where footage does not exist, makes every last moment as visually relevant and exciting as Kevin's story is touching and fascinating. That is not to say that you leave the film wanting to work on Sesame Street. To the contrary, you realize that Being Elmo, or any other muppet for that matter, means holding your arms up for long stretches of time, contorting your body into strange positions to stay out of frame, and not getting personal recognition by the public even when you are the heart and soul of a character who is loved by millions. It is a tough job, and the people who do it make huge sacrifices. But you do leave the theater with a true appreciation for the people who dedicate their lives to teaching and inspiring children through the hand-y-work (pun intended again) of their furry friends. For anyone who has a heart, dream, child, or was a child, do yourself a favor, and let this film restore some of your magical-wide eyed wonder. And never forget, Elmo loves you!!!