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BEING ELMO: A PUPPETEER'S JOURNEYMovie Reviews
Documentary about Kevin Clash, the puppeteer who brings Elmo the Muppet to life, examining his background, working methods and insight into how he informs Elmo's personality. Cast:Bill Barretta, Fran Brill, Kevin Clash, Joan Ganz CooneyDirector:Constance MarksRelease Date:October 21, 2011DVD Release:April 3, 2012From:Submarine EntertainmentLength:1 hr 20 min
APRIL 3, 2012
Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey, Very Good Reviews (Doc) Key Cities
Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey played in key cities to very good reviews. • Carrie Rickey wrote in the Philadelphia Inquirer, "...the film about the moppet who became a Muppeteer is about the power of imagination and emotional connection." • And Tom Long wrote in the Detroit News, "If you don't walk away from this movie feeling good about the universe, you're in the wrong universe." More Reviews Below...
Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey Positive Reviews (28 Reviews, reviews below)
Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...a marvelous movie.... Kevin Clash was the first African-American to work as a Muppeteer, and 'Being Elmo' shows you why that mattered..."(See all of Owen Gleiberman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 284 words, 11/04/11
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "...at the Muppet works, we see countless drawers filled with eyeballs, eyebrows, whiskers and wigs. It's the only world Kevin wanted to live in, and he made it."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 432 words, 11/25/11
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (10 Reviews)
Neil Genzlinger, New York Times: GOOD "...likable... a little light on details... otherwise this is a winning tale of the persistence and creativity behind one of the most famous and fuzziest faces in the world."(See all of Neil Genzlinger's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 275 words, 10/21/11
Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...a generous, heartwarming story. For any adult feeling overwhelmed by bad news and dark times, your antidote is right here."(See all of Elizabeth Weitzman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 189 words, 10/21/11
Sheri Linden, Los Angeles Times: GOOD "...the film's most revelatory sequences involve intimately scaled encounters with children... The kids smile, and the emotion in Clash's face requires no explanation."(See all of Sheri Linden's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 258 words, 11/04/11
Sara Stewart, New York Post: VERY GOOD(cg) "Cash is so visibly thrilled to work in Henson's weird and wonderful world, and so good at bringing joy to little kids, you'd have to be a true Grouch not to be moved."(See all of Sara Stewart's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 204 words, 10/21/11
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "...at the Muppet works, we see countless drawers filled with eyeballs, eyebrows, whiskers and wigs. It's the only world Kevin wanted to live in, and he made it."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 432 words, 11/25/11
Melissa Anderson, Village Voice/LA Weekly: FAIR "...rushes through the intriguing points its interviewees bring up to devote more time to banalities.... we must endure Whoopi Goldberg's snoozy voice-over..."(See all of Melissa Anderson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 251 words, 10/19/11
Bruce DeMara, Toronto Star: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...a documentary that feels a bit tedious by journey's end.... 'Being Elmo' is going to leave you feeling like its titular creation: warm and fuzzy."(See all of Bruce DeMara's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 409 words, 03/16/12
Marsha Lederman, Toronto Globe & Mail: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...a standard, two-dimensional portrait of a guy who followed his dreams... It's a long street to travel down for what winds up being a ho-hum journey."(See all of Marsha Lederman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 710 words, 03/16/12
Glenn Sumi, Toronto Now: WEAK(cg) "...when his hand isn't stuffed in a puppet, Clash is simply a pleasant man who wishes he'd spent more time with his daughter.... There's little tension and not much at stake."(See all of Glenn Sumi's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 239 words, 03/15/12
KEY CITIES (9 Reviews)
Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post: MODERATE(cg) "...sweet, if lightweight... The film is filled with so much insider Muppet lore that, at times, it strains even the goodwill that Clash generates."(See all of Michael O'Sullivan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 375 words, 11/11/11
Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...the film about the moppet who became a Muppeteer is about the power of imagination and emotional connection.... a captivating story..."(See all of Carrie Rickey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 337 words, 10/28/11
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: VERY GOOD(cg) "From the time Clash was old enough to have a conception of a career, he dreamed of working with Jim Henson's troupe..."(See all of Colin Covert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 137 words, 11/18/11
Walter Addiego, San Francisco Chronicle: VERY GOOD(cg) "Young Kevin was so smitten with the Muppets that he risked parental wrath by cutting up his father's coat for puppet material."(See all of Walter Addiego's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 296 words, 12/16/11
Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...you can't do much better than Constance Marks' sweet documentary about the man behind that helium-voiced 'Sesame Street' monster, furry red Elmo."(See all of Moira Macdonald's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 291 words, 11/04/11
Shawn Levy, Portland Oregonian: EXCELLENT(cg) "...a light and lightly inspiring film, showing how an unlikely passion can transform into not only a career but a cultural mainstay."(See all of Shawn Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 246 words, 11/23/11
Joe Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: VERY GOOD(cg) "From a treasure chest of historic footage and touching interviews... shows us the man behind a lovable Muppet and the craft behind a magical art form."(See all of Joe Williams's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 405 words, 12/02/11
Tom Long, Detroit News: EXCELLENT(cg) "...a story about a life mostly gone right. If you don't walk away from this movie feeling good about the universe, you're in the wrong universe."(See all of Tom Long's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 393 words, 02/03/12
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (7 Reviews)
Melissa Anderson, Village Voice/LA Weekly: FAIR "...rushes through the intriguing points its interviewees bring up to devote more time to banalities.... we must endure Whoopi Goldberg's snoozy voice-over..."(See all of Melissa Anderson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 251 words, 10/19/11
Katey Rich, Cinema Blend: EXCELLENT(cg) "...goes into enough detail to give a really good sense of what makes a good puppeteer.... only when Clash imagined Elmo as a hug-loving child did he truly take off."(See all of Katey Rich's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 476 words, 01/26/11
Noel Murray, AV Club: EXCELLENT(cg) "...an uplifting story about a talented, dedicated guy, who was well-supported at home and professionally, and who tries to repay his good fortune by sharing his knowledge..."(See all of Noel Murray's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 349 words, 10/20/11
Andrew Schenker, Slant: POOR(cg) "...feels puffed up... likely the result of the director not wanting to dig too deep either into its subject's personal travails or into what constitutes the art of the puppeteer."(See all of Andrew Schenker's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 483 words, 10/16/11
Glenn Sumi, Toronto Now: WEAK(cg) "...when his hand isn't stuffed in a puppet, Clash is simply a pleasant man who wishes he'd spent more time with his daughter.... There's little tension and not much at stake."(See all of Glenn Sumi's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 239 words, 03/15/12
HIGHBROW PRESS (3 Reviews)
Neil Genzlinger, New York Times: GOOD "...likable... a little light on details... otherwise this is a winning tale of the persistence and creativity behind one of the most famous and fuzziest faces in the world."(See all of Neil Genzlinger's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 275 words, 10/21/11
Linda Holmes, NPR: VERY GOOD "...a fairly straightforward but very good documentary about the translation of talent into a livelihood, and it's very much worth seeing..."(See all of Linda Holmes's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 732 words, 10/20/11
Sheri Linden, Los Angeles Times: GOOD "...the film's most revelatory sequences involve intimately scaled encounters with children... The kids smile, and the emotion in Clash's face requires no explanation."(See all of Sheri Linden's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 258 words, 11/04/11
MOVIE INDUSTRY (5 Reviews)
John Anderson, Daily Variety: GOOD "...the story of the linebacker-sized Kevin Clash -- the hand, voice and soul of the beloved Muppet -- and how they both got where they are."(See all of John Anderson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 447 words, 01/24/11
Justin Lowe, Hollywood Reporter: EXCELLENT "...wonderfully enhanced by an incredible timeline of home video, archival footage and TV clips illustrating the arc of Clash's career."(See all of Justin Lowe's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 603 words, 01/27/11
Sheri Linden, Los Angeles Times: GOOD "...the film's most revelatory sequences involve intimately scaled encounters with children... The kids smile, and the emotion in Clash's face requires no explanation."(See all of Sheri Linden's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 258 words, 11/04/11
Michael T. Dennis, Cinema 24/7: VERY GOOD(cg) "...pulls aside the curtain to explore the emotional investment that performers, exemplified by Elmo-worker Kevin Clash, make in their chosen profession."(See all of Michael T. Dennis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 805 words, 10/03/11
Neil Genzlinger, New York Times: GOOD "...likable... a little light on details... otherwise this is a winning tale of the persistence and creativity behind one of the most famous and fuzziest faces in the world."(See all of Neil Genzlinger's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 275 words, 10/21/11
18.7 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey's reviews are separated by an average 18.7 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey (28 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey's reviews cover 32.5% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 10,538 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 376 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey Coverage, Volume & Length (28 Reviews, reviews below)
Reviews Broke 7 Days After Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey's reviews on average broke 7 days after opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey (28 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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