Follow That Bird, Part 4: Bluebird of Despair

We're almost at the best part of the movie, so I hope you don't mind if I fast-forward a bit.  Because, in all of Sesame Street history, there is nothing quite like the "Bluebird of Happiness" scene.

The rest of the movie can't compete with this image right here.

How does Big Bird get in this position?  Well...*takes a deep breath*...

Super Grover flies/crashes into Gordon's car thinking that it's Big Bird because it's big and yellow...

At least he's safe now.

...everyone ends up in the town of Toadstool where, since Bob, being the expert tracker he is, figured that's where Big Bird would end up and intersect with the paths of the cars (Don't ask me why they had to take separate cars if they were all going to the same place anyway, because I don't know.)...

All roads lead to Toadstool.

...Big Bird ends up in the middle of the Toadstool annual parade and everyone sees him but the parade prevents anyone from getting close enough to catch him (And even if they did, only Miss Finch brought a car that could fit Big Bird. Everyone else's car is full of tag-along puppets that should have stayed home.)...

Why is there always a parade in these kind of movies?

...and to escape Miss Finch, Big Bird hides in the "hiding cage" of a pair of helpful strangers.

Seems legit.

Now that the Sleaze Brothers have finally caught Big Bird, they realize that everyone will become suspicious when they showcase the giant yellow bird that everyone is looking for.  So, they do the only sensible thing and paint him blue. 

This is heartbreaking to watch.

They dub him the "Bluebird of Happiness" and present him to the giant crowd of children waiting to see the rare creature.  For the "show," he is supposed to sing for the kids.  So he sings "I'm So Blue," and it is the saddest song ever featured in a Muppet movie.

In every journey story, the hero has his "I want to go back" moment.  Big Bird sings his melancholy tune as he tries to remain optimistic.  But he knows that he is trapped and escape is utterly hopeless.  He  remains on the verge of tears with each line he sings, as the audience of kids stare in bewilderment.  And these aren't just actors.  These are all extra kids called in to see Big Bird in his brand new movie and he has hit rock bottom.  I have no idea what could possibly be going through their mind or how many had to be reassured after filming that everything is alright and make-believe.

Seriously, the song's ironic take on chasing your dreams is the last thing anyone would expect to see in a Muppet film.  The lyrics are basically the antithesis of "The Rainbow Connection."  Take a look:

I'll never lose my dreams

Even though this time it seems

Like I'm such a long way

From any rainbows that might keep my dreams from fading

In a different context, this could be uplifting.  It could be just what Big Bird needs to pull himself up and get ready to take on the world.  But the world has finally beaten him down.  He has given up.  He has been changed for good.

Tomorrow, we finish the movie on a lighter note as a rescue mission is under way!  So, cheer up!

Follow That Bird, Part 2: On the Run

After reading Big Bird's depressing letter, Snuffy decides now is the time to visit his friend and lift hist spirits.  He sends a massive postcard detailing his plans and Big Bird is overjoyed.  He shares the news with his family, but hits a roadblock when they inquire about the type of bird Snuffy is.  When Big Bird tells them the truth, they forbid Snuffy from visiting, because birds are only supposed to be friends with birds.

So, Big Bird does what anyone would do in this situation and runs away in the middle of the night.

I'm sure he'll be just fine.

Soon, the news of Big Bird's disappearance hits the airwaves and that means it's time for our first celebrity cameo! Chevy Chase appears as the anchorman and, like Steve Martin and John Cleese before him, he makes the most of his one scene.

  

Never before has saying the name "Sesame Street" been so funny.

As the Sesame Street inhabitants watch, the report is turned over to our favorite reporter Kermit the Frog who explains that Big Bird has run away and intends to head back home.

 

I'm not sure if this counts as a cameo or not.

He interviews the Dodo family who are completely distraught over the loss of their new child. Wait, I meant they are completely excited to be on television and they leave the interview in order to watch themselves on TV. Yeah, we aren't supposed to care for these characters one bit.

 

The hatred of birds among children ages 3-7 increased 500% after this movie premiered.

Kermit then interviews Miss Finch who swears to hunt down Big Bird and kill him, I mean, return him to his "proper" family if it's the last thing she does. Big Bird watches her threat on a store's television set and psychs himself up for his "three-hour" journey (because it took two hours to fly there, and he knows walking will take longer, obviously).

I miss the days when all store windows had multiple TV sets showing plot-relevant news stories.

The gang on Sesame Street decide that the best course of action will be to split up and drive across the country in order to intercept Big Bird's path. Akin to It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, we get five wacky modes of transportation to follow:

1) Gordon, Olivia, Linda, and Cookie Monster are taking Gordon's VW, because it's smart to bring a monster that devours everything in sight on a rescue mission.

2) The Count heads off in his Countmobile alone, probably because no one wants to be stuck on a 24-hour car ride with the Count.

  

That's one! One person counting out loud the entire time! Ah-ah-ah!

3) Super Grover is going to fly by himself. Um, we don't want to end up with two missing Muppets, Mr. Movie!

4) Bert and Ernie take their biplane that they always have that Ernie knows how to fly like always.

5) And Maria and Telly Monster join Oscar in his Sloppy Jalopy, which comes with Homer the Honker, since the car's horn doesn't work. Oscar's only agreeing to help because he's sure they will end up coming home empty handed. Does that mean he thinks Big Bird is going to get killed? Probably.

 This is the cool car, by the way.  Shotgun!

As the gang fans out, Big Bird continues teaching all sorts of great lessons to the viewing audience, like it's a good idea to hitchhike with random turkey farmers because they'll probably turn out to be kindly country music sensation Waylon Jennings. And he'll sing you a nice tune encouraging you to stick to your decision to run away from your home.

"Ain't No Road Too Long" is this film's "Movin' Right Along."

But lurking on the sidelines is a pair of ne'er-do-well brothers named Sam and Sid Sleaze who run a shoddy carnival that swindles kids out of their well earned nickels.  Played by Joe Flaherty and Dave Thomas of SCTV, the Sleazes get an idea as to how to increase revenue at their crappy park.  They need to get their hands on that missing bird and make him their main attraction!

Now these guys are just what Sesame Street villains would be like: pure evil without any sense of realism.

Uh-oh!  Hopefully Big Bird will manage to stay far away from these two.  Tune in tomorrow to see if he does!  (Spoiler alert: he doesn't.)

With Great Power...

Remember the story of Icarus?  The boy who flew too close to the sun?  He is often used as an example of excessive hubris.  By not heeding to his father Daedalus's warnings, his wax-and-feather wings melted as he soared towards the sun, causing him to perish in the ocean below.

The Lament for Icarus (1898) - Herbert James Draper

Although pride is considered to be his downfall, there was no vanity involved in Icarus's flight.  It was pure exhilaration that brought him towards the sun.  He had harnessed powers incapable of any man and the sensation as ecstasy and adrenaline rushed through his body hindered his judgment.  He was now equal with the gods and he did not know how to handle it.  Like people who win the lottery and end up going broke, there is a responsibility that must be maintained with a sudden influx of power.

Poor Grover.  Through some as yet undiscovered means, mild-mannered Grover Kent had become blessed (cursed?) with the powers of a superhuman.  Great strength, quick reflexes, and, yes, flight.  Being Grover, he vowed only to use these powers for good.  But even with the best intentions in the world, it can take a long time to adjust to newfound abilities.

He's great at takeoffs.  Landings, not so much.

Like Icarus, the proper mechanics to a successful flight are lost on the young monster.  He causes more catastrophic destructions by performing his signature entrance than the Kool-Aid Man.  Fortunately, he has the resolve (and durability) to survive his brushes with death and can focus his energy on solving  crises.  Unfortunately, he retains the wisdom and attention span of a perpetual 4-year-old, so any problems that his powers could help solve are lost on those in peril.

In every scenario, Super Grover's presence goes unappreciated as the victims are able to solve their own issues.  Super Grover, at his best, is an individual who steps aside to let things sort themselves out.  It should be noted that he is rarely at his best.  By entering these situations, he causes more harm than help, causing the citizens of Metro City to dread his arrivals, rather than welcome them.  Take the next scene, for instance.  A young boy refuses to get a haircut for fear that it will hurt.  Grover, having never received a haircut, agrees with the boy's logic and instructs him to fight through the inevitable pain.

Not only does Grover's advice assuage the boy's fears in any way, it also informs the children at home that, yes, the barbershop is a place to be feared.  Had Grover not been granted these powers, he could have left well enough alone as the barber teaches us not to worry about a hair trim.  But, some define fate has bestowed these powers upon him, and so, Grover has no choice but to abuse them.

He does not intentionally flaunt his powers.  Nor does he believe himself to be better than anyone else.  If anything, he is the most noble creature who has powers such as these.  But his nobleness relies on his innocence and his innocence stems from his lack of experience.  While man may dream of god-like powers, they are not his to possess.  To master a superhuman ability is to remove yourself from humanity.  One cannot be both a human and a god.  The inexperience of youth was Icarus's true downfall, and Grover maintains the awareness that he is still learning.  These powers, while great, are not going to replace his education.  So, while Super Grover may not have yet mastered his flying skills, at least he is able to stay grounded.

And he stays cute, too.