Brief Factual Information:
Title: The Muppet Movie
Director: James Frawely
Studio/Production Company: Henson Associates (HA)
Release Year: 1979
Title: The Muppet Movie
Director: James Frawely
Studio/Production Company: Henson Associates (HA)
Release Year: 1979
Prompts: Plot Summary: -Beginning: The film starts out with cars driving muppets through the "World Wide Studios" lot. The car pulls up to security and Statler and Waldorf tell the guard that they are there to heckle a muppet movie. The guard directs them to viewing room B. As the car drives away you now see all of the muppets waiting to watch the movie. Each of the muppets are different sizes, colors, and animals; it looks like a zoo in there. Kermit comes in and welcomes them to the first screening of the muppet movie. Kermit roles the film and then goes to the back of the theater to watch. While back there his nephew asks if this is about how the muppets really got started. Kermit says its "sorta approximately how it happened" and the movie begins. The beginning credits role while the camera movies through the clouds to reveal a rainbow. Music starts playing as the camera dips down and around to show a swamp area. Then you see Kermit singing "Rainbow Connection" (hence the rainbow). The song ends and a man starts rowing over to Kermit in a row boat yelling for help. He tells Kermit he is lost and he needs to get out of the swamp because he has a plane to catch. Suddenly the man, a Hollywood agent, gets and idea. He pulls out the paper and shows Kermit an add for an open Hollywood audition for frogs looking to become rich and famous. Kermit says no thanks, but the agent tells him with his talent he could make millions of people happy. Kermit takes Bernie the agents business card anyways, and Bernie goes on his way. Kermit keeps thinking about "Hollywood" and making "millions of people happy". Kermit leaves the swamp to bike into town only to see an add for "Doc Hopper's Frog Legs Coming Soon", which scares him. Kermit then heads to the "El Sleezo" cafe, a very dirty restaurant. This is when Kermit meets Fozzie bear. Fozzie is the failing comedy act at the cafe and Kermit goes on stage to dance with him in order to try to please the unhappy audience. While dancing Doc Hopper and his partner are shown excitedly watching Kermit from the window (it seems like they are the bad guys making a plan). Meanwhile the crowd doesn't seem impressed by the dancing and kick both muppets out. Kermit then convinces Fozzie to come with him to Hollywood. As they leave in Fozzie's car (given to him by his hibernating uncle) Doc Hopper's limo follows them. Doc Hopper then stops the two friends' car and confronts Kermit about an opportunity to work with him to perform for his adds for the frog leg restaurant. Kermit turns down the offer which angers Doc. Kermit and Fozzie continue on their journey (singing moving right along). On their journey they even run into Big Bird, who is going to New York to make it on Public Television (pbs kids). Then they see a Doc Hopper billboard. Kermit realizes his face is on it and Doc comes out to continue to persuade him to work for him. Once again Kermit says no. When Fozzie and Kermit keep on driving they end up stopping at a church and meet the band Electric Mayhem (more muppets). -Middle: Kermit and Fozzie fall asleep. Electric Mayhem paints their car to disguise it while sleep (singing Can You Picture That?). Kermit and Fozzie wake up to find the car painted elaborate colors and hit the road again after thanking Electric Mayhem (they won't come with). While on the road (with Movin' Right Along playing again) Doc and Max find them because how many bears and frogs are driving around. Luckily the car is able to blend in with a brightly colored billboard and they get away from Doc. Continuing on their journey they hit cars with Gonzo (and his chicken) so they them to go to Hollywood, too. All four of them decide to trade in both cars for a bigger car at Mad Man Mooney's Hub Cap Heaven. They get a bigger car and are "Movin' Right Along" again. The group takes another stop at a county fair and meet Miss Piggy the beauty queen. Finally Kermit and Miss Piggy's eyes meet and "Never Before" starts playing, it is love. Then Missy Piggy invites herself to go to Hollywood, but they have to leave quick because Gonzo is floating away with balloons. While chasing Gonzo down to try to catch him in the car Doc Hopper sees them. They are able to catch Gonzo and lose Hopper. The gang stops at a hotel for the night and Piggy invites Kermit for a romantic dinner. At the dinner they meant Rolf the piano playing dog. Then Piggy goes to call her agent, leaving Kermit at the table sad. He goes up to Rolf and they sing "I Hope Something Better Comes Along". -End: Now Kermit has a call. He answers the phone to hear Miss Piggy calling for help because Doc kidnaped her. Doc says he will kill Miss Piggy if Kermit doesn't go outside to Doc's men to work for him. Doc ties up both Piggy and Kermit in a basement where a doctor is going to hypnotize Kermit to Doc's bidding. Piggy is so angry by this she fights all the men and saves Kermit. Another call comes through and it's from Miss Piggy's agent. There is a commercial opportunity and she is going to take it leaving Kermit heartbroken. All of a sudden it is back to the theater because there is something wrong with the film. Once it is fixed and the movie is about to begin again Kermit tells his nephew that this is the patriotic part. The movie starts up again with them back on the road, Fozzie singing "America the Beautiful", and scenes of America. Then it is back to Doc, he got a specialized frog hunter to get Kermit. Back to the gang, on the road they pick up a hitchhiker that just happens to be Miss Piggy. Kermit lets her come but is mad at her. On the radio an announcement plays saying if Kermit won't be Doc's spokesman he will die. Kermit says that they'll be okay because he still won't do it. Next the engine breaks on the muppets' car so they must camp the night hoping someone will find them and help. They think they will miss their auditions tomorrow, all are very sad and Gonzo sings "I'm Going To Go Back There Someday". Kermit is beginning to regret leaving the swamp and making all of his new friends sad. But then what if he didn't do it...he wouldn't have made these new friends. Then Electric Mayhem shows up singing "Movin Right Along" and Kermit regains hope because Electric Mayhem is going to give them a ride. On the road they get pulled over by a cop. The cop turns out to be Max warning them that Doc has a frog killer who is going to kill Kermit. Kermit tells Max to tell Doc to meet him at the ghost town up ahead. Kermit says he can't keep running and must face his bully. At the ghost town Kermit meets Dr. Honeydew and Beaker. Doc Hopper arrives and Kermit tries to convince him to leave him alone. Kermit says that he has a dream that he will be able to sing and dance and make people happy with his friends and that makes them a happy family. Doc is going to kill Kermit anyways until Animal becomes giant with the help of Dr. Honeydew and scares Doc Hopper and company away. Excitedly the gang keeps going to and arrives in Hollywood. Once in Hollywood they go to audition for Mr. Lord and get the "Rich and Famous Contract". Finally their dreams came true and they start to create the movie they were all watching in the beginning. | -Moral of the story: is to follow your dreams. You should do what is good and what makes you happy not what someone with a lot of power forces you to do, if it isn't for good. Target Audience: This film is rated "G", which means it is appropriate for all ages. I would say it is better suited for ages 4 and up because it may be too hard to follow for younger ones. But there are also jokes and references that children of any age won't understand which is what makes it loved by adults as well. Characters/Descriptions: (in order that they appear in the film) -Statler and Waldorf: they are human looking muppets who appear to be old men that "heckler" everybody and everything. -Miss Piggy: is the "diva" of the group. She is a pig, who is always dressed in pink and always dramatic. She is also involved in a romantic relationship with Kermit the Frog. -Fozzie Bear: is the comedian of the group, "waka waka". He is a brown bear that always wears a little dark brown hat. -Kermit the Frog: is the leader of the group. He brought the group together and wants to perform to make people happy. - Bernie: is a Hollywood agent -Doc Hopper: is the owner of Dr. Hopper's Fried Frog Legs. He will do anything to get Kermit to work for him doing TV adds. (human) -Max: is Doc's assistant. (human) -Electric Mayhem: is a band of very colorful muppets (they include Animal). -Scooter: is Electric Mayhem's road manager who organizes everything. Gonzo: is a "plumbing artist" or "prince of the plumbers" but dreams of becoming a movie star. -Rolf: is the piano playing muppet dog. -Dr. Honeydew and Beaker: scientist and his assistant who do their experiments in the ghost town. Soundtrack Description: -Genre/Style: The style of music in this film is categorized under children's and soundtrack. But more specifically it has a pop sound with a jazzy feel. Overall it is very upbeat with a few "ballad" type songs. The songs each have more repeating choruses than most songs you hear on the radio do which makes them catchy for young children and even easier for them to sing-a-long with. -Role of Music: In this film the role of music is to help with the progression of events by progressing the action faster, setting the new scene, or portraying the new emotion. The film starts with "Rainbow Connection". In this song Kermit sings about "the lovers the dreamers and me". This introduces you to Kermit and his ideals, so this sets the scene and emotion for Kermit. The next song is "Movin' Right Along". During this song Fozzie and Kermit are driving across the country to Hollywood. It progresses the events of them driving. Also it sets the scene of them driving because the song plays every time they are in a car. Then comes "Can You Picture That". This song takes place when the band is "disguising" Fozzie's car. It helps progress the action of them painting and Fozzie and Kermit sleeping. It also introduces you to the band Electric Mayhem. After that the next song is "Never Again, Never Before" which is a ballad between Kermit and Piggy. It's point is to show their love and set up the emotion between them. Next comes "I Hope Something Better Comes Along". This is when Kermit thinks Piggy doesn't like him so it shows his heartbreak and sadness. After that is "I'm Going Back There Someday" sung by Gonzo. The purpose of this song is to show the emotions the gang is feeling when they don't think they are going to make it to Hollywood. Finally, the finale song sets the scene and wraps up the whole film, even tying in "Rainbow Connection". -Critique: -Stereotypes/Ideologies of race: In this film there isn't much talk of race. This is because the main characters are muppets. Muppets appear to be without race because they are usually animal puppets. But there are a few that seem more human and what makes these muppets seem not human and that is their color. They brightly colored (pinks, greens, reds, blues) instead of skin tone colors (tans, peaches, browns). The only time we really see race portrayed in this film is the few times real humans appear. These humans are people of power and are all white. This suggests that the filmmakers believe that people of power are white. -Stereotypes/Ideologies of gender: Kermit the Frog is the main character and is male he is the one going on this journey to become famous and ends up becoming the leader of the group. It is not till past the middle of the movie that the group finally gets a female member. They pick up Miss Piggy at a beauty pageant, something seen as stereotypically female. Most ideologies put men, instead of women, in power and that is what happens in this film. -Stereotypes/Ideologies of class: In the beginning Kermit is living in a swamp and rides his bike places. He appears to be not financially well. He also meets all of his new friends in similar situations. In the end they get the "Rich and Famous" clause which is what people think of when they think of the "Good Life". The "Good Life" of a celebrity is having money and being well known and thats exactly what they get in the end. -What techniques could you borrow for your own classroom and with work with children: -Other evaluations: This film was very different from the other film and TV shows I watched. Each of those had an educational background. This one, while it did have a "moral of the story", was more for entertainment and fun. This film had humor and spectacle. The humor in this film was a lot of Kermit being thrown around (laughing at other's pain) or very literal things that a child would understand (a fork in the road was actually a fork). Everything was brightly colored which draws children's attentions in. The characters (muppets) all look like stuffed animals which will also draw children in because of the lovable and familiar aspect of stuffed animals. There was also song that adds to the talking that takes up most films. Songs also have that familiar beat (children get that from the mother's heart while in the womb). Music, bright colors, familiar looking characters and bits of humor make up a good children's film. |
The Muppet Movie Trailer
Rainbow Connection (song)
Movin' Right Along (song)
Can You Picture That (song)
Never Before, Never Again (song)
I Hope That Something Better Comes Along (song)
America The Beautiful (song)
I'm Going To Go Back There Someday
The Magic Store (finale song)
The Muppet Movie IMDB Page:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0079588/?ref_=nv_sr_1
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0079588/?ref_=nv_sr_1