Big Bird is sent to live far from Sesame Street by a pesky social worker named Miss Finch. Unhappy, he runs away from there, prompting the rest of the Sesame Street gang to go on a cross-cou... Read allBig Bird is sent to live far from Sesame Street by a pesky social worker named Miss Finch. Unhappy, he runs away from there, prompting the rest of the Sesame Street gang to go on a cross-country journey to find him.Big Bird is sent to live far from Sesame Street by a pesky social worker named Miss Finch. Unhappy, he runs away from there, prompting the rest of the Sesame Street gang to go on a cross-country journey to find him.
- Awards
- 1 nomination total
- Big Bird
- (voice)
- …
- Kermit the Frog
- (voice)
- …
- Cookie Monster
- (voice)
- …
- Biff
- (voice)
- …
- Mommy Dodo
- (voice)
- …
- Daddy Dodo
- (voice)
- Marie Dodo
- (voice)
- Donnie Dodo
- (voice)
- Miss Finch
- (voice)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Featured reviews
Big Bird is the central character in this film. A social worker, upon seeing that Big Bird doesn't live with other birds, sets him up with a Dodo family to be adopted.
Unfortunately he is not happy in his new surroundings, and runs away from home, trying to get back to Sesame Street. On the way home, he encounters adventure with all kinds of people, and discovers where he really wants to be. His true home, Sesame Street.
I recommend it for Sesame Street aged kids. The adults will enjoy the cameos.
The story is about a bunch of do-gooder birds trying to find Big Bird an actual family. They place him with a family of dodos in middle America and he turns out to prefer life back on Sesame Street...and his old friends miss him as well. So, these friends set off to find him...and at the same time Big Bird leaves and wanders about aimlessly looking for Sesame Street.
So why did I like this one? Well because although the film is oriented towards kids, there are some genuinely funny moments...mostly starring Oscar the Grouch. He opens the film with a cute and funny song and has many great moments throughout the movie...such as when he takes his friends to the grouch restaurant. And, if that isn't enough, there are plenty of other wonrderful cameos by the Sesame Street muppets...more than enough to satisfy viewers. Well written, sweet and enjoyable from start to finish...this is a Sesame Street film that's hard not to love.
And, speaking of Oscar, one of the many funny bits (this movie is packed with them, and all of the humor is safe for family viewing) is the Grouch diner. Look for Sandra Bernhard as a Grouch waitress. The cameos in this film are something else; Chevy Chase, John Candy, Sandra Bernhard, even Waylon Jennings, all devoted some of their time and talent to making this roundly enjoyable movie. And listen for the voice of Sally Kellerman as Miss Finch, the social worker from the Feathered Friends Society.
Not that all of this movie is funny and light-hearted. There's a few sad moments with Big Bird -- I always get choked up during the "One Shining Star" song, which features a three-part counterpoint with Bird, Mr. Snuffleupagus, and Olivia all singing about Big Bird being safe back at home. And the Sleaze Brothers' scenes are thinly disguised cartoon villainry. I don't know if any of the Sesame Street characters have SEEN villains before -- Oscar is the closest they have, but he's just Grouchy. He doesn't actually hurt anyone, and the Sleaze Brothers start out nice and friendly to Big Bird.
We learn quite a bit during this movie -- we learn that we should never order tossed salad in a Grouch restaurant, for example. We learn that it's never ok to jump from a moving vehicle -- unless we have Gordon's permission. And we learn our real home is where the people love and care about us. But, perhaps the most important lesson is that there are 258 fabulous credits! Hahahahahaha! (thunder and lightning sound here) And, from the filmmakers we learn that you CAN make a family film that includes the entire family (how many times have "family films" been suitable only for those family members still in diapers?) and refuses to preach? One of the many strengths of the Sesame Street characters is their ability to teach a lesson without shoving it down our throats. We never feel threatened or annoyed by these characters; we're always safe and welcome on Sesame Street.
I am amazed at the cast of this movie: Sandra Bernhard, Chevy Chase, Waylon Jennings, and Joe Flaherty just to name a few. They definitely add "spice" to an already good movie.
If you or your child is looking for a nice Sesame Street movie, I definitely recommend "Follow That Bird". I think it recently came out on DVD. If you have already seen it, you should see "Big Bird in Japan" or "Big Bird in China". However, they (especially "Big Bird in Japan")are a bit harder to find, and I don't think they're out on DVD yet, but they are on VHS. I do not recommend "The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland", however.
Did you know
- TriviaCaroll Spinney broke down in tears after filming the song "I'm So Blue".
- GoofsWhile trying to rescue Big Bird from the cage, a box of cookies moves from under Sid Sleaze's head to under his arm in the foreground.
- Quotes
Daddy Dodo: Excuse me, was there a big yellow bird on this plane?
Big Bird: Well, only me.
Mommy Dodo: [not catching on] Oh, too bad. Maybe he'll be on the next plane.
- Crazy creditsBig Bird pumps up a inflatable W and it floats up to become the Warner Bros logo. He then makes a 1, rue Sésame (1969) announcement: "Sesame Street is brought to you today by the letters W and B!"
- ConnectionsFeatured in Here's Looking at You, Warner Bros. (1993)
- SoundtracksSesame Street Theme
By Joe Raposo, Jon Stone, and Bruce Hart
- How long is Follow That Bird?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Languages
- Also known as
- Sesame Street présente: Suivez cet oiseau
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Gross US & Canada
- $13,961,370
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $2,415,626
- Aug 4, 1985
- Gross worldwide
- $13,962,404
- Runtime1 hour 28 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1