Both of those series ended shortly afterwards however, and when Henson was casting for Labyrinth, Kevin Clash finally got the opportunity to work with his idol. Labyrinth led to a job with Sesame Street, where he remains to this day.
In A Puppeteer’s Journey, we understand why all of these people helped Kevin Clash so much. For one thing, his talent is undeniable. But the other element that comes through so clearly is just how good a man he has grown up to be. His personality comes through loud and clear, and it is little wonder why people would want to be there for him. On the one hand, he is a very warm and genuine person, and on the other, we find a bit of a scamp. It is a winning combination.
These qualities came together in a remarkable way shortly after he started at Sesame Street. The Elmo character was one that nobody at the Children’s Television Workshop had really “found.” Consequently, the Muppet was not used very much. At one point, Elmo was given to Kevin, to see what he could do with it.
Well, we all know how that turned out. When Kevin Clash took over Elmo, he became a Muppet superstar. In fact, Elmo became so popular that he was soon turned in to one of the biggest children’s toys ever, Tickle Me Elmo. One toy executive called the Tickle Me Elmo doll “The Beatles of toys.”
While we may not have known who the voice of Elmo was, we knew he had some very special qualities. On its face, Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’s Journey is the biography of the man behind one of the most popular Muppets of all time. But there is much more to this story. As we see Kevin Clash working with handicapped children, and the Make A Wish Foundation, we see him giving back, and paying it forward, as it were.
This is a film which reaffirms the basic good in people, and there are moments where I defy anyone not to shed a tear. Although it is unspoken, acting good and right seems to be the fundamental message here. By the end, things come full circle. A young girl is brought into the shop where the Muppets are made, and Kevin shows her around. Her questions are almost identical to the ones he was asking 30 years previously.
Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’s Journey is very highly recommended, and an encore presentation of it will be shown on Monday April 9, 2012 for anyone who misses the April 5 Independent Lens premiere.
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