Live for the Elmo-ment

Kevin Clash is the puppeteer behind Elmo, the adorable furry red monster of Sesame Street fame. He and Elmo are the stars of Being Elmo, a wonderful documentary that swept the film festival circuit a year ago. Puppeteering is often treated as a bit of a joke in movies—see: Being John Malkovich and Forgetting Sarah Marshall—but this film shows that it’s serious business, much to the benefit of children and parents everywhere.

I watched this today with Reed and Olivia, and we were mesmerized by what Clash and his fellow puppeteers do. I’m certain that you’ll also find the story of Kevin’s childhood and career trajectory equally mesmerizing, and I recommend that you see this in the near future—especially if you, your children, nieces, nephews, or grandchildren were ever enthralled by Sesame Street or the Muppets. If not, maybe this trailer will convince you of this film’s excellence.