The Muppet Movie (1979)
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The story
Kermit the Frog lives a simple life in a Florida swamp until a talent agent encourages him to pursue a career in show business. Inspired, Kermit sets off on a cross-country trip to Hollywood. Along the way, he meets Fozzie Bear, a hapless stand-up comedian, and invites him to join the journey. However, they are pursued by entrepreneur Doc Hopper and his assistant Max, who want to recruit Kermit to be the spokesfrog for a struggling French-fried frog legs restaurant franchise. Horrified by the offer, Kermit and Fozzie continue their journey, encountering various other Muppets who share the same ambition of finding success in professional show business.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
The story opens with the Muppets watching a movie about how they met. Kermit the Frog leaves his Florida swamp for Hollywood after being encouraged by a talent agent. He picks up Fozzie Bear, and they are pursued by Doc Hopper, who wants Kermit to promote his frog legs restaurant. They meet the rock band Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem, who help them disguise their car. They are joined by Gonzo and Camilla the Chicken, and later Sweetums. At a county fair, Kermit meets Miss Piggy. Hopper abducts Piggy to lure Kermit, but she eventually knocks out the henchmen and gets a job offer, leaving Kermit devastated. The group picks up Rowlf the Dog and continues, but their car breaks down in the desert. The Electric Mayhem eventually rescues them in their bus. They are warned of an assassin, Snake Walker, and face him in a Western-style showdown in a ghost town. There, they meet Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and Beaker; an 'insta-grow' pill enlarges Animal, who scares off Hopper. Upon reaching Hollywood, they sign a contract with Lew Lord. Their first performance goes awry when Gonzo crashes into a prop rainbow, causing an explosion that reveals a real rainbow. Joined by characters from other Henson productions, they sing a reprise of 'Rainbow Connection' as the film ends.
- First release year
- 1979
- Runtime (minutes)
- 97
- Production countries
- United Kingdom; United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- James Frawley
- Writers
- Jerry Juhl · writer; Jack Burns · writer
- Cast and characters
- Jim Henson · Kermit the Frog; Frank Oz · Miss Piggy; Jerry Nelson · Floyd Pepper; Richard Hunt · Scooter; Dave Goelz · The Great Gonzo; Charles Durning · Doc Hopper; Austin Pendleton · Max; Dom DeLuise · Bernie
- Genres
- musical; road comedy; adventure
- Themes
- Ambition; Friendship; Persistence
- Tone and mood
- Surreal; Lighthearted; Musical
- Premise and plot tags
- Road Movie; Origin Story; Musical; Comedy
- Source material / true-story basis
- The Muppet Show
- Franchise connections
- The Muppets
- Reception
- The film received critical praise and was a commercial success, grossing $76.7 million on an $8 million budget. It was deemed culturally significant by the Library of Congress.
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · musical score and their song "Rainbow Connection" · nomination
- Production trivia
- The film was dedicated in memory of Edgar Bergen, who died shortly after completing his scenes.; One of the two 1951 Studebaker Commander 2-door sedans used in the film is now on display at the Studebaker National Museum in South Bend, Indiana.; The film was the first film by ITC Films to be released on home video.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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