Many of the things I loved most as a child have turned out
to be terrible. The Kansas City Royals. The Kingston Trio. The
Republican Party. Happily, Follow That Bird is not on that
list. Sure, it's the Muppet picaresque formula made palatable for '80s
tots. But from its opening scenes, it maintains a thread of loss and
melancholy—the songs, co-written by Van Dyke Parks, help a lot here—that
warns maybe the suburban American Dream is going to be a little
disappointing. "I should be happy," Big Bird writes his Sesame Street
friends. "What's wrong with me?" Nothing this movie can't salve. Laurelhurst, 9:40 pm nightly, 1:30 pm Saturday-Sunday.
- Best paired with: New Belgium Blue Paddle Pilsener.
- Also showing: 127 Hours (Hollywood, Laurelhurst).
WWeek 2015