Beloved children’s performers are experiencing somewhat of a cultural moment over the last few years. With documentaries charting the legacy of Mr. Rogers and Ernie ‘Mr. Dressup’ Coombs (not to mention the Rogers biopic starring Tom Hanks), there have been multiple projects celebrating the impact that these television pioneers have had over the years. Each of these projects spend their time exploring their vision to change the lives of children everywhere, helping them to deal with a world of change and struggle.
But Jim Henson, Idea Man sets itself apart by taking a slightly different approach.
Directed by Ron Howard, Jim Henson, Idea Man tells the story of Jim Henson, visionary artist and originator of the Muppets. In a career spanning more than three decades, Henson may have created beloved characters such as Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy and the crew from Sesame Street but also had a rambunctious edge that made his work accessible to adults. Idea Man explores the madness in his mind as he changed television forever.
In Idea Man, Howard portrays Henson as a man who wanted to break down assumptions about entertainment. Unlike Rogers or Coombs, Henson’s interests were not exclusively focused on helping children. Instead, Henson believed in the power of his art, willing to push boundaries of visual expression. What excited him was the ability to help people see that puppetry was not exclusive to kids’ entertainment.
Because of this, in some ways, it’s ironic that his creations are best known as kids programming. To Henson, humour wasn’t restricted to the preschool age and he worked tirelessly to bring that sort of sensibilities to his Muppets. While Sesame Street may have cemented his legacy as a kid’s performer, Henson always wanted to experiment. Suddenly, counting to twelve became an opportunity to create wild visuals and puppets could tap into real world issues. Similarly, The Muppet Show was meant as more adult entertainment (and even first premiered on Saturday Night Live). Yes, Jim Henson is an iconic voice in the world of children’s television. But he also fully believed that the boundaries for storytelling were endless.
It’s this ingenuity that Howard chooses to focus upon in Idea Man. Here, we see that Henson was never limited by anything other than his own imagination. To him, magic was everywhere. Whether it’s Kermit the Frog teaching children the alphabet or the dark fantasy of Labyrinth, Henson knew that puppetry was merely another form of storytelling that could tap into the cultural lifeblood.
For Henson, every idea was worth exploring.
This heartbeat of innovation makes Jim Henson, Idea Man something truly special. While nostalgia and sentiment are key to the film’s affections, it also has a maturity that highlights the relevancy of these creation. Just like Henson himself, Idea Man knows that these Muppets can defy expectations.
Jim Henson, Idea Man is available on Disney+ on Friday, May 31st, 2024.
