The defence The Sentimental Softie
“Sincerity is not manipulation.”
The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.
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Follow That Bird
Family · Comedy · Adventure · 1985
Big Bird is sent to live far from Sesame Street by a pesky social worker, who thinks it would be better for him to live with other birds. Unhappy, Big Bird runs away from his foster home, prompting the rest of the Sesame Street gang to go on a cross-country journey to find him.
Movie details
Follow That Bird
“It's Big Adventure! It's Big Laughs! It's Big Bird on the Big Screen!”
1985 Family · Comedy · Adventure 1h 28m
Critical arithmetic
One number, for now.
Scores change. Arguments endure.
TMDB
6.4 / 10
Community rating
Big Bird is sent to live far from Sesame Street by a pesky social worker, who thinks it would be better for him to live with other birds. Unhappy, Big Bird runs away from his foster home, prompting the rest of the Sesame Street gang to go on a cross-country journey to find him.
CriticWise case file
What this film says about your taste.
Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.
The archetype split
Who fights over Follow That Bird?
For the defence
The Sentimental Softie
“You came to feel something, and you will.”
Read their case For the prosecution
The Cool Ironist
“Feeling things is a little embarrassing.”
Read their objectionThe split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.
Taste neighbourhood
Nearby on the taste map.
TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.
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Mulan II
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The Jungle Book
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The Tigger Movie
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Where it lives
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Names above the title
The people responsible.
Cast & crew
Directed by
Ken Kwapis
Written by
Tony Geiss · Judy Freudberg
Caroll Spinney
Big Bird / Oscar the Grouch / Bruno the Trashman (voice)
Jim Henson
Kermit the Frog / Ernie (voice)
Frank Oz
Cookie Monster / Bert / Grover / Additional Muppets (voice)
Richard Hunt
Gladys the Cow / Feathered Friends Owl / Additional Muppets / Grouches (voice)
Kathryn Mullen
Feathered Friends Magistrate / Grouch Diner Patron / Little Girl / Additional Muppets (voice)
Jerry Nelson
Count von Count / Herry Monster / Additional Muppets (voice)
Paul Bartel
Grouch Cook
Court is in session
Put Follow That Bird on trial.
Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.
The prosecution The Cool Ironist
“The strings are showing.”
Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.