Jim Henson, creator of the Muppets and voice of Kermit the frog, started manning the puppets on a local D.C. television show when he was just eighteen. Over the next three-plus decades, his seemingly inexhaustible creativity and drive brought him enormous fame, first on the groundbreaking PBS kids’ program Sesame Street, then with the Muppet franchise (on TV and film), ending with a series of live action features. Though his workaholism ultimately ended his marriage to wife Jane, he kept close to her and his five children by bringing them into the business, with creative partner Frank Oz always by his side. 

For this colorful, wildly entertaining doc, Howard and team assembled a treasure trove of archival footage to trace Henson’s incredible rise, starting with fifties television, when his distinctive puppet characters first broke through on live programming and commercials. Vintage clips from Sesame Street  and The Muppet Show remind us how special his voice was, at once innocent and clever, and always funny. Henson later helmed wildly ambitious features like Labyrinth (1986) that were commercial disappointments. Interviews with various Henson family members and partner Frank Oz help humanize this creative dynamo. His sudden death in 1990 from pneumonia shocked the world. Still, as this touching film demonstrates, he accomplished so much in the time he had, and we are the beneficiaries.