I Get Around: BEING ELMO @ Hot Docs

I could sit here and try to critique this film, but the simple truth is that it’s pretty much critic proof. It has a few flaws – technical questions mostly, nothing that comes close to ruining things – but the simple truth is that BEING ELMO has three things going for it that will melt your heart.

It is a tribute to the genius that was Jim Henson.
Kevin Clash, the man behind the red fuzzy muppet is an inspiring study.
And spending any amount of time with Elmo is just so. much. fun!

Instead, I hope you’ll excuse me while I recount to you my experience at this screening. After I got to the theatre and had a pleasant conversation with a friendly volunteer about my doofy headphones, I went to the ticket-holders line where I found Matthew Brown and Sasha James right at the front. Where film festivals are concerned, there is a small amount of line-cutting that is permitted, so for me to see two friendly faces at the very front of the line was good news.

Once inside (by which point the other half of MaMo, Matthew Price had joined us) it was Matthew Brown’s idea to sit in the very front row. There were multiple reasons, but one of the best reasons was to force us all to completely drown in this film. It’s bright, it’s colourful, and it is primarily a happy experience. Thus, sitting down low and immersing ourselves in the doc was a fantastic way to experience it. There were a lot of laughs, and indeed a few tears, and by the time the credits rolled it was clear that we’d all seen something pretty special.

Then the other reason why Mr. Brown suggested the front row became quite clear – along with the director, DP, and producer, Kevin Clash himself was on stage to answer questions…and yes, he had the guest of honour in tow. Guess it goes without saying that the man got a standing ovation. There were more laughs to be had as the Q&A rolled along, and the session included many questions both for Kevin and for Elmo. Suffice it to say that the smile was pretty much cemented on my face through this part of the evening.

Finally, Kevin wanted to be sure that the handful of children who had come for the film got their moment, so a handful of lucky youngsters got to come on stage and meet their favorite muppet. And I can’t quite express why it happens or where it comes from, but there is just something about getting to see a kid get a hug from Elmo that brings a joyful tear to my eye.

It’s been a long week – as I’m sure I’ve said a few times – and I couldn’t possibly have chosen a better way to end it than with BEING ELMO. The film represented some real joy in what is often a crummy world, and the fact that I got to experience it flanked with some of my best friends just made it all so much more worthwhile