Sundance 2021: Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street Review

This will be one of many reviews during this year’s Sundance Film Festival, to keep up with our latest coverage, click here.

Being a big fan, it’s hard not to have an obvious bias when it comes to Jim Henson and The Muppets. The Muppets were a supply of warmth, comfort and growth in a much needed time and were an integral part in my upbringing. Take for instance Sesame Street, a bright and lively TV series that was a political statement, proving that diversity and unity were possible without wallowing in its politics. Once Walt Disney said about his Disney Parks that his first goal was to entertain and once he got your attention, his goal was to inform and educate. This perfectly describes the mission of Sesame Street and to see the creative process of the show visualized on screen was very inspirational. One of the only issues with Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street was how short it was. The subject matter of the film would have been better served as a docuseries, truly showing the family aspect of the crew behind the series. While it was clear they were all very close, because of time constraints, viewers only get treated to this in a few key scenes.

Regardless, Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street was certainly still impactful and inspiring. The film was a very personal watch, showing that it was possible to make smart, sophisticated and important entertainment that can make the world a bit of a better place. I’m so thankful for Jim Henson and the creative magic he brought to the industry at large. It’s simply amazing to see all the puppeteers working on the series and how their characters brought personal catharsis to their lives.

Dang it I’m gonna choke up again.

still courtesy of Sundance

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Brett Schutt

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