It’s fitting that Ron Howard‘s documentary “Jim Henson Idea Man” gets its name from the man himself. During an early bit of voiceover, we hear the “Sesame Street” and “Muppets” creator describe his take on just what it is he does: Idea man. Nothing more, nothing less.
As the film winds on, others are more lofty in their estimations. Henson was a “man with a purpose,” a superhuman, someone for whom terms like “incredibly productive” can’t do justice. He “wanted to do more than was humanly possible,” one of Henson’s adult children tells us. Howard’s film reminds us how true that was during Henson’s lifetime and into his continuing legacy.
Henson was a puppeteer and creator of everything from The Muppets to “Fraggle Rock,” an animator and actor, a TV genius (Henson’s fingerprints are still on every element of “Sesame Street”), and a filmmaker (“The Dark Crystal,” “Labyrinth”). He made experimental films. He had endless ideas for Broadway shows. He was a consummate collaborator. He was Kermit the Frog, for goodness sake.
But who was he? What drove him? Where did the ideas come from? Henson’s longtime collaborator and friend Frank Oz says it early, and it sticks: There is no one answer.
But Howard and his team certainly try. They cobble together an enviable trove of archival material (chatter during a 1986 photoshoot provides many of Henson’s own thoughts on his work, including the film’s title), footage from his many projects, and fresh interviews with essential voices. Howard doesn’t skimp on talking heads, including Oz, much of Henson’s family (including his clear-eyed kids), and stars like Jennifer Connolly and Rita Moreno.
There’s plenty to mythologize about Henson. Here’s a guy who didn’t grow up with puppets and somehow became the preeminent puppet luminary of contemporary American life. That may sound like a silly sentence — one that Henson might have loved for that very reason — but it’s also the truth.
Howard avoids the easy traps of making a documentary about a beloved person. He doesn’t mythologize. He doesn’t paper over. He doesn’t cut corners. Howard’s obvious affection for Henson and his work doesn’t seem to be rooted in the myth, but in the man, who was — of course! — complicated and not without fault. In a documentary landscape rife with both star-fronted documentaries and other hagiographic entries, Howard leans into honesty. The film is so much better for it, even as it can’t quite capture the full magic and scope of Henson’s life and work. What could?
Henson wasn’t someone who grew up with some burning affection for puppets, but he was someone who grew up with television and, man, was he obsessed with it. His desire to work in the growing medium of TV led him to puppetry. At 18, a local D.C. station hired him to man the puppets on a Saturday morning TV show. From there, Howard ticks us through the broad strokes of Henson’s early life (his mother’s Christian Science faith; his close relationship with his brother; meeting Jane, the woman who would become his wife and creative partner). The timeline is a little creaky, but things pick up when Jim and Jane start building their own puppet-filled world.
Howard guides us through the big moments (meeting Frank Oz and Jerry Juhl; the struggle of using his creativity to make ads) and we finally get to the creation of The Muppets. The film contains wonderful bits of trivia about all of Henson’s work, and it would be tough to imagine a Henson fan who doesn’t get a bit misty when Kermit first arrives (famously, made from a ping-pong ball and his mother’s old coat) or laugh heartily as Miss Piggy barrels her way into the world. It’s joyous and a little sad, which is exactly what so many of the people sound like when talking about Henson.
Howard is no stranger to bringing cinematic life to many real stories. A number of his narrative hits sprang from true events (“Apollo 13,” “A Beautiful Mind,” “Frost/Nixon,” “Cinderella Man”), while “Jim Henson Idea Man” joins his growing documentary slate that includes films about The Beatles, Luciano Pavarotti, and the Paradise wildfire. Howard knows the beats to hit: While the film maintains a gentle undercurrent of unease (how could someone like Henson ever really feel fulfilled?), the director ratchets it up in the final act.
As Henson’s star rose, his family life suffered. His bond with Jane fractured. His kids didn’t see him. His health declined. He made questionable financial decisions. He poured himself into projects that didn’t pan out. Howard doesn’t shy from walking us through the complicated years that would become Henson’s last ones. They don’t diminish his legacy; they humanize a person who would have wanted nothing more than that.
By the time Howard gets to the heart-shredding finale — including scenes from the iconic pair of memorials celebrating Henson’s life for which he, of course, provided notes and directions — Howard’s film will have accomplished the most it could for such a singular person. We feel as if we know him better and we appreciate his work more. What an idea.
Grade: B+
“Jim Henson Idea Man” premiered at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival. It will start streaming on Disney+ on Friday, May 31.
