Jim Henson: Idea Man is now streaming on Disney+.
Let’s start with a simple statement: Jim Henson was an artistic genius, a one-of-a-kind, never-to-be-repeated visionary who built a world of wonder that has never quite been the same since his death, at the age of just 53.
When Jim Henson died on May 16, 1990, a large piece of my childhood felt like it had gone too; I was unable to adequately voice that at the time, but it was the same feeling I had years later when Christopher Reeve lost his battle with paralysis and joined the stars in the night sky. The years since Jim’s death have somehow felt darker, despite his creations living on through Disney and the family-owned Henson Company; therefore, to spend two hours in his presence again is a real treat as Ron Howard’s loving tribute to the man and the genius brings us archive footage, interviews and discussions with his family, friends and colleagues.
Jim Henson: Idea Man explores how Kermit was an extension of Jim, an alter-ego who said everything he couldn’t; it explores the occasional darkness of his artistic journey and the need to push boundaries and the lasting legacy of his work from Sesame Street to The Muppets, Labyrinth and The Jim Henson Creature Workshop while equally celebrating his role as a mentor to a new generation of puppeteers and artists.
Many critics have commented on whether it delves enough into his marriage and family life. Some parts of Jim’s life indeed get a soft touch from Howard. Still, he doesn’t shy away from Henson’s workaholic tendencies, including his damaging need to push himself to the breaking point for art and the effect of that drive on his marriage to Jane and his family life.
Thank you, Jim Henson, for everything you brought to our world, and thank you, Ron Howard, for so dutifully exploring Henson’s ability to bring joy and creativity to a whole generation who have never forgotten Jim and Jane’s creations. Jim Henson: Idea Man is a beautiful love letter to a man who changed puppetry, TV, film, and visual effects forever, and to a woman who encouraged, strengthened, and led that creativity without ever receiving the credit she deserved.
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