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Jim Henson: Idea Man

DocumentaryBiography

A trip into the mind of creative visionary Jim Henson, from his early years puppeteering on local television to the worldwide success of Sesame Street (1969), The Muppet Show (1976), and beyond.

Year

2024

Duration

1h 51m

IMDb

7.7

Hero Poster

Cast

Ron Howard

Director

Jim Henson

Self - Filmmaker

Jim Henson

Self - Performer

Cast

Ron Howard

Director

Jim Henson

Self - Filmmaker

Jim Henson

Self - Performer

Jim Henson

Self - Creator of The Muppets

Frank Oz

Self - Filmmaker

Frank Oz

Self - Performer

Alex Rockwell

Self - Creative Assistant 1988 - 1990

Heather Henson

Self - Puppet Artist

Heather Henson

Self - Producer

Dave Goelz

Self - Puppeteer

Lisa Henson

Self - Producer

Lisa Henson

Self - Executive

Brian Henson

Self - Puppeteer

Brian Henson

Self - Director

Brian Henson

Self - Producer

Cheryl Henson

Self - Puppetry Arts Funder

Fran Brill

Self - Puppeteer

Fran Brill

Self - Actress

Bonnie Erickson

Self - Puppet Builder

Bonnie Erickson

Self - Costume Designer

Michael K. Frith

Self - Creative Director

Rita Moreno

Self - Actress

Rita Moreno

Self - Singer

Jennifer Connelly

Self

Julie Andrews

Self - Actress

Harry Belafonte

Self - Actor

Harry Belafonte

Self - Singer

Bernie Brillstein

Self - Jim's Agent

Maury Brown

Self - Jim's Grandfather

Dick Cavett

Self - Host, The Dick Cavett Show

Mark Monroe

Writer

Trailer

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Comments

10 Comments

Kofi KinaataMar 20, 2026

haddy GibbaSep 25, 2024

Nana Yaw WireduSep 25, 2024

اسلومه المدولي 🇱🇾Sep 25, 2024

This isn't the first documentary I've seen about Jim Henson but it's certainly one of the best. It combines fantastic access to archive materials, many of which I had never seen before, and a selection of insightful interviews with key collaborators and family members. Particular highlights are the footage of his early creations, including "Sam and Friends" on local TV and his experimental short films from the 60s, before the happy accident that was "Sesame Street". It's also good to see the important role his collaborator and soon-to-be-wife Jane played. I was slightly surprised to see that quite so many big names were involved in the production of the documentary. I suppose that indicates the status of Jim within the industry. Not to be dismissive of Ron Howard et al, but any documentary filmmaker could have done an equally good job if they had access to the same materials.

Patricia LawelaSep 25, 2024

A very complete and well made documentary by one of the most extraordinary persona in the 20 century, the great Jim Henson saved a lot of lifes back in the 80s including mine, he is my hero and Kermit was my friend as a child, my only friend, Sesame Street cast teach me compassion while hard times in school because I was getting bullied, these puppets helped le a lot back in the day, Creative can by used as a great power, i just miss the guy, other people admired, Stallone, Madonna or OJ simpson but my hero was Jim because he was a unique character an he has this extraordinary way of seeing the world, there is never going to be another jim Henson.

هند البلوشيSep 25, 2024

Jim Henson Idea Man is an earnest tribute to the life and legacy of a visionary. It celebrates puppetry for the incredible art form it is whilst offering a personal look at the effects of fame. It moves along at a satisfyingly easygoing speed up until the final stretch where it suddenly speed runs through a lot of major beats to get to the end but other than that it succeeds at being a beautiful and emotional documentary. Ron Howard's direction wisely imbues the film with a lot of colourful flourishes and a generally inventive nature in a noble attempt to match the creativity of his subject. It's the usual chronological narrative that charts Henson's life from his beginnings all the way to his untimely death and each little flourish works with the story it's telling, even through the end credits. The footage gathered is amazing and the anecdotes from the people in them are delightful and heartbreaking.

evita la capricieuse💕Sep 25, 2024

This is a simple standard biopic of this important man with his family and friends. There really shouldn't be any haters. It's not like the guy had some scary skeleton in his closet that is being secreted away by his supporters. He is one of most beloved stand up guy in the entertainment business. This is a straight forward telling from his childhood onwards. I love the old footages. I like seeing some of his other works. I'm not looking for a documentary with outrageous style coming from director Ron Howard. It is really about the admiration for the man and revisiting some lovely old friends.

farooque10Sep 25, 2024

I got a subscription to Disney Plus specifically so that I could see this movie and it paid off in a huge way. This is the most amazing documentary. I didn't know that much about Jim Henson before now and I learned so much about him, mostly that he was a wonderful, wonderful man. "Idea Man" packs a lot into its timeframe and not once did I look at the clock or press pause to see how far along I had gotten. Every segment was interesting and the segments on Sesame Street and The Muppet Show made me laugh out loud. I can see why this is titled "Idea Man". It's the perfect title. I liked that there wasn't a narrator but that there were interviews, footage, etc. I learned a lot about Jim Henson's family and his homelife and I didn't realize that he'd contributed so much to the creation of Sesame Street. It really is fascinating and such a wonderful tribute to Jim Henson.

M SJul 15, 2024

I thought this was great. This is a feature length tribute and biography to the great man that was Jim Henson. It features lots of the people who worked with him, and forms a wonderful education about who the man was and what he stood for. The talking heads don't get in the way, and there is a lot of rare footage to be seen and enjoyed as well. I didn't expect this to be as moving as it turned out being, and just hearing the ethos and beliefs that Jim Henson had proved to be inspiring. I hope people enjoy this well made documentary as much as I did and that it encourages Disney to do more with The Muppets.

Fadel00225Jul 15, 2024

Jim Henson is the movie-maker that got me into movies. When I saw The Dark Crystal at age five, I was never the same again. This was when I first felt that I simply had to know how movies get made. Later on, I became a fan of Muppets and Fraggles alike (yes, I got to the Skeksis before I got to Kermit, at least in terms of adoration) and by now, I consider Henson one of the most important creatives of the 20th century. He changed the way I take in art, and did this and insurmountably more to countless others around the world. Even all these years after his death, he touches generations of people through his colorful creations -- so lifelike, nay, alive in spite of so clearly not being "real". In Ron Howard's documentary, Jim Henson: Idea Man, we see most of his life laid out (albeit sometimes in disappointingly brief snippets), from his youth to his early TV gigs (like those 1950s Wilkins Coffee commercials where a Kermit prototype puppet commits murder indiscriminately); from the inception of Sesame Street to the rise of the Muppets and the bona fide celebrity status of Kermit and Miss Piggy; from the creation of The Dark Crystal (which also involved the opening of the Henson Creature Shop) to the disastrous release of the now-beloved Labyrinth. Meanwhile, we learn of his personal life and the way he inspired, not just us, but those around him. In one notable moment, Frank Oz recalls how Henson pushed for him to co-direct The Dark Crystal, as Henson felt he himself lacked something that he saw in Oz. The documentary is cleverly presented, making good use of projectors, stop-motion interludes, and some animations Henson himself created before the Muppet years. Unfortunately, it is missing -- or just barely mentions -- a lot of information about Henson's life that would have made this documentary go from good to great. Still, it is a worthy celebration of that Rainbow Connection (sorry) that Henson created between all of us.