Minor Movie Mentions

The following is a list of Muppet Mentions made in movies outside of the Henson/Sesame fold, all of which are too brief or minor to constitute having their own page in the Movie Mentions category. See also: Minor TV Mentions and Documentary Mentions.

All Nighter
In the 2017 film about the adventures of an estranged father (J.K. Simmons) and ex-boyfriend (Emile Hirsch) of a seemingly missing girl, the father refers to the ex as Kermit several times due to his banjo playing.

Another Perfect Stranger
A 2007 film about a teenage girl who has conversations about life and religion with a stranger she meets on an airplane. In one scene, a woman is holding a baby who is wearing Elmo overalls.

Argo
In this 2012 Best Picture Oscar-winning movie, Ben Affleck plays CIA agent Tony Mendez who's trying to convince his superiors to agree to his plan for the rescue of six US Embassy employees in 1980 Iran. When meeting with Cyrus Vance (US Secretary of State) and Stansfield Turner (Director of Central Intelligence ), his boss Jack O'Donnell tells him, "Brace yourself. It's like talking to those two old fucks on the Muppets."


 * Connections
 * Alan Arkin played Lester Siegel
 * John Goodman played John Chambers
 * Bob Gunton played US Secretary of State Cyrus Vance
 * Philip Baker Hall played Director of Central Intelligence Stansfield Turner
 * Richard Kind played Max Klein

Baby Driver
During an early scene where Baby talks with his deaf foster father Joseph, Baby holds a banana in his ear, referencing the classic Ernie and Bert routine from Sesame Street.


 * Connections
 * Jamie Foxx played Leon
 * Jon Hamm played Jason
 * Paul Williams played the Butcher

The Babysitter
A 2017 Netflix Comedy/Horror film aout a group of teens in a demonic cult.

After getting covered in blood John complains to Allison, commenting on her yellow cheerleading uniform "What the hell are you wearing? Looking like Big Bird's side bitch."


 * Connections
 * Bella Thorne played Allison

Bad Moms
Amy, Carla and Kiki are out to dinner with their kids and discuss Amy's chances at the candidate night for the PTA president position. They begin to talk about their own kids flaws and Carla says "My son still watches Sesame Street. And he doesn't get it."


 * Connections
 * Mila Kunis played Amy
 * Kristen Bell played Kiki
 * Christina Applegate played Gwendolyn
 * Jada Pinkett Smith played Stacy

Bart Got a Room
As Danny goes through a list of potential prom dates, he asks his friend for an opinion of Sokolov. He replies, "Too tall for you. Like, Big Bird tall."


 * Connections
 * Cheryl Hines played Beth Stine
 * William H. Macy played Ernie Stine
 * Jon Polito played Bob

Bee Movie
A 2007 computer animated feature by DreamWorks Animation, about a bee name Barry B. Benson deciding what to do after graduating from college. When Barry talks to Mr. Klauss Vanderhayden, since he is suing Honey Farms for taking the bee's honey, he finds the image of a bear as the jar of honey inappropriate to represent honey. However, Mr. Vanderhayden replies that they're very lovable creatures and names a few bears, including Fozzie.


 * Connections
 * John Goodman voiced Layton T. Montgomery
 * Larry King voiced a bee version of himself
 * Ray Liotta voiced himself
 * Megan Mullally voiced Trudy
 * Michael Richards voiced Bud Ditchwater
 * Chris Rock voiced Mooseblood the Mosquito
 * Patrick Warburton voiced Ken
 * Oprah Winfrey voiced Judge Bumbleton

The Benchwarmers
The Benchwarmers is a 2006 comedy film. On a video store shelf, Muppets from Space can be briefly glimpsed.


 * Connections
 * Terry Crews played a poker player
 * Jon Lovitz played Mel
 * Rob Schneider played Gus

The Big Year
A 2011 movie about birding. In one scene, Stu Preissler (Steve Martin) is on a boat and get seasick. Commenting on his complexion, Preissler states, "It's not easy being green."


 * Connections
 * Corbin Bernsen plays Gil Gordon
 * Jack Black plays Brad Harris
 * John Cleese narrates a historical montage
 * Anjelica Huston plays Annie Auklet
 * Rashida Jones plays Ellie
 * Steve Martin plays Stu Preissler
 * Joel McHale plays Barry Loomis
 * Jim Parsons plays Crane
 * Kevin Pollak plays Jim Gittelson
 * Al Roker plays "New York Weatherman"
 * Ben Stiller executive produced

Blended
After a unsuccessful blind date, Jim and Lauren find themselves stuck together on a resort with their kids. After the arrival to the resort, they go down to the dinning room where they are meet by Mfana, who says "Hello, Mr. Snuffleupagus", Jim corrects him by saying "Heh, Theodopolis"


 * Connections
 * Adam Sandler plays Jim
 * Drew Barrymore plays Lauren
 * Terry Crews plays Nickens
 * Bella Thorne plays Hilary
 * Wendi McLendon-Covey plays Jen
 * Joel McHale plays Mark

Bon Cop Bad Cop 2
A sequel to one of the most popular domestically-produced Canadian films, this bilingual title was released in 2017. When David Bouchard inteoduces himself as from the Sûreté du Québec, the American cops decide he can't be speaking French. Suggesting German and Swedish, they conclude he speaks like the Swedish Chef.

Borat
2006 comedy film starring Sacha Baron Cohen as a character from Da Ali G Show. About 11 minutes into the film, Borat stands in the center of Times Square and the camera circles around him. During this, a large billboard with a picture of Kermit the Frog from the Values.com ad campaign can be seen prominently.

Boulevard
In this 2014 movie featuring Robin Williams, a game show is playing on a hospital TV, where the contestants compete under a category called Famous Lovers. One of the questions is, "One of TV's most unusual romances involved two characters from The Muppet Show, one is a pretty porker named Miss Piggy." The contestant correctly answers, Kermit the Frog.

Brewster McCloud
1971 dark comedy film starring Bud Cort and directed by Robert Altman. In one scene an old man in a limo keeps shouting about how he needs to get home so he can watch Sesame Street.

The Bucket List
The 2007 movie about two elderly men, diagnosed with cancer. They make a shared "Bucket list" with things they want to do before they die of their cancer. While Carter watches Jeopardy, one of the questions are "These two Muppets are roommates on the long-running show Sesame Street". Carter says the answer out loud, "Who are Bert and Ernie?"


 * Connections
 * Morgan Freeman plays Carter
 * Sean Hayes plays Carter's assistant Thomas
 * Rob Reiner directed the movie
 * Alex Trebek plays himself

Cats Don't Dance
One of the movie posters parodied at the end of the movie before the credits is Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, with T.W. Turtle as Raphael.


 * Connections
 * Kathy Najimy voices Tillie Hippo
 * Don Knotts voices T.W. Turtle
 * Frank Welker voices Farley Wink.

A Christmas Kiss
The 2011 TV movie about an assistant that falls in love with her boss boyfriend. After the two have decorated the Christmas tree of the future, Adam Hughes (Brendan Fehr) suggest that they see Charlie Browns Christmas, The Grinch, It's a Wonderful Life, A Christmas Story and The Muppet Christmas Carol. Wendy (Laura Breckenridge) asks him if he are sure that he's game to watch all of them even The Muppets and Adam says that he is.

Click
This 2006 parody comedy features a woman holding a Big Bird plush.

Crazy for Christmas
A 2005 Christmas TV movie, it features billionaire Fred Nickells, who has suffered a nervous breakdown, giving early retirement to all his staff. Two members stay on, the doorman and Nickell's lawyer, Arthur Finnegan. Finnegan is gay. Telling Nickell's new driver about his relationship, he says "he works on Sesame Street. He plays Snuffleupagus' back end." The boyfriend appears at the end, uncredited.


 * Connections
 * Joe Flaherty played Roger the doorman
 * Joyce Gordon played Mrs. Granger

Death to Smoochy
A dark comedy following Sheldon Mopes' (Edward Norton) rise to stardom with his Barney-like character Smoochy the Rhino, and all the amoral inner workings of the children's entertainment that he encounters. Early in the film, Sheldon states "I was born on November 11th, 1970. You know what else happened on that day? [The] first broadcast of Sesame Street!" (The statement is factually incorrect by one year and one day.) Later, while Robin Williams' character Randolph Smiley (aka Rainbow Randolph) smashes Angelo's television set, he calls Smoochy a "Muppet from hell," during a barrage of expletives. The film also features the Leonard Bernstein song "I Feel Pretty," which the Muppets have performed numerous times.


 * Connections
 * Danny DeVito directed and co-starred as Burke Bennett
 * Harvey Fierstein played Merv Green
 * Todd Graff played Skip Kleinman
 * Jon Stewart played Marion Frank Stokes
 * Robin Williams played "Rainbow" Randolph Smiley

Dinner for Schmucks
Barry tells a couple from Switzerland that he speaks some of their language, and proceeds to deliver some mock Swedish.


 * Connections
 * Steve Carell played Barry
 * Jemaine Clement played Kieran
 * Paul Rudd played Tim
 * Zach Galifianakis played Therman
 * Octavia Spencer played Madame Nora

The Expendables
In this 2010 action film, Toll Road (played by Randy Couture) says, "It's not easy being green" while explaining how he got his cauliflower ear.


 * Connections
 * Eric Roberts played James Munroe
 * Mickey Rourke played Tool
 * Arnold Schwarzenegger played Trench
 * Sylvester Stallone played Barney Ross
 * Bruce Willis played Mr. Church

Firebreather
A 2010 made for TV Cartoon Network animated movie about the life of Duncan, the son of a human female and male kaiju.


 * During biology class, Duncan creates a distraction so he can rescue a tiny kaiju by bouncing around a frog set for dissection and screaming "They're waterboarding Kermit!"


 * Connections
 * Kevin Michael Richardson voiced Belloc
 * Nicole Sullivan voiced Dr. Alexandrine Pytel

The Five-Year Engagement
A scene between a woman and her friend involves an argument done in the voices of Cookie Monster and Elmo to amuse her daughter.


 * Connections
 * Jason Segel co-wrote the movie and played Tom Solomon
 * Nick Stoller co-wrote and directed the movie
 * Emily Blunt played Violet Barnes

Fletch Lives
In the 1989 sequel to 1985's Fletch, following a scene in which he's made a man squeal like a pig in order to get a termite out of his ear, the title character begins an internal dialogue, "After my close call with Miss Piggy, I couldn't wait to get home."


 * Connections
 * Chevy Chase played Irwin "Fletch" Fletcher in both movies
 * Richard Belzer played Phil in Fletch Lives
 * Geena Davis played Larry in Fletch
 * George Wendt played Fat Sam in Fletch
 * Kareem Abdul-Jabbar played himself in Fletch

Flushed Away
A 2006 computer animated feature by Aardman Animation, about a mouse trapped in the sewer. At one point, heroine Rita addresses the villainous toad with "Hoy! Kermit!"


 * Connections
 * Sean Barrett supplied additional voices
 * Hugh Jackman voiced Roddy
 * Miriam Margolyes voiced Rita's Grandma
 * Andy Serkis voiced Spike
 * Kate Winslet voiced Rita

Girls Just Want to Have Fun
1985 comedy written by Amy Spies. Janey Glenn, arguing with her father about getting to go out at night shouts, "We made a deal when I was seven and a half, nightlife was The Muppet Show!"


 * Connections
 * Sarah Jessica Parker played Janey Glenn
 * Helen Hunt played Lynne Stone

The Glimmer Man
1996 action movie starring Steven Seagal and Keenen Ivory Wayans. In one scene a police detective is surprised by a couple of kids playing with toy guns as he makes his way through an apartment building. He quips to himself that it's a "Showdown on Sesame Street. Big Bird will pop out of one of these doors next."


 * Connections
 * Stephen Tobolowsky played Christopher Maynard

Golden Age
A 2006 animated mockumentary by Augenblick Studios Inc. which parodies various animated characters in media. In the Hansel and Gretel segment, Ernie and Bert are shown as lovers as an example of romantic inclinations.

Grimsby (a.k.a The Brothers Grimsby)
2016 comedy film starring Sacha Baron Cohen. At the beginning of the opening credits a group of teenagers are walking down the street and a poster of The Swedish Chef promoting Warburtons Giant Crumpets can be seen at the background.


 * Connections
 * Penélope Cruz played Rhonda George
 * Ian McShane played MI6 Spy Boss

Hot Pursuit
In a fight over a gun, Rose Cooper calls Daniella Riva's slurs dirty and disgusting. Riva responds, "Dirty? I'm gonna show you dirty, Miss Piggy."


 * Connections
 * Sofía Vergara played as Daniella Riva
 * Reese Witherspoon played Rose Cooper

I Love You, Man
When Peter Klaven gets set up on a man-date with a guy from his brother's gym, he gives him the nickname Elmo because of his high, squeaky voice.


 * Connections
 * Jane Curtin played Joyce Klaven
 * Rashida Jones played Zooey Rice
 * OK Go played the wedding band
 * Paul Rudd played Peter Klaven
 * Andy Samberg played Robbie Klaven
 * Jason Segel played Sydney Fife

Just Go with It
In the 2011 film, someone refers to a big nosed person as Snuffleupagus.


 * Connections
 * Adam Sandler played Danny Maccabee

Look at What the Light Did Now
The 2010 documentary features stock footage of a moment at the 2008 Grammy Awards when Leslie Feist spotted Kermit the Frog on the red carpet and exclaimed, "Oh my God, I love you!"

Miss Representation
2011 documentary by Jennifer Siebel Newsom about the disparaging portrayals of women in media. During a comment in which Jackson Katz says "People learn more from media than any other single source of information", a clip is briefly shown of children watching Sesame Street. Later in the film, Katie Couric's comments are illustrated with a screenshot of an article on Jezebel.com featuring a photo of Couric with Elmo.


 * Connections
 * Margaret Cho is interviewed
 * Katie Couric is interviewed
 * Geena Davis is interviewed
 * Rosario Dawson is interviewed
 * Jane Fonda is interviewed
 * Rosie O'Donnell provides an introduction to the television broadcast
 * Oprah Winfrey provides an introduction to the DVD release

Morning Glory
When Becky Fuller (Rachel McAdams) is unsuccessful at rebooting a fourth place morning show, station executive Jerry Barnes (Jeff Goldblum) sarcastically suggests that she might go to PBS, "to kill Sesame Street."

Mother's Day
A standup comedian is talking about how his girlfriend is obsessed with their daughter picking up his British accent. "All the other kids are watching Sesame Street, our baby is sat down in front of Downton Abbey."

Connections
 * Sarah Chalke played Gabi
 * Jennifer Garner played 2nd Lieutenant Dana Barton
 * Jon Lovitz played the comedy club owner
 * Garry Marshall directed
 * Penny Marshall narrated
 * Julia Roberts played Miranda Collins

Mr. Jealousy
In the 1997 romantic comedy, Eric Stoltz's character says he does a "pretty good Muppet walk" as he bounces off-screen with his head tilted into the air.

Mr. Popper's Penguins
Mr. Popper's Penguins is a 2011 movie starring Jim Carrey loosely based on the 1938 children's book of the same name. At one point in the movie, while the main character, Thomas Popper Jr., is talking about penguins, he mentions that Big Bird is a Muppet.

The book was an optioned property by Jim Henson Pictures in 1995, but was never produced.


 * Connections
 * Jim Carrey played Mr. Popper
 * Philip Baker Hall played Franklin
 * Jeffrey Tambor played Mr. Gremmins

Neighbors
In the 2014 comedy movie (directed by Nick Stoller, starring Zac Efron and Seth Rogen), while trying to make synonyms for "bros before hoes", Teddy (Efron) says "Bert and Ernie before Squirt and Spermy."

The trailer starts with an a capella version of "The People in Your Neighborhood". 

Please Stand By
2018 film about a young woman in assisted living who struggles to submit her Star Trek script to a writing contest.


 * Audrey tells her sister Wendy that her daughter Ruby can now say momma, dadda, and Elmo, "[laughs] she loves Elmo."


 * Connections
 * Dakota Fanning played Wendy

Private Parts
In this 1997 film loosely based on Howard Stern's memoir (and starring Stern as himself), when Howard goes to Detroit, the on-air morning man comments that Stern looks like Big Bird. He also jokes that Big Bird will have Kermit the Frog on the upcoming show.


 * Connections
 * Allison Janney played Dee Dee
 * Ozzy Osbourne played himself
 * John Popper played himself
 * Richard Portnow played Ben Stern
 * Reni Santoni played Vallesecca

Problem Child 3
In this made-for-TV sequel, a Big Bird doll appears in the background in one scene.


 * Connections
 * Gilbert Gottfried played Dr. Peabody
 * Marianne Muellerleile played Miss Hicks
 * Jack Warden played Big Ben Healy

The Pursuit of Happyness
A scene from the 2006 film, which is set in 1981, shows protagonist Christopher Gardner with a Sesame Street lunchbox featuring Grover, Big Bird, Prairie Dawn, Oscar the Grouch, Barkley, Lefty the Salesman and Sherlock Hemlock.


 * Connections
 * Dan Castellaneta played Alan Frakesh
 * Will Smith played Chris Gardner

Rollercoaster
In this 1977 crime drama directed by James Goldstone, two kids are throwing a frisbee over a man's car while he's washing it. The man yells at them, "Go home and watch Sesame Street!"


 * Connections
 * Henry Fonda played Simon Davenport
 * Helen Hunt played Tracy Calder

Rubber
In the 2010 movie, an old Ernie plush doll could be seen in the desert in the opening along with other old junk.

Rumble in the Bronx
In the 1995 Jackie Chan movie, a little girl wears a blue sweater with Bert's head on it. She can be seen playing within a large sandcastle and is rescued by Keung (Jackie Chan) from an approaching hovercraft.
 * Connections
 * Greg Berg provided voices in the English dub

The Sasquatch Gang
The 2006 film features a scene in which Gavin (Jeremy Sumpter) and Sophie (Addie Land) discuss their favorite fantasy films, including Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal.


 * Connections
 * Stephen Tobolowsky played Ernie Dalrymple

She's All That
Mackenzie asks Laney when was the last time she tweezed her eyebrow. When Laney mentions she never did, Mackenzie asks if she watches Sesame Street and if she knows the character Bert.


 * Connections
 * Jarrett Lennon played Naylon
 * Matthew Lillard played Brock Hudson
 * Kevin Pollak played Wayne Boggs

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
The 2005 film based on the novel of the same name features a scene in a department store in which a muzak version of "Sing" is playing over the sound system. The subtitles describe it as "bland music". Joe Raposo is credited for the song which was performed by "With The Quickness".


 * Connections
 * Ken Kwapis directed the film
 * Blake Lively played Bridget Vreeland

Skinny Tiger and Fatty Dragon
1990 buddy cop martial arts comedy movie starring Sammo Hung as a policeman. In one scene, when he impersonates a jewel thief to foil a robbery, he finds several robbers wearing cartoon masks (mostly Sesame Street characters).

The Smokers
2000 movie directed by Kat Slater, starring Dominique Swain and Thora Birch. One character does a Kermit the Frog impression and laments over what kids would call him when he was short and ugly in the eight grade, "Kermit the Frog coming to you live from The Muppet Show".

The Taking of Pelham One Two Three
1974 movie about a New York subway car that's hijacked and held for ransom.
 * Lt. Zachary Garber (played by Walter Matthau): Rico, you want to make yourself useful? Get personnel and tell them to get together a list of all motormen discharged for cause during the past five to ten years.
 * Lt. Rico Patrone: What are you looking for?
 * Lt. Zachary Garber: Somebody down there knows how to drive a train. You don't pick that up watching Sesame Street. Tell them we want it today.


 * Connections
 * Bill Cobbs played a man on the subway platform
 * Doris Roberts played the mayor's wife
 * Jerry Stiller played Lt. Rico Patrone

Tower Heist
The titular heist in the 2011 comedy is set at a tower on the route of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. A Kermit balloon is featured in the parade, his theme music being "Disco Frog" from Sesame Street. When Charlie, the building manager, wonders if anything suspicious is going on at The Tower, a CCTV monitor responds that Miss Piggy has been cut from the parade.


 * Connections
 * Alan Alda played Arthur Shaw
 * Matthew Broderick played Mr. Fitzhugh
 * Judd Hirsch played Mr. Simon
 * Eddie Murphy played Slide
 * Ben Stiller played Josh Kovacs

The Trip
The Trip is a British 2010 comedy starring Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon. Twice throughout the movie, Brydon's impressions are compared to Muppets.

The Wild and the Free
A 1980 television movie about a professor and an adventurer who rescue chimpanzees from being used as science experiments. At one point, the chimpanzees are seen watching a clip of Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy in The Muppets Go Hollywood on television.

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