The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland

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Released	October 1, 1999
Duration	73 minutes
Director	Gary Halvorson
Written by	Mitchell Kriegman (story), Kriegman and Joseph Mazzarino (screenplay)
Music	John Debney
Studio	Columbia Pictures, Jim Henson Pictures, and Children's Television Workshop
Rated	G

Elmo in Grouchland interviews

The Grouches of Grouchland

The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland is the second Sesame Street feature film, released in 1999.

Synopsis

In the second Sesame Street theatrical film, fourteen years after Follow That Bird, Elmo spends time with his favorite security blanket that he got for his birthday. When Zoe wants to play with it, Elmo doesn't want to share it, resulting in a tug-of-war leading to Telly Monster accidentally taking it away while rollerskating uncontrollably. Oscar the Grouch ends up catching it, sneezes on it, and throws it into his trash can. Since Oscar wasn't in his trash can when Elmo finds out, he goes into the trash can, where he finds his blanket, but Elmo and his blanket soon fall through a tunnel (which Oscar ends up witnessing and only says, "Have a nice trip! Heh heh!!").

Elmo winds up in Grouchland USA, a world filed with Grouches. The evil Huxley then arrives to take the various belongings, and takes Elmo's blanket as well. Elmo meets a Grouch girl named Grizzy, who shows Elmo where Huxley's castle is, and Elmo sets off to get back his blanket.

Meanwhile, Oscar tells the gang that Elmo went into Grouchland, and they all go in search of Elmo. Once in Grouchland, however, they get arrested and thrown in jail since it's against the law to ask a policeman for help in Grouchland.

Huxley is aware that Elmo is in search of his blanket, and has his henchmen, Bug and the Pesties, stop Elmo from getting back his blanket. They trick Elmo into going into a shortcut, which leads to the palace of The Queen of Trash. There, when she learns that he's going to Huxley's castle and is believed to be one of Huxley's spies, she has Elmo take the ultimate challenge: blow her 100 raspberries in 30 seconds, which Elmo succeeds with help from the audience.

When Elmo gets closer, Huxley gets a humongous chicken to stop Elmo. The chicken thinks that Elmo is a worm, but Elmo convinces the chicken otherwise. However, once convinced, the chicken tosses Elmo away. Elmo is about to give up, until a caterpillar encourages him to keep trying.

Back at the jail, Grizzy sneaks in to tell Elmo's friends that Elmo is on his way to Huxley's castle. Oscar, admitting that Elmo is his friend, decides to yell out to the Grouches outside that, although Grouches hate working together, they must take a stand. The other Grouches agree, and they get let out of jail to team up and stop Huxley from stealing any more of their stuff. Elmo and the others soon show up and confront Huxley, but Huxley decides to take Elmo's blanket away. Bug soon gets hold of the blanket, and tells Huxley that he's going to give it to Elmo, breaking off his friendship with Huxley. Back at Sesame Street, Elmo decides to share his blanket with Zoe.

Cast

• Muppet Performers

Kevin Clash, Caroll Spinney, Fran Brill, Stephanie D'Abruzzo, Dave Goelz, Joey Mazzarino, Jerry Nelson, Carmen Osbahr, Martin P. Robinson, David Rudman, Steve Whitmire, Frank Oz, Drew Allison, Bill Barretta, John Boone, R. Lee Bryan, Leslie Carrara-Rudolph, Lisa Consolo, Jodie Eichelberger, Rowell Gormon, Mary Harrison, Rob Killen, Bruce Lanoil, Bob Lynch, Ed May, Tim Parati, Annie Peterle, Andy Stone, Lisa Sturz, Kirk Thatcher, Matt Vogel, Matt Yates

• Human Cast

Mandy Patinkin as Huxley

Vanessa Williams as Queen of Trash

Sonia Manzano as Maria

Roscoe Orman as Gordon

Alison Bartlett O'Reilly as Gina

Ruth Buzzi as Ruthie

Emilio Delgado as Luis

Loretta Long as Susan

Bob McGrath as Bob

Muppet Cast

• Muppet Characters

Elmo, Zoe, Telly Monster, Oscar the Grouch, Big Bird, Baby Bear, Grover/Super Grover, Cookie Monster, Bert, Ernie, Rosita, Count von Count, Prairie Dawn, Bug, Grizzy, Pesties, Mr. Johnson, Stuckweed, Grouch Mayor, Humongous Chicken, Colander Stenchman, Football Stenchman, Grouch Jailer, Grouch Cop, Grouch Cab Driver, Bad Humor Man, Grouch Ice Cream Customer, Caterpillar, Blanket, Sharon Groan, Grouches

• Background Muppets

Alarm Clock Bird, Laundromat Manager, Dog, Donkey, Woodchuck, Wolves, Gnu, Sock Quartet, Anything Muppets, Dinger, Mr. Honker

Notes

• In many scenes throughout the movie, Big Bird is puppeteered by Matt Vogel to a vocal track by Caroll Spinney while Spinney performs Oscar (who features more prominently).
• An animated logo for the Children's Television Workshop produced by R.O. Blechmen and Tissa David was originally supposed to appear at the film's beginning.
• This film was shot over a 30-day period (starting May 26, 1998) at the EUE/Screen Gems Studios in Wilmington, North Carolina, along with Muppets from Space.

Additional Credits

• Executive Producers: Brian Henson, Stephanie Allain, Martin G. Baker
• Producers: Alex Rockwell, Marjorie Kalins
• Co-producers: Kevin Clash, Timothy M. Bourne
• Director of Photography: Alan Caso
• Production Designer: Alan Cassie
• Costume Designer: Polly Smith
• Production Supervisor: Jane Gootnick
• Costume Supervisor: Stephen Rotondaro
• Puppet Property Master: Brad Elliott

See also

• The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland (video)
• Elmo in Grouchland characters
• Elmo in Grouchland merchandise
• Elmo in Grouchland songs