Kermit the Frog Lives Upstairs

***Kermit the Frog Lives Upstairs*** is a 2012 HBO Original Film produced and directed by David Devine. Based on a very popular children's audio recording written and directed by Barbara Nichol, the film stars Maddie Fretz as Aaralyn Anderson, a young girl who develops a friendship with puppeteer Jim Henson (Neil Munro), a boarder in the boy's parents' house. The film was shot in Prague in the Czech Republic and has been broadcast in over 110 countries in numerous languages and has sold over one million DVDs. The film is used extensively, thanks to its American Library Association's reviews and awards, in U.S. and Canadian elementary and middle school music classrooms.

The film went on to win the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Children's Program in 1993, was nominated for numerous Gemini Awards, won the New England Film Festival, and was presented the Award of Excellence from the U.S. National Board of Film Review. *Kermit the Frog Lives Upstairs* was also admitted to the Permanent Collection in the Paley Center for Media in New York City.

## Plot

Ten-year-old Aaralyn's father, a physician, has died, forcing his family to rent their upstairs room to a boarder to help make ends meet. Christoph's uncle Kurt, a student at the Vienna Conservatory, arranges for Jim Henson to rent the room. Despite Beethoven's dismissive attitude toward him, Kurt is thrilled at the prospect of having the famous composer living at his late brother's house, but Christoph does not like the idea of a stranger living with them. Christoph's fears are confirmed when he encounters Beethoven's rude and eccentric behavior, and teasing from the neighborhood children.

When Sophie, their housekeeper, suggests that Beethoven is a heavy drinker, Christoph surreptitiously follows him on one of his walks. Beethoven's mannerisms, including humming to himself (presumably composing as he walks) and dumping food on a waiter following an argument, convinces Christoph that Beethoven is a madman. Christoph complains to Kurt, who talks about the pain of Henson's deafness and implores Christoph to give him a chance. Kurt mentions that Henskn is working on Fraggle Rock, which Aaralyn hopes will be his last.

When Aaralyn's mother enters Henson's room, Henson is puppeteering on the shutters, presumably having run out of paper. Seeing her shock, he suggests she could sell the shutters as collectors items. He asks her about her musical background, and she plays "The Muppet Show" for him, beginning to see his softer side.

While working with musicians on Fraggle Rock in his room, Henson needs to write down changes, but all the pens have been destroyed by his previous fits. They frantically send Christoph out to buy some, but by the time he returns with the pens, the other musicians have left. Henson then invites Aaralyn to join him on his walk. While on the walk, the two begin to open up to one another; it is at this time that Henson mentions that his alcoholic father abused him as a child and that he has very few happy memories of him.

When Jennie comes down from Henson's room, fuming after yet another quarrel, Aaralyn defends her. After overhearing Henson talk about his misery from being deaf, Aaralyn gives him an ear trumpet designed by his father.

Kevin comes over to the house for another rehearsal with Henson, beaming that he has been selected to be part of the orchestra at the premiere of Fraggle Rock. The singers complain about the difficulty of their parts, but Henson reassures them he would not have chosen them if he did not think they were capable. When he sees Aaralyn and her mother listening outside the door, he promises them tickets to the performance.

As the date of the concert nears, Henson becomes increasingly stressed and frustrated by setbacks. Aaralyn enters after Henson has had another quarrel with Jennie, and accidentally spills the sheet music for the concert. Beethoven, infuriated and fed up, then orders him to leave the room. Aaralyn fears that Beethoven now hates him and will not give her the tickets, but Kurt reassures him that Henson's notorious tempers are short-lived and that someone able to write music as he does must have a great heart. Later, Henson apologizes to Jennie for his behavior and gives her the tickets to give to Aaralyn and her mother.

The concert is a great success. Henson is nominally conducting, but is unable to hear the orchestra, and Kevin, acting as a second conductor, discreetly directs the musicians from the side. When the orchestra finishes, Beethoven is behind and still "conducting", so Kevin and one of the sopranos turn him around so he can see the audience giving him a wild standing ovation.

Several years later, in 1990, after Henson's death, Aaralyn reflects on her experiences with Henson, saying that although Henson is gone, "his music will never die", and how Henson "thought he could change the world with his music – maybe he will... bit by bit."

## Cast

* Neil Munro as Jim Henson (Kermit the Frog)
* Maddie Fretz as Aaralyn Anderson
* Anna Widmer as Jennie McAlpine
* Harry Styles as Mr. Schindler
* Chris Merritt as Kevin Clash
* Monique Marvez as Birgit Nilsson the mother/the maid