Top 10 Wine Movies
Part 7 of 12
W. Blake Gray - San Francisco Chronicle Staff Writer - July 23, 2006

"The Muppet Movie" (1979)

Director: James Frawley. Cast: Jim Henson, Frank Oz, Charles Durning.

The Muppet MovieSteve Martin's hilarious cameo as a haughty waiter/sommelier puts this kids' film on the list. It squeaks past "The Parent Trap" (1998) as the best children's wine film.

Out to dinner with Miss Piggy, Kermit the Frog orders a bottle of bubbly, which turns out to be sparkling Muscatel from Idaho that Martin "uncorks" with a beer opener. Kermit is about to sip some when Miss Piggy reminds him that the expert is supposed to taste it first. Martin takes a sip, spits it out in a rush, grimaces, then composes his face into a smarmy smile and says, "An excellent choice." I feel like I've ordered wine from that sommelier.

The film is a nostalgic romp for people who enjoyed it in childhood. It's mildly amusing throughout, although only Martin draws a laugh-out-loud moment. Though targeted at preteens, it's one of those films where the actors know they're in a movie -- in one scene, a rescue van arrives out of nowhere because the driver had been given a script earlier and knew when he would be needed. This winking at the audience gives it a sophistication that makes it watchable for grown-ups.

According to the Internet Movie Database, at least one reference to alcohol in the original theatrical release (asked if he wants to order a drink, Kermit says, "I'll have a grasshopper") was subsequently cut, perhaps because it's a children's film.

But they couldn't cut Martin because he's the highlight of the movie. See it with your kids; you can advise them that in the right company, on a warm night on a terrace with a nice piece of pork, even Vin de Idaho can be special.

Source: San Francisco Chronicle – © 2006 San Francisco Chronicle

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