Heartwarming / The Muppets (2011)

As a Moments subpage, all spoilers are unmarked as per policy. You Have Been Warned.

---

• Seeing the Muppets on the big screen again for the first time in over a decade. It's like seeing long lost friends again.
• Mary and her students bidding each other farewell before she and Gary embark to Los Angeles.
  Mary: Oh, there's the bell. That means it's time for Spring Break.
  Students: Awww!
  Mary: Don't worry. We'll be back to studying in two weeks.
  Students: Yay!
  • Speaking of Mary, for all the angst she goes through over how her intended anniversary with Gary is completely derailed to focus on Walter and the Muppets...she still makes it a point to help wherever she can.
  • Despite the hijacking of her anniversary trip, Mary never shows any resentment towards Walter and is just as proud and happy for him as Gary. Considering Mary and Gary appear to be high school sweethearts and have been dating since they were 20, she's known Walter for years and has a very good relationship with her soon to be brother in law. He, in turn, actually shows more sensitivity to her than his brother does, making sure that it's okay with her if he tags along/
• Gary's relationship with Walter in general. He obviously cares about his brother a lot, always supports him and is always there for him. One example being a young Gary assuring a depressed Walter, who was too short to ride an exciting ride, that the ride was bogus and ends up introducing him to the Muppets.
• Kermit's reunion with Fozzie.
  Kermit: Hi-ho, Fozzie.
  Fozzie: [without missing a beat] Hi-ho, Kermit. (Beat) Kermit?!
• Kermit and Miss Piggy duet Rainbow Connection. The others eventually join in, including Animal playing drums again for the first time in years.
  • Not just that, Kermit kisses Miss Piggy on her snout. Say it with me everyone, "Awww...."
  Kermit: ...will you stay? ...for me?
  • Along the same scene, Floyd giving Animal his old drumsticks back, saying that he'd been saving them for years and telling him "You know what to do." It's a very sweet nod to the two's long friendship.
  • Loved how the first version that Kermit sang became so memorable and uplifting? Try hearing a whole chorus of it! Definitely helped the in-universe audience go "ALL MY MONEY" and boosted the donations!
  • There are reports of entire theaters singing along with it.
  • Animal looks truly happy for the first time in the movie, finally back to playing the drums again!
• The Muppets rebuilding the theater after years of neglect. Highlights include finding out that Beauregard has been trying to clean up, unaware that everyone left, and the living food in Chef's old fridge being overjoyed to see him again.
• This movie plays around with Narm Charm, and there are a lot of moments like this involving Walter and his Ascended Fanboy-ness.
• "Pictures in My Head," in which Kermit recounts how even though the other Muppets' acts would drive him crazy, he couldn't live without them.
• The moment when Kermit takes out his half of the photo of himself and Piggy. And from behind him, hears her softly say, "You saved it...". When he turns around, she is holding up her half and they put the two pieces together. Sweeeeeeet.
• The speech Kermit gives to the Muppets after the telethon ends.
  Kermit: Listen everybody. We've got nothing to be ashamed of - and you know why? Because, thanks to Walter here, we tried. And if we failed, we failed together and, to me, that's not failing at all. And I don't care what anybody says. I don't care if no one believes in us because... I believe. I believe in you... and you... and you. You know, what's important isn't this building or our name. It's each other. So I say fine - let's just start at the bottom and work our way back up to the top. Let's all walk out through these doors with our heads held high! As a family... because that's what we are.
  • Then afterwards when they walk outside and find a Fan Mob filling the entire length and breadth of the street waiting for them, cheering loudly and holding up signs... *sniff*
• "Maybe you don't need the whole world to love you. Maybe you just need one person..."
  • Even more as it's a Call-Back to the song played at Jim Henson's funeral.
  • Because, in fact, it was Jim's favorite song. Awww...
• "You're My Hero".
• In a crazy sort of way, the revelation that Gonzo had been secretly dreaming of a reunion, and had worn his stage outfit under his suit for years.
• The entire movie is this trope; reviving a dying franchise to its former glory for a brand-new generation while keeping to its old, much-cherished tone.
  • What's particularly showing is the number of big name celebrities that make guest appearances to show their support for the franchise...most with one or two minute appearances.
    • According to the production team, more celebs volunteered for cameos than they could fit in the script.
    • To put the above in perspective, when The Muppet Show first came out, Henson and Co. had a hard time getting celebrities to agree to appear. Times do indeed change...
• Veronica's defrosting over the course of the telethon, until she's openly cheering for the Muppets after their performance of "The Rainbow Connection."
• The various Shout Outs to Jim Henson, especially seeing the photo of him posing with Kermit right in the middle of all the other celebrity photos on Kermit's wall.
• The Muppets did various cross promotions for this movie, including (at one point) appearing on Professional Wrestling shows. The people doing the most fan-squeeing? The wrestlers.
• The way Kermit, after thanking Walter for helping him get the gang back together again, tells him "welcome aboard" — no fanfare, no big speech. Walter is shocked; it's been a life-long dream of his to be accepted among the Muppets, and to Kermit it almost goes without saying that of course he's welcome to the team.
• While it gets outdone later and she's very spiteful about it, Miss Piggy returning to do the show for the rest of gang despite her current relationship problems with Kermit is both very sweet and highly professional of her.
• "Why don't you join us?" Cue epic music as Walter's dream comes true!
  • I don't know how they did it, but that is some fantastic facial acting on the Walter puppet as he walks over to them.
• Uncle Deadly's Heel–Face Turn speech:
  Uncle Deadly: Enough! Just because I have a terrifying name and an evil English accent, does not preclude the fact that, in my heart, I am a Muppet, not a Moopet!
• During the post credits segment when, after Tex Richman gets hit by Gonzo's stray bowling ball and Fozzie makes a typical Fozzie joke, which makes Tex to start to smile, and then... he finally laughs, resulting in him giving back the studios.
• The Behind-the-Scenes features on the Blu-ray and DVD keep the Muppets in character so it doesn't ruin the illusion for children.
• The scene where Kermit makes his uplifting speech - 'We have each other and that's what makes us who we are, and we'll start over from the beginning if we have to.' As soon as Kermit opens the stage door, he's greeted by camera flashes and cheers. The shot pulls back to reveal Hollywood Boulevard is absolutely packed with screaming fans waving signs and cheering the Muppets.
• The entire opening musical number from the original show being recreated brings lots of nostalgia!
  • An understated moment, but Statler and Waldorf occupying the same balcony they did all those years ago and not even missing a beat on their heckling. Surly though they may be, they'll always be a part of the Muppet Family.
    Statler: I always dreamed we'd be back here!
    Waldorf: Dreams? Those were nightmares! (both laugh)
• During the reprise of "Life’s A Happy Song" at the end, even Statler and Waldorf can’t resist joining in.