The genre of the movie musical is commonly said to have died in the early 1970s, but some of these songs belong in the canon of great musical tunes. Their authors,
Paul Williams and
Kenny Ascher, received Oscar nominations both for the entire song score and for the unlikely radio hit "Rainbow Connection," which Kermit the Frog sings with all the dreamy wistfulness of a short green
Judy Garland. Actually, "Rainbow Connection" serves the same purpose in this film that "Over the Rainbow" serves in The Wizard of Oz, with nearly equal effectiveness: an opening establishment of the characters' driving urge for something more in life. "Moving Right Along" and "I Hope That Something Better Comes Along" achieve a
Cole Porter-esque cleverness. The poignant nostalgia of "I'm Going to Go Back There Someday" is enough to make the listener forget it's being sung by a blue piece of felt. There are a few mediocre moments, but most of
Williams and
Ascher's songs are better than the movie itself. ~ Darryl Cater