The Muppet Movie ambition of finding success in professional show business—while being pursued by Doc Hopper, an evil restaurateur with intentions of employing Kermit as a spokesperson for his frog legs business. In addition to the Muppet performers, the film stars Charles Durning and Austin Pendleton, and features cameo appearances by Dom DeLuise, James Coburn, Edgar Bergen, Steve Martin, and Mel Brooks, among others. Notable for its surreal humour, meta-references and prolific use of cameos, "The Muppet Movie" was released in the United Kingdom on May 31, 1979, and in the United States on June 22, 1979, and received critical praise; including two
The Muppet Movie Academy Award nominations for Paul Williams and Kenneth Ascher's musical score and their song, "The Rainbow Connection". In 2009, the film was deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the National Film Registry. The success of "The Muppet Movie" led to several other feature films starring the Muppets: "The Great Muppet Caper" (1981), "The Muppets Take Manhattan" (1984), "The Muppet Christmas Carol" (1992), "Muppet Treasure Island" (1996), "Muppets from Space" (1999), "The Muppets" (2011), and "Muppets Most Wanted" (2014). It all starts when Kermit the Frog enjoys a relaxing afternoon in