I’m not crying. You’re crying!

Is there anything more Canadian to children who grew up in the 70s/80s/and early90s than Mr. Dressup? I can’t remember a time in my own life when I didn’t know about him, Casey, Finnegan and the Tickle Trunk. In fact I’m sure that at some point I had a stuffed toy I named Finnegan. I believe he came along shortly after I lost my rabbit that I had named Bugs.

The biographical documentary, Mr. Dressup – The Magic of Make-Believe pays tribute to Ernie Coombs, the man who brought Mr. Dressup to life for nearly three decades and four thousand episodes. He was a regular part of almost every Canadian child’s life, reaching out on a daily basis from the CBC to interact, create and teach.

The new doc explores Coombs story, his youth in Maine, his friendship with Fred Rogers, which led directly to the pair achieving success in children’s television, ushered in for both by the CBC, as well as Coombs personal life and love story with his wife, Lynn.

Mr. Dressup introduced countless viewers to the world of imagination and make-believe as well as the adorable (and non-binary) puppet Casey and their dog, Finnegan, both brought to life by puppeteer Judith Lawrence.

Settling in for this documentary is like revisiting your own childhood, your recollections of your own time spent in Dressup’s company, how you always wanted your own tickle trunk, and a number of very familiar faces share their own similar recollections about Ernie, uniting the audience and the film for a man who influenced us and touched our hearts more than some of us realized.

With an honest, if nostalgic eye, the film takes us through the years leading up to Mr. Dressup, the show itself, and the personal events behind the scenes that shaped who Ernie was, and the things that turned him into a Canadian icon, and eventually a Canadian citizen.

Interviews are intercut with clips of the show, behind the scenes footage and photographs, and all of it brings to life the portrait of a man who played an essential part in raising a number of Canadian generations.

There’s nothing make-believe about the magic that was Ernie Coombs and his alter-ego Mr. Dressup. In fact, this beautiful film may remind you just how important he was to all of us, and the example he set that continues to be a valuable lesson for everyone.

This one is a must see, and you can check it out during the Festival Saturday 9 September at the Lightbox, Sunday 10 September and Friday 15 September at Scotibank. Check out times, events, and tickets here.

And if you can’t make it to TIFF, just hold on, because Prime will be carrying this one in October!