A Charlie Brown Christmas
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Day four of my 31 days of Christmas brings us another classic!
A Charlie Brown Christmas
As the very first of the Peanuts gang animated specials, A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965) holds a special place in television history. It's also the cartoon that brought us the term Charlie Brown Christmas tree, meaning a very ugly and spindly tree.
Charlie Brown is depressed over the over commercialization of Christmas. It seems everyone is caught up in the madness. Lucy complains that she never gets what she wants for Christmas. All she gets are tons of toys and a bike. What she really wants is real estate. Sally demands cold hard cash from Santa, and even Snoopy is caught up in it trying to decorate his dog house to win a prize.
Charlie Brown goes to see his "shrink" Lucy and she tells him he needs a purpose. She volunteers him to direct the Christmas play. But even that seems to be a disaster because no one will follow direction and they keep dancing their crazy dances to the Peanuts theme song instead of Christmas music.
Lucy sends Charlie Brown off to find a Christmas tree with the final words of "don't screw this up!" He feels sorry for a small tree and brings it back, but the gang expecting a big beautiful tree gets angry and makes fun of Charlie Brown.
In exasperation he hollers, "Doesn't anyone know what Christmas is all about?!"
Linus says, "Sure, Charlie Brown, I can tell you. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the fields, keeping watch over their flocks by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the lord shone round about them, and they were so afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not, for behold, I bring unto you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you this day is born in the City of Bethlehem, a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; you shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel, a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on Earth peace, good will toward men.' That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown." Charlie Brown smiles to himself, takes his tree and goes home.
He takes an ornament from Snoopy's souped up dog house to place on his little tree but it droops. He throws his head back exclaiming, "I killed it!" The gang then shows up, decorates his tree for him and they all start singing.
Simple plot but definitely timeless. It is interesting to note that some of those involved in the production thought the religious aspect was too much and wanted to cut the Christmas story scene, but Charles Schultz said, "if we don't do it, who will?"
Another interesting note is that Linus, who rarely lets his blanket out of his sight drops it during the recitation of this part of the Christmas story, ""Fear not. For, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy."
I love Peanuts, and this one is among my favorites.
I give A Charlie Brown Christmas
Five Charlie Brown Christmas trees.
A Charlie Brown Christmas
As the very first of the Peanuts gang animated specials, A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965) holds a special place in television history. It's also the cartoon that brought us the term Charlie Brown Christmas tree, meaning a very ugly and spindly tree.
Charlie Brown is depressed over the over commercialization of Christmas. It seems everyone is caught up in the madness. Lucy complains that she never gets what she wants for Christmas. All she gets are tons of toys and a bike. What she really wants is real estate. Sally demands cold hard cash from Santa, and even Snoopy is caught up in it trying to decorate his dog house to win a prize.
Charlie Brown goes to see his "shrink" Lucy and she tells him he needs a purpose. She volunteers him to direct the Christmas play. But even that seems to be a disaster because no one will follow direction and they keep dancing their crazy dances to the Peanuts theme song instead of Christmas music.
Lucy sends Charlie Brown off to find a Christmas tree with the final words of "don't screw this up!" He feels sorry for a small tree and brings it back, but the gang expecting a big beautiful tree gets angry and makes fun of Charlie Brown.
In exasperation he hollers, "Doesn't anyone know what Christmas is all about?!"
Linus says, "Sure, Charlie Brown, I can tell you. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the fields, keeping watch over their flocks by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the lord shone round about them, and they were so afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not, for behold, I bring unto you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you this day is born in the City of Bethlehem, a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; you shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel, a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on Earth peace, good will toward men.' That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown." Charlie Brown smiles to himself, takes his tree and goes home.
He takes an ornament from Snoopy's souped up dog house to place on his little tree but it droops. He throws his head back exclaiming, "I killed it!" The gang then shows up, decorates his tree for him and they all start singing.
Simple plot but definitely timeless. It is interesting to note that some of those involved in the production thought the religious aspect was too much and wanted to cut the Christmas story scene, but Charles Schultz said, "if we don't do it, who will?"
Another interesting note is that Linus, who rarely lets his blanket out of his sight drops it during the recitation of this part of the Christmas story, ""Fear not. For, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy."
I love Peanuts, and this one is among my favorites.
I give A Charlie Brown Christmas
Five Charlie Brown Christmas trees.
