A Charlie Brown Christmas
The special that gave birth to a whole new class of Christmas tree
Tags: Peanuts Categories: DVD/TV Reviews, Reviews
Posted by Daniel "monk" Pelfrey on Nov 24th, 2008
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By now virtually everybody should have seen at some point in their life “A Charlie Brown Christmas” – even if for some reason you don’t like these specials you should at least have seen it. It has been airing every year on television ever since I could remember (turns out it was produced and aired before I was even born).
“A Charlie Brown Christmas” was the first Peanuts television special produced, and it really does differ from many of the later productions (one of which is presented here as well). Technically it is the most primitive, partly because of its age, but also because the group behind the specials was just figuring things out, such as how the characters looked, moved, sounded, what the environments would look like, etc. That said, it is interesting to note just how much this first special over 40 years ago not only holds up but still appears viable.
Part of the appeal with these specials is the universality of the characters and themes. Charlie Brown really wants to do right, wants to succeed, but everything is working against him. We’ve all felt that way at various points in our life, and Christmas is no exception – perhaps emphasizing it for many.
Besides the emotional impact the characters feel, this Christmas special is notable for actually placing what Christmas is about in the forefront without being overly preachy. Frustrated, Charlie Brown exhibits doubts about what the season is about, Linus explains about Christ’s birth, then the gang moves on, coming together in celebration. Along the way we get some great music and humor that still holds up.
If you remember seeing this years ago but only vaguely remember what it is about, I highly encourage renting this. If you remember this fondly, this is a great edition to pick up. If you have children, you should simply pick this new edition up because “A Charlie Brown Christmas” is one of those things that is easy to do year after year, like your favorite Christmas CD. Newly remastered, this edition includes a second episode as well as a featurette looking at the making of the first Peanuts special.
“It’s Christmas Time Again, Charlie Brown” was created many years later, and doesn’t have quite the same innocent charm, but is still quite watchable and enjoyable. Everybody is getting ready for the holiday in their own way as well as participating in another pageant. This one lacks the same charm as the earlier Christmas special, but is still enjoyable.
Much like the other recent DVD releases of the Peanuts specials, this one comes with a retrospective featurette. Interviewed are a number of people from producer, director, Charles Chulz’s widow, and more. If you’re familiar at all with the previous Peanuts specials on DVD that Warner Brothers has been releasing then you know what you’re in for. It’s a good, if all too brief, examination of the genesis of Peanuts leaping off of the printed page.
As Christmas specials go, this is an absolute classic that stands the test of time. If you’re going to build any sort of library centering on the holiday, “A Charlie Brown Christmas” should be a cornerstone.
| What Works | Score |
|---|---|
|
+ One of the best Peanuts specials ever + The bonus special is pretty good too + Good clean Peanuts fun + More of the interview featurette |
9.2 |
| What Doesn't | |
| - The interview featurette, particulary here, feels inadequate | |
| Under the Shrink-wrap | |
| One of the best holiday specials as well as one of the best Peanuts specials. An excellent Christmas tradition. | |
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Tags: Peanuts
Posted by Daniel "monk" Pelfrey on Nov 24th, 2008 and is filed under DVD/TV Reviews, Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can post a comment, or trackback from your own site.
