140 Character Movie Review – #140RVW
Have you ever had a Halloween in which you failed to watch this? Feels kind of incomplete, doesn’t it? 3rd Peanuts special is 1 of the best.
Spoiler-free Movie Review of It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown:
Best piece of trivia I came across when researching this review? It was mentioned in the 20th anniversary Peanuts documentary and is also mentioned on imdb: “After this special originally aired, children all over the country sent candy to Charlie Brown out of sympathy.” I just love that…
I know I certainly always identified with Charlie Brown as a character growing up. I remember telling my dad during one of these specials that one of the kids at school said that I reminded them of Charlie Brown. I think Dad was offended on my behalf, but I didn’t really take it as an insult. I think all of us have moments of feeling like good ol’ Chuck. I don’t think I want to know a person who can’t empathize with Charlie Brown.
I’m not sure I could pin down which of the Peanuts specials is my favorite. A Charlie Brown Christmas was the first and greatest – a show that transcends a simple tv program – but this one really remains special.
So much about the program has entered popular culture that it’s hard to really see it with fresh eyes unless you watch it with a child (highly recommended). Then you can see the complete delight in watching Lucy yank away the football, getting kissed with dog lips, and the pure and beautiful conviction of Linus that the Great Pumpkin will rise out of the pumpkin patch, if only he can find the most sincere one…
It’s a real testament to Charles Schultz’s writing that these stand up as well as they do, despite the fact that they don’t shy away from dating themselves. Think of Snoopy’s antics as a World War I flying ace; this was a dated reference even when the show aired in 1966. And the Peanuts strips and animated specials are full of references that may be completely lost on modern audiences. It’s irrelevant – Schultz’s work remains about a boy named Charlie Brown. You don’t need to pick up the references to athletes of the day or anything to get the jokes or to understand his world.
(Actually, I was a real fan of the early days of air warfare as a kid; I actually had paintings of famous WWI battles on my walls, showing the last flight of Manfred von Richthofen (the Red Baron), his Fokker Dr. I being shot down by a Sopwith Camel near the Somme River, among others. So I was the exception, but it wouldn’t have mattered anyway. This is great comedy.)
Happy Halloween, Now Very Bad readers! I hope your pumpkin patch contains not a sign of hypocrisy.
[Cue fade out credits…]
Just wait till next year, Charlie Brown. You’ll see! Next year at this same time, I’ll find a pumpkin patch that is *real* sincere and I’ll sit in that pumpkin patch until the Great Pumpkin appears. He’ll rise out of that pumpkin patch and he’ll fly through the air with his bag of toys. The Great Pumpkin will appear and I’ll be waiting for him! I’ll be there! I’ll be sitting there in that pumpkin patch… and I’ll see the Great Pumpkin. Just wait and see, Charlie Brown. I’ll see that Great Pumpkin. I’ll SEE the Great Pumpkin! Just you wait, Charlie Brown. The Great Pumpkin will appear, and I’ll be waiting for him…I’ll be there! I’ll be sitting there in that pumpkin patch… and I’ll see the Great Pumpkin. Just wait and see…
Poster:
Trailer:
http://youtu.be/aa21pDDxkAk
Bechdel Test:
Pass
The Representation Test Score:
Yeah, I’m not doing this for a Charlie Brown cartoon…
| Main Cast | Peter Robbins Charlie Brown (voice), Christopher Shea (as Chris Shea) Linus Van Pelt (voice), Sally Dryer Lucy Van Pelt (voice), Kathy Steinberg (as Cathy Steinberg) Sally Brown (voice) |
| Rating | Atp |
| Release Date | Thu 27 Oct 1966 UTC |
| Director | Bill Melendez |
| Genres | Animation, Short, Comedy, Family |
| Plot | The Peanuts gang celebrates Halloween while Linus waits for the Great Pumpkin. |
| Poster |  |
| Runtime | 25 |
| Tagline | Peanuts, pumpkins, and pleasure for the whole family! (2008 DVD re-release) |
| Writers | Charles M. Schulz (written by) |
| Year | 1966 |
