From the first time you see this, you know there is something very different about this animated Christmas special that sets it apart from others. Maybe it was the fact that it actually gives the true meaning of Christmas by having Linus quote Luke 2:8-14. Also, maybe because it is able to capture the charm and whit of the Peanuts comic strip by Charles Schulz. Maybe it was the jazzy background music by Vince Guaraldi. Maybe it was all the above? I'm going say it is all of the above!! To this day I still find this Christmas special to be a very touching one.
Linus Van Pelt: Luke 2:8-14, ”for behold, I bring unto you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
The only problem I have with this movie is it includes the words stupid, blockhead and shows meanness, bullying, anxiety, depression, screaming threatening to punch with fists or slug and verbal abuse. A discussion afterwards about behavior among children is a good idea? There are positive messages about the true meaning of Christmas, the birth of Jesus, coming together to sing carols and decorating a tree. 5* (I really liked this movie)
30 min, animated, directed by Bill Melendez and written by Charles M. Schulz with the voices of Chris J.L. Doran, Tracy Stratford, Geoffrey Omstein, Ann Altieri, Chris Doran, Karen Mendelson, Sally Dryer, Peter Robbins, Bill Melendez, Cathy Steinberg.
Note: Imdb 9* out of 108 with 144 reviews, Common Sense Media 5*, age 3+, 4* positive, 3* role models, Amazon 4.9* out of 5* with 6712 ratings. Letterboxd 4.1* out of 5* with 133 fans.
Special Note: Cathy Steinberg, who did the voice of Sally Brown had not yet learned to read at the time of production. She was told her words, often a word or syllable at a time and that which explains the rather choppy delivery of the line, "All I want is what I have coming to me. All I want is my fair share". This movie broke many of the rules prevalent for animated holiday specials during the 1960s: It didn't make use of a laugh track, real children were used for the character voices instead of adult actors imitating children's voices and Biblical references were used to illustrate the true meaning of Christmas.
Mistakes: When Schroeder and Lucy are discussing what Beethoven contributed, he stops playing the piano, but the piano doesn't stop right away. When Charlie Brown and Linus go looking for a Christmas tree, Linus taps on a metal tree and says "This one really brings Christmas close to a person". The tree makes a sound the second before he taps on it, not when he taps on it.
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