A small disclaimer: I'm a huge Peanuts fan. I've watched most of the films and specials, and own hundreds of books (new and old) that collect the original Schulz comic strips. Growing up, one of my quirks was the ability to quote a strip for almost every situation, whispering to my parents "...this reminds me of a Peanuts comic..." So naturally, I will hold some bias in favor to just about any Peanuts film or show. Of course, I'm not alone: millions of fans young and old around the world can relate to the philoshophical musings of these 1950's American children, and still watch the holiday specials and buy t-shirts to this day.To review every Peanuts film or television special is foolhardy. Even today, new films featuring the gang are made. And most of the films are effectively the same: Charlie Brown is a well-meaning kid who seems to fail at everything, Snoopy is his unusually theatrical pet beagle, and the two hang out with their friends, a series of misfits with one-dimensional traits of their own. There are dozens of films focusing on holidays (the first Peanuts film being the classic "A Charlie Brown Christmas" in 1965), and others that focus on summer camp, romance, and general pop-culture topics from the 70's. Certain jokes and comic-scenarios are repeated across most of them. If you are willing to devote the time, many of the Peanuts films and specials vary just enough to make them interesting. But I think most fans will agree there are only two films that are important enough for every American to see: "A Boy Named Charlie Brown" and "Snoopy, Come Home." Of the two, I personally prefer "A Boy."Being a film primarily for children (or those who are still children at heart), the story is simple. "A Boy Named Charlie Brown" introduces us to Charlie Brown, a kid with almost no hair, a big round head, and a slightly chubby stomach underneath his trademark yellow-and-black shirt. As Rod McKuen sings the title song, we watch Charlie make a homemade kite with paper, sticks and glue. Proud of his work, he heads out to fly it, only to immediately come back with the kite, destroyed by the wind and the trees. With a sigh, he gets back to work, making a new kite, and trying again. This is the charm of the character: he fails, and like most of us, feels he fails every time, and yet tries again, be it with kites, baseball, or kicking Lucy's football without falling on his back. Snoopy usually steals the show, often confused as the lead of the comic in different countries. While he does get his fair share in this movie, it's clear that Charlie is the star. This is his story.After watching Charlie failure through his signature pasttimes, he gets a new chance at redemption: the school's Spelling Bee. With encouragement from his friend Linus, he feels it might be simple enough for him to prove he isn't a just a failure. Miraculously, he wins in his class... and then the school. Initially satisfied, he learns that this means he has to represent the school at the National Spelling Bee. With stakes higher than ever before, will he be able to make his town proud? Comic readers can guess the ending: of course Charlie Brown doesn't win. He comes in second place. And so he learns that failure is a natural part of life he will never avoid, and despite it, life moves on, and he will always be able to try again the next day. The comics and the shows were always a little melancholy, able to show an innocent sense of humor through the cynicism of a five-year-old. But this is especially pronounced in "A Boy Named Charlie Brown," such that it perfectly represents the mindset of an idealized but grounded American culture of the time.
The message is timeless, but this is a simple movie meant for children, right? Not necessarily. I think most children in the 21st century will be bored by the nearly 90-minute's slow pace. And the other hand, adults will appreciate the sense of nostalgia, both from watching characters that don't have cell phones, and from the creative direction. Releasing in 1969, "A Boy Named Charlie Brown" has many of the distinctive hallmarks of films from the stylish 60's and 70's. Aside from original songs (this is a musical) that make fun of Charlie, or else celebrate him, the movie takes many opportunities to sidetrack into abstract mosaics. Each one is surprisingly inspired: one scene shows patterns of stars and stripes during the American National Anthem. Another has Schroeder playing piano against a backdrop of colors depicting churchs and mountains. Another has Snoopy in a well-choreographed skating routine, switching to hockey, and back to skating. These interludes are inspired by the likes of Disney's "Fantasia," or perhaps the Beatles movie "Yellow Submarine," which released only a year earlier. Watching "A Boy Named Charlie Brown" as an adult gave me a new appreciation, as well as experiencing a few minutes of extra animation not present on my old VHS release (since restored for DVD, Bluray or theatrical screenings).All that aside, the animation is purposely limited. It's both a style choice and an economical one. To watch the Peanuts gang any other way would feel unusual, but it's hard to convince anyone that this is "good" animation or design, unless you are teaching a masterclass on simplicity. A good chunk of it is recycled from previous films too. The voice cast is excellent: like most Peanuts films, you could close your eyes and still know exactly which characters are talking. And Vince Guaraldi's classic style provides both new and old music, the only music that makes sense for Peanuts today.It's worth mentioning that I grew up with the VHS of this movie, but in the early 2020's, I saw a theatrical re-release as well as a Bluray disc. The Bluray shows a poorly-aged image, full of scratches, dirt on random cells, and a ton of color-noise. Otherwise, it's sharp and detailed, but I can't help but wonder if my old VHS has better quality... I might check it if I ever find a working VHS player again.If you somehow have never seen a Peanuts film, and had presumptions about it, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised with "A Boy Named Charlie Brown." It's not an exceptional film, and it never tries to be. Even so, the film is arguably as perfect as an American film can be, even without any pre-existing bias towards the comic's favor. It's a classic.