1st watched 10/30/2004 - 7 out of 10(Dir-Bill Melendez): Charming characters, unique animation, and a great lesson. Excellent slow-paced introduction to each character in this Peanuts cartoon with all the trademark character traits being brought out one at a time. Some very psychedelic-type animation matches the era(the late 60's) during a musical piece by Schroeder as well as a well-done rendition of the national anthem initiating the baseball season for the Peanuts gang. The only down-points are some of the songs, especially a small ditty called "Failure Face" sung by the girls to Charlie. The story follows the down-in-his-luck hero Charlie and his attempts to do something as a winner by entering a spelling bee contest for his school. The lesson here, which you have to wait till the end to see, is that as long as you keep trying there will be little victories in life and that you can't change others but you can do the best for you and that's whats important. Schulz doesn't try to color-coat life, he shows that it is as it is which is another appealing trait. Aside from these deep meanings embedded, this is also a very funny and light-hearted film(with many great moments from Snoopy, of course, for comic relief) that I consider a classic since these characters very rarely made it to the big screen and this effort is done very well.
53 Reviews
For the same reasons people love or hate this movie, this is everything Charlie Brown and Peanuts in a feature film
IonicBreezeMachine10 February 2021
Charlie Brown is a depressed little boy whose actions are constantly met with failure, humiliation, or some combination of both. However when Charlie Brown wins a spelling bee he finds himself representing his school at a national level with an opportunity for great success....or possibly even greater failure.
Released in 1969 Peanuts had already made themselves quite well known with their number of prime time TV specials usually themed around various holidays. A Boy Named Charlie Brown marks the first of four feature length films from the same team and not only was it a success upon release breaking records at Radio City Music Hall (only the third animated feature to be screened at the venue) but broke Disney's near monopoly on animated features. The movie for all intents and purposes is Charlie Brown through and through.
The movie is less of an overarching narrative and more of a character piece just following Charlie Brown through his various activities. Be it trying to fly a kite, playing baseball, or at one point getting out the front door of his home, Charlie Brown finds himself either in abject failure or humiliating mishaps that often wear down on him. The movie features many of the familiar Peanuts cast in varying degrees of importance. Linus is still the fragile know-it-all who has withdrawls when he's seperated too long from his blanket, Lucy is still the deviant sadist who revels in kicking Charlie Brown when he's down, and Snoopy is still just his usually weird self. It's a very slow paced film that takes its time moving from one segment to the next. In many ways it's like watching a (slightly) real life, albeit a very depressing one.
While the movie does have a purposefully slow plot with the Spelling Bee point not introduced until a little under halfway through, there's clear usage of padding in several musical interludes. Some such as Schroeder playing his piano only for the imagery to drift away and reveal painted work of cathedrals and European cities, the Star Spangled Banner playing with abstract shapes of Red, White and Blue, and a lengthy sequence where Snoppy skates and imagines himself playing Hockey in front of Rockerfeller center go on a smidge too long and are clearly there just to extend the running time, but others such as the opening title song "A Boy Named Charlie Brown" or "Failure Face" a musical insult directed at Charlie Brown sung by Patty, Violet, and Lucy fit a bit better.
A Boy Named Charlie Brown is a faithful adaptation of the beloved characters as well as the strip from which they came. It keeps the tone fitting with the established canon and while it's story is simple it deals unapologetically with ideas of putting your all into something only for that to not necessarily pay off in the end. The same reasons that people like this movie will be the same reasons people don't like it. And for all intents and purposes that's more or less how the whole of the Peanuts franchise should be approached.
Released in 1969 Peanuts had already made themselves quite well known with their number of prime time TV specials usually themed around various holidays. A Boy Named Charlie Brown marks the first of four feature length films from the same team and not only was it a success upon release breaking records at Radio City Music Hall (only the third animated feature to be screened at the venue) but broke Disney's near monopoly on animated features. The movie for all intents and purposes is Charlie Brown through and through.
The movie is less of an overarching narrative and more of a character piece just following Charlie Brown through his various activities. Be it trying to fly a kite, playing baseball, or at one point getting out the front door of his home, Charlie Brown finds himself either in abject failure or humiliating mishaps that often wear down on him. The movie features many of the familiar Peanuts cast in varying degrees of importance. Linus is still the fragile know-it-all who has withdrawls when he's seperated too long from his blanket, Lucy is still the deviant sadist who revels in kicking Charlie Brown when he's down, and Snoopy is still just his usually weird self. It's a very slow paced film that takes its time moving from one segment to the next. In many ways it's like watching a (slightly) real life, albeit a very depressing one.
While the movie does have a purposefully slow plot with the Spelling Bee point not introduced until a little under halfway through, there's clear usage of padding in several musical interludes. Some such as Schroeder playing his piano only for the imagery to drift away and reveal painted work of cathedrals and European cities, the Star Spangled Banner playing with abstract shapes of Red, White and Blue, and a lengthy sequence where Snoppy skates and imagines himself playing Hockey in front of Rockerfeller center go on a smidge too long and are clearly there just to extend the running time, but others such as the opening title song "A Boy Named Charlie Brown" or "Failure Face" a musical insult directed at Charlie Brown sung by Patty, Violet, and Lucy fit a bit better.
A Boy Named Charlie Brown is a faithful adaptation of the beloved characters as well as the strip from which they came. It keeps the tone fitting with the established canon and while it's story is simple it deals unapologetically with ideas of putting your all into something only for that to not necessarily pay off in the end. The same reasons that people like this movie will be the same reasons people don't like it. And for all intents and purposes that's more or less how the whole of the Peanuts franchise should be approached.
Spell It, Charlie Brown!
Rindiana13 December 2010
You don't need first-class Disney animation to produce a charmer. The Peanuts' comics' philosophical underpinnings and intelligent and witty humour is brought to the silver screen full and intact. Never before or after has a bunch of kids proved to be that thought-provoking.
Yes, the pace may be a tad too slow and the animation rough around the edges, but Schulz' lovable little grown-ups with their all too well-known characteristics are sufficient compensation.
And if the pic threatens to become too talky, there's always Snoopy's shenanigans to save the day.
7 out of 10 security blanket cold turkeys
Yes, the pace may be a tad too slow and the animation rough around the edges, but Schulz' lovable little grown-ups with their all too well-known characteristics are sufficient compensation.
And if the pic threatens to become too talky, there's always Snoopy's shenanigans to save the day.
7 out of 10 security blanket cold turkeys
Close to the spirit of the strip in terms of content and animation but also contains imaginative additions
bob the moo30 July 2004
Charlie Brown is a young boy who cannot ever seem to do anything right. His baseball team always loses the first and last games of the season (as well as most of the ones in between) and he gets the blame. He never gets a moment's rest from his friends putting him down as the designated goat even his dog gives him a rough ride. Determined to show that he is more than just a failure, Charlie enters the school spelling bee, aiming for victory but can he stand up under the pressure that awaits him? Meanwhile Linus goes cold-turkey.
I have seen several of the Peanuts features and have enjoyed them as a fan but been the first to put my hands up and say that they are neither great films or totally captured the spirit of the strip. However with this feature I am pleased to report that it was pretty much spot on in both regards. The plot starts well and the first half of the film is an enjoyable collection of episodes that act like individual strips while still moving the film forward. The second half moves into more solid territory with the spelling-bee but even then it keeps it together and is well structured. The humour of the piece will appeal to those who enjoy the strip not hilarious but it has some funny moments as well as the amusing philosophising that they all do. The film benefits from imaginative writing that adds humour in various ways Snoopy drinking the water and Linus going cold-turkey are two such examples. Only the actual spelling bee final is a little slow as it is a couple of minutes of spelling!
The film isn't heavy with songs like other features I've seen and the animation is nicely close to the strip and pleased me as a fan. However, again an added bonus, the animation opens out every now and again to become something much more sublime (and that word is not an exaggeration). Snoopy taking to ice becomes a blur of colour, while Linus playing the piano becomes close to art! It may not be as polished as Disney but it is really cool and imaginative while still staying within the Peanuts style. The voice work is all good a little flat at times but it suits the characters (of course I'm used to them by now so I didn't have the 'problem' of imagining them myself first).
Another reviewer has put this film on a par with Fantasia and, while I wouldn't say that, I can see what they mean. The plot moves the film forward but also manages to capture the spirit of the strip really well. Likewise the animation is very close to the strip and is pleasing to watch. Both these aspects are made better by a series of imaginative touches in the writing it is funny little gags and the strips' usual philosophising while in the animation it is a series of imaginative fantasy sequences that really make the film feel like something special. The most pleasing Peanuts movie I have seen.
I have seen several of the Peanuts features and have enjoyed them as a fan but been the first to put my hands up and say that they are neither great films or totally captured the spirit of the strip. However with this feature I am pleased to report that it was pretty much spot on in both regards. The plot starts well and the first half of the film is an enjoyable collection of episodes that act like individual strips while still moving the film forward. The second half moves into more solid territory with the spelling-bee but even then it keeps it together and is well structured. The humour of the piece will appeal to those who enjoy the strip not hilarious but it has some funny moments as well as the amusing philosophising that they all do. The film benefits from imaginative writing that adds humour in various ways Snoopy drinking the water and Linus going cold-turkey are two such examples. Only the actual spelling bee final is a little slow as it is a couple of minutes of spelling!
The film isn't heavy with songs like other features I've seen and the animation is nicely close to the strip and pleased me as a fan. However, again an added bonus, the animation opens out every now and again to become something much more sublime (and that word is not an exaggeration). Snoopy taking to ice becomes a blur of colour, while Linus playing the piano becomes close to art! It may not be as polished as Disney but it is really cool and imaginative while still staying within the Peanuts style. The voice work is all good a little flat at times but it suits the characters (of course I'm used to them by now so I didn't have the 'problem' of imagining them myself first).
Another reviewer has put this film on a par with Fantasia and, while I wouldn't say that, I can see what they mean. The plot moves the film forward but also manages to capture the spirit of the strip really well. Likewise the animation is very close to the strip and is pleasing to watch. Both these aspects are made better by a series of imaginative touches in the writing it is funny little gags and the strips' usual philosophising while in the animation it is a series of imaginative fantasy sequences that really make the film feel like something special. The most pleasing Peanuts movie I have seen.
Good grief!
Atreyu_II14 June 2008
Warning: Spoilers
"A Boy Named Charlie Brown" is the first of 4 Peanuts specials and also the first full-length Peanuts movie. It is the movie that made Charlie Brown and his friends movie stars.
As the movie's title suggests, it is about a boy named Charlie Brown, the main character of Peanuts. Here, more than in any other movie or episode, Charlie Brown shows his emotions at the maximum: when he's shy or nervous, when he's sad and depressed, when he's angry, when he's hopeful or desperate, when he feels that nothing seems to be going well in his life and so on...
Charlie Brown is a lovable loser. He's the kind of character that wins our hearts with his losing ways. And yet, he is also a funny little guy.
This movie has some of the best known scenes of Charlie Brown's lack of luck: his failures on the baseball games and the infamous trick that Lucy always does to Charlie Brown whenever he is about to kick the football - she pulls it away!
Charlie Brown even asks for help on Lucy's Psychiatry Booth in this film. She claims that her method is "unique" and what does she do? With a slide projector and a screen, she shows all of Charlie's faults, which only makes poor Charlie feel more miserable than ever.
An interesting and distinguish detail about this film is that Charlie Brown often spells the letters of the words he is saying, something called «spelling bee». The spelling bee is going fine (even the most difficult words) until he has to spell the word "Beagle" (Snoopy's breed). Unfortunately, he misspells it as "B-E-A-G-E-L". I believe it is because of the nerves - after all, it was an easy word for him to say. But the screams given by him and the whole gang are hilarious, as well as Charlie's face when he realizes he misspelled the word.
Funnily, Linus borrows Charlie Brown his blue blanket to wish him good luck. Not much later, Linus feels miserable without his blue blanket. He just keeps passing out! I guess one could say «What would Linus be without his blanket?». A funny scene related to this is that, when Charlie Brown is shining his shoes, Linus stares in shock because the cloth he's using is Linus' blanket - Linus yells "Arrrgh!" and quickly grabs it and holds it. The blanket even seems to win a life of its own.
The kite sequence, for some reason, reminds me about the kite scenes in "The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh" and "Mary Poppins", especially the one in the first movie I mentioned because they both deal with a kite's failed attempt.
Surprisingly, there are 2 characters that do not appear in this movie: Woodstock and Marcie. Peppermint Patty (aka «Sir») practically doesn't appear either, but if you look carefully, you'll clearly see her appearing twice, although very briefly.
The movie's major downside is, in my opinion, some bizarre and strange sequences that I hardly can explain. All I can say is that they remind me about the segment "Night on Bald Mountain" from Walt Disney's "Fantasia", which is my least favorite part of that great Disney classic. But at least those scenes have the touch of Beethoven's classical music as background. As for the rest of the soundtrack, it is nothing special, but I like the songs "I before E Except after C" and "A Boy Named Charlie Brown".
The artwork here is quite simple, typically Peanuts. Don't get me wrong, this isn't a critic, just an honest evaluation. However, the movies "Race for your life, Charlie Brown" and "Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown" have far superior artwork. Nevertheless, "A Boy Named Charlie Brown" is an okay movie, even if not as unique or distinguish as "Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown".
As the movie's title suggests, it is about a boy named Charlie Brown, the main character of Peanuts. Here, more than in any other movie or episode, Charlie Brown shows his emotions at the maximum: when he's shy or nervous, when he's sad and depressed, when he's angry, when he's hopeful or desperate, when he feels that nothing seems to be going well in his life and so on...
Charlie Brown is a lovable loser. He's the kind of character that wins our hearts with his losing ways. And yet, he is also a funny little guy.
This movie has some of the best known scenes of Charlie Brown's lack of luck: his failures on the baseball games and the infamous trick that Lucy always does to Charlie Brown whenever he is about to kick the football - she pulls it away!
Charlie Brown even asks for help on Lucy's Psychiatry Booth in this film. She claims that her method is "unique" and what does she do? With a slide projector and a screen, she shows all of Charlie's faults, which only makes poor Charlie feel more miserable than ever.
An interesting and distinguish detail about this film is that Charlie Brown often spells the letters of the words he is saying, something called «spelling bee». The spelling bee is going fine (even the most difficult words) until he has to spell the word "Beagle" (Snoopy's breed). Unfortunately, he misspells it as "B-E-A-G-E-L". I believe it is because of the nerves - after all, it was an easy word for him to say. But the screams given by him and the whole gang are hilarious, as well as Charlie's face when he realizes he misspelled the word.
Funnily, Linus borrows Charlie Brown his blue blanket to wish him good luck. Not much later, Linus feels miserable without his blue blanket. He just keeps passing out! I guess one could say «What would Linus be without his blanket?». A funny scene related to this is that, when Charlie Brown is shining his shoes, Linus stares in shock because the cloth he's using is Linus' blanket - Linus yells "Arrrgh!" and quickly grabs it and holds it. The blanket even seems to win a life of its own.
The kite sequence, for some reason, reminds me about the kite scenes in "The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh" and "Mary Poppins", especially the one in the first movie I mentioned because they both deal with a kite's failed attempt.
Surprisingly, there are 2 characters that do not appear in this movie: Woodstock and Marcie. Peppermint Patty (aka «Sir») practically doesn't appear either, but if you look carefully, you'll clearly see her appearing twice, although very briefly.
The movie's major downside is, in my opinion, some bizarre and strange sequences that I hardly can explain. All I can say is that they remind me about the segment "Night on Bald Mountain" from Walt Disney's "Fantasia", which is my least favorite part of that great Disney classic. But at least those scenes have the touch of Beethoven's classical music as background. As for the rest of the soundtrack, it is nothing special, but I like the songs "I before E Except after C" and "A Boy Named Charlie Brown".
The artwork here is quite simple, typically Peanuts. Don't get me wrong, this isn't a critic, just an honest evaluation. However, the movies "Race for your life, Charlie Brown" and "Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown" have far superior artwork. Nevertheless, "A Boy Named Charlie Brown" is an okay movie, even if not as unique or distinguish as "Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown".
The ultimate and epic Charlie Brown statement!
Ryuusei15 September 2000
A BOY NAMED CHARLIE BROWN has got to be the ultimate Peanuts animation ever made! It's so epic, and it does a great job of showcasing the original Peanuts characters, especially the central character, Charlie Brown! It told a tragic story of Charlie Brown, the milquetoast little boy who works hard to be the best (trying everything from kite-flying to baseball to even competing at a spelling bee), so that he can be loved and respected by his friends, when, of course, he usually loses and his friends berate him. And only his best friend Linus tries to help Charlie Brown succeed in life. There's also Snoopy, Charlie Brown's wonderful pet beagle, who does his usual crazy thing, from playing a WWI Flying Ace to skating on ice. Aside from creator Charles Schulz's screenplay, the great music score and songs by legendary jazz musician Vince Guaraldi, conductor John Scott Trotter, and gifted musician/poet/singer Rod McKuen really shines, and is the best score of any animated Peanuts project since the scores from all of the previous animated TV specials (only with more dimension)! It really needs a CD soundtrack! There's also some "artsy-fartsy" moments throughout the movie, including the Peanuts Gang saluting the National Anthem, Charlie Brown and Linus practicing "I before E, except after C," Schroeder playing Beethoven's Pathetique Sonata (2nd movt.) on his piano, and Snoopy skating at the Rockerfeller Center in NY, where Charlie Brown goes for the national spelling bee, but these are great images that make this movie all the more unusual! This movie made its premiere at the Radio City Music Hall in December of '69 (incidentally Rod McKuen performed one of the movie's songs months earlier at his birthday concert at Carnegie Hall, which can be purchased on a CD called "Rod McKuen: At Carnegie Hall"). There was also a documentary of the same name (the soundtrack of which is available on CD), which was transformed into CHARLIE BROWN AND CHARLES SCHULZ the same year this movie was released.
In summary, A BOY NAMED CHARLIE BROWN is the best of the Peanuts movies, and the best Peanuts animated project since A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS (the first Peanuts TV special)! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!
In summary, A BOY NAMED CHARLIE BROWN is the best of the Peanuts movies, and the best Peanuts animated project since A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS (the first Peanuts TV special)! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!
Warhol, Comic strip goodness, sloppy animation, and heart all wrapped into one decent package
diac22820 January 2009
There's a little Charlie Brown in all of us. He's in our thoughts when we are pessimistic and in our thoughts when we reflect on the early days. Charlie Brown and Snoopy pretty much embody and represent the innocence, simplicity, and charm of childhood. Peanuts may not have the powerhouse reputation it used to have, but to this day remains one of the best comic strip creations in the history of newsprint. Their specials are amazing as well, from the classic Christmas special to the highly underrated "You're a Good Sport, Charlie Brown." In spite of all their success, most forget that Charlie Brown actually starred in a series of feature-length films. A Boy Named Charlie Brown is the first attempt by Shultz and company to bring the beloved character to the big screen.
A Boy Named Charlie Brown is known for its musical interludes, amazing score, pop art style, and first display of how Snoopy and his friends would fare quality-wise when extended to past 80 minutes. The movie isn't amazing, but it wasn't a horrific disappointment either. It was Bill Melendez getting his cinematic start with the franchise. There are some lovable moments, excellent one-liners, and heartwarming moments to keep the family entertained. While the movie's choppy animation remains intact (They must never ever get enough money for budget) this is saved because of the multiple ways the story is being presented.
In the film, we follow Charlie Brown as he tries to win a national spelling bee after surprisingly winning the competition in his school. But there's more to the tale, as all the cast of the comic strip (besides Marcie and Pepperment Patty) have their own moment to shine; from Snoopy's dreams about being a hockey player and airline pilot to Schroeder's piano solo. Some of these moments are good (Beethoven, Snoopy in World War 1) while some miss the mark (Linus and the blanket, Snoopy ice skating).
The animation is very basic, bland, and unforgivably sloppy. While this was forgivable in the Christmas special thanks to its low budget, one would wonder why a phenomenon like Peanuts had such little help in the budgeting while transferring to the big screen. Thankfully, Melendez crafted several ways to visually tell the story, which includes multiple screens, rotoscoping, and sometimes even borrowing styles of Andy Warhol. All these techniques help make up for the shoestring budget and quality of the animation, and also provide defining evidence that this was a 60s film. The pop art undertones are much heavier here than in the next three Peanuts films combined.
Charlie Brown would evolve into better-organized movies later in the 70s (Most notable Bon Voyage and Race for Your Life), but this was the writing staff getting their feet wet. The evolution from comic strip to film is an extremely tough one, much harder than television show to the big screen. This is among the first, if not the first, successful experiment of the type; even if it wasn't perfect. There were multiple story lines woven together under one major plot line, and it's not a style of storytelling that would sit well with everyone. With Snoopy Come Home and Race For Your Life, it was one big story with multiple jokes that managed to stretch to past an hour. The spelling bee tale could not have lasted a full length, so Shultz added many more (if, mostly unrelated) tales and scenes as filler. But there are some wonderful moments, and superb one-liners sprinkled throughout ("I'm dying, and all I hear are insults!")
Bottom Line: This isn't the best of the Charlie Brown movies, but it's the first and still stands well after all these years. Serving as more a look at the art and styles of animation in the 60s rather than an amusing Charlie Brown picture, this film was proof that the comic strip medium can come to life in bigger ways than television. To this day there are very few decent comic book films, because they don't successfully flesh out their characters or reduce themselves to a quick buck. While you don't see the quality, you certain see the effort Charles M. Schulz delivered on his work. A Boy Named Charlie Brown is the big-screen version of a Charlie Brown Christmas: delightful but not the best; but also the beginning of something very special.
A Boy Named Charlie Brown is known for its musical interludes, amazing score, pop art style, and first display of how Snoopy and his friends would fare quality-wise when extended to past 80 minutes. The movie isn't amazing, but it wasn't a horrific disappointment either. It was Bill Melendez getting his cinematic start with the franchise. There are some lovable moments, excellent one-liners, and heartwarming moments to keep the family entertained. While the movie's choppy animation remains intact (They must never ever get enough money for budget) this is saved because of the multiple ways the story is being presented.
In the film, we follow Charlie Brown as he tries to win a national spelling bee after surprisingly winning the competition in his school. But there's more to the tale, as all the cast of the comic strip (besides Marcie and Pepperment Patty) have their own moment to shine; from Snoopy's dreams about being a hockey player and airline pilot to Schroeder's piano solo. Some of these moments are good (Beethoven, Snoopy in World War 1) while some miss the mark (Linus and the blanket, Snoopy ice skating).
The animation is very basic, bland, and unforgivably sloppy. While this was forgivable in the Christmas special thanks to its low budget, one would wonder why a phenomenon like Peanuts had such little help in the budgeting while transferring to the big screen. Thankfully, Melendez crafted several ways to visually tell the story, which includes multiple screens, rotoscoping, and sometimes even borrowing styles of Andy Warhol. All these techniques help make up for the shoestring budget and quality of the animation, and also provide defining evidence that this was a 60s film. The pop art undertones are much heavier here than in the next three Peanuts films combined.
Charlie Brown would evolve into better-organized movies later in the 70s (Most notable Bon Voyage and Race for Your Life), but this was the writing staff getting their feet wet. The evolution from comic strip to film is an extremely tough one, much harder than television show to the big screen. This is among the first, if not the first, successful experiment of the type; even if it wasn't perfect. There were multiple story lines woven together under one major plot line, and it's not a style of storytelling that would sit well with everyone. With Snoopy Come Home and Race For Your Life, it was one big story with multiple jokes that managed to stretch to past an hour. The spelling bee tale could not have lasted a full length, so Shultz added many more (if, mostly unrelated) tales and scenes as filler. But there are some wonderful moments, and superb one-liners sprinkled throughout ("I'm dying, and all I hear are insults!")
Bottom Line: This isn't the best of the Charlie Brown movies, but it's the first and still stands well after all these years. Serving as more a look at the art and styles of animation in the 60s rather than an amusing Charlie Brown picture, this film was proof that the comic strip medium can come to life in bigger ways than television. To this day there are very few decent comic book films, because they don't successfully flesh out their characters or reduce themselves to a quick buck. While you don't see the quality, you certain see the effort Charles M. Schulz delivered on his work. A Boy Named Charlie Brown is the big-screen version of a Charlie Brown Christmas: delightful but not the best; but also the beginning of something very special.
Charlie Brown in his first feature!
fiascofilmsco26 June 2001
I saw this film first in 1969. I thought it was a cute little film then, as now.
This is the first Peanuts feature, and the last show using Peter Robbins as the voice of Charlie Brown.
In this film, Charlie Brown, our hero, has finally proved that he can do something right. He wins the spelling bee in his class. All the kids treat him with their usual lack of tact. He studies really hard and wins the championship at his school and gets to go to the "city" to be in the "National Elimination Spelling Bee" I will not spoil the ending.
Vince Guaraldi, the composer of the music for the six previous TV specials, is back for this one. There are new arrangements of the old music, plus several new songs by Rod McKuen. Guaraldi did not do the music for the next feature, Snoopy Come Home (1972) and that film suffers because of this.
Schroeder has a beautiful salute to Beethoven in this film. While the music plays, we see some beautiful abstract scenes and colors on the screen that look fantastic in Technicolor. Sadly, I have seen this sequence cut from TV showings.
Snoopy has a wonderful sequence while he and Linus are wandering around the city looking for his blanket that he sent with Charlie Brown for good luck. Snoopy discovers an ice skating rink and pretends that he is in a hockey match while he skates around the rink. He also has an encounter with the Red Baron that has some of the same animation that was used in "He's Your Dog, Charlie Brown! on TV.
One thing that I like about this film is when the closing credits are rolling, you get to see animated images of most of the principal creators of this film. Their names are on the right side of the screen, and their images appear on the left. Things like that entice me to sit through the credits instead of walking out as soon as they start.
If you have never seen this film, by all means rent it and see what you have been missing!
This is the first Peanuts feature, and the last show using Peter Robbins as the voice of Charlie Brown.
In this film, Charlie Brown, our hero, has finally proved that he can do something right. He wins the spelling bee in his class. All the kids treat him with their usual lack of tact. He studies really hard and wins the championship at his school and gets to go to the "city" to be in the "National Elimination Spelling Bee" I will not spoil the ending.
Vince Guaraldi, the composer of the music for the six previous TV specials, is back for this one. There are new arrangements of the old music, plus several new songs by Rod McKuen. Guaraldi did not do the music for the next feature, Snoopy Come Home (1972) and that film suffers because of this.
Schroeder has a beautiful salute to Beethoven in this film. While the music plays, we see some beautiful abstract scenes and colors on the screen that look fantastic in Technicolor. Sadly, I have seen this sequence cut from TV showings.
Snoopy has a wonderful sequence while he and Linus are wandering around the city looking for his blanket that he sent with Charlie Brown for good luck. Snoopy discovers an ice skating rink and pretends that he is in a hockey match while he skates around the rink. He also has an encounter with the Red Baron that has some of the same animation that was used in "He's Your Dog, Charlie Brown! on TV.
One thing that I like about this film is when the closing credits are rolling, you get to see animated images of most of the principal creators of this film. Their names are on the right side of the screen, and their images appear on the left. Things like that entice me to sit through the credits instead of walking out as soon as they start.
If you have never seen this film, by all means rent it and see what you have been missing!
A Boy Named Charlie Brown
Spuzzlightyear24 January 2013
A product of it's time, "A Boy Named Charlie Brown" isn't REALLY that politically correct nowadays if you think about it, a boy who is constantly bullied in school and teased by everyone, and has no one to turn to. (his parents are absent). I mean, is that what we want to teach kids? Anyways, he tries to find acceptance by entering a spelling bee, (again, he goes by himself without any parent) only to find failure, and no moral support when he comes home. Gee, really uplifting lol. This cartoon does have a great 70's feel to it though, with it's animation and soundtrack. Maybe not necessarily for the kids, but it could be interesting for other ages.
An animated film that would make Bergman proud!
Preston-1017 June 2001
The PEANUTS films, coming from a student of international cinema, have contained some of the truest statements I have borne witness to in my life. If you were to really sit down and listen to what these characters say to each other you would be surprised at how much you can truly relate to them. A BOY NAMED CHARLIE BROWN is the best of them because it does the best job combining the artistic with the humanistic. Even though this is a movie that is defined through a series of seemingly unrelated moments (a fantasized hockey game, a spelling bee, a beautiful performance on piano by Schroeder, a baseball game) this only adds to the closeness we feel toward the characters. The tragic sequence in the Film where Linus expresses remorse for lending Charlie Brown his literal "security blanket" and seeks to find it is a sequence that would make Bergman proud! I rarely recommend movies that I truly like but I have to say that A BOY NAMED CHARLIE BROWN is a film for everyone!
Classic Peanuts tropes, but ultimately a terrible message for kids
bbretall-124 August 2019
Warning: Spoilers
I'm conflicted about this film.
It has a great score, some nice original songs, and hits a bunch of the classic Peanuts gags like Charlie Brown flying a kite, playing baseball, going to psychiatrist Lucy, trying to kick that football that Lucy would always pull away at the last second, as well as Snoopy dreaming of flying his doghouse in an aerial battle with the Red Baron and a very surreal animated sequence where Schroeder is playing Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor, Op. 13, commonly known as Sonata Pathétique.
I was also amused by Linus' drug-addict like withdrawal symptoms when he is without his blanket for an extended period of time. The kid had a serious flannel addiction.
The downside, for me, was based around the nominal plot of the movie outside of hitting the standard tropes, which was Charlie Brown qualifying for and going to the National Spelling Bee. The majority of the words Charlie gets are very negative (failure, fussbudget, etc.) which gets the standard teasing from the kids "Of course he can spell failure", etc. The worst part of it comes down to him winning his class, his school, and going to Nationals where
**SPOILER ALERT**
He comes in 2nd place, losing on a pretty easy word he totally should have known how to spell (beagle, they kind of dog Snoopy is). At this point, the film falls onto the very American attitude that you can come in 2nd place at the National level and because you didn't come in 1st you are a piece of trash loser. This reinforces his loser-ness and he comes back into town in the dead of night to zero accolades, when he should have rightly been lauded for climbing to 2nd place at the National level...but that would have gone against type for his "affable loser" character.
A terrible example for kids though, if you don't win, you suck.
Well worth seeing for Peanuts fans & completists who have not seen it before, but it definitely needs to go along with a context setting discussion if you bring a little kids to see it.
A boy named Charlie Brown
Terryfan2 January 2016
This is the only of few Charlie Brown and Peanuts films that I feel mix on and that's rare for being a long time fan of Charlie Brown
After watching this again after so many years I have to say the movie more or less I wouldn't call it one of the better films from Charlie Brown and Peanuts
The reason for it being that while it did have all that makes the Peanuts Gang it just don't feel right to me
It does feature a original story for Charlie Brown and we get to see our favorite Dog Snoopy do what he does best
The animation for the film is just what you would expect in the late 1960s this film animation is just far out there while there are moments of good animation some scenes just makes you go what were they thinking
Some of the animation is way out there that I forgot how it was when I first saw it
The voice acting is mix to me on this one is as best as I could put it
The music of course is where the Peanuts always promise to have great music
While I still found some good out of this film I just wouldn't say it was one of their best ones in my opinion but if you're a fan of Charlie Brown Snoopy and the rest of the Peanuts Gang this would be one to watch with the whole family
I give A Boy Named Charlie Brown an 7 out of 10
After watching this again after so many years I have to say the movie more or less I wouldn't call it one of the better films from Charlie Brown and Peanuts
The reason for it being that while it did have all that makes the Peanuts Gang it just don't feel right to me
It does feature a original story for Charlie Brown and we get to see our favorite Dog Snoopy do what he does best
The animation for the film is just what you would expect in the late 1960s this film animation is just far out there while there are moments of good animation some scenes just makes you go what were they thinking
Some of the animation is way out there that I forgot how it was when I first saw it
The voice acting is mix to me on this one is as best as I could put it
The music of course is where the Peanuts always promise to have great music
While I still found some good out of this film I just wouldn't say it was one of their best ones in my opinion but if you're a fan of Charlie Brown Snoopy and the rest of the Peanuts Gang this would be one to watch with the whole family
I give A Boy Named Charlie Brown an 7 out of 10
Good Grief! not my favourite
rebeljenn7 November 2005
This isn't my personal favourite Charlie Brown episode. I liked the Christmas special the best. It's been years since I have seen this. I probably first saw it when I was six and last saw it when I was about ten. I think that ideally one needs to be older to enjoy Charlie Brown. I never did understand some of the dialoge because they use a lot of large words that adults would understand but not children. Despite it being a cartoon, I don't think it was made with children in mind. You have to feel sorry for poor old Charlie Brown though...but then he has that cool dog Snoopy. I think a lot of the humor of Charlie Brown goes over the heads of young people, with the expection of the holiday specials.
A Fantasia for the Sixties.
SanDiego30 March 2000
Saw this film in a theater when it was first released and it has stuck with me all these years. Nothing like the Disney films of that period, it truly inspired most cutting edge animation that exists today (from "The Simpsons" to "South Park"). The TV specials had already animated the tiny Peanut kids who philosophized like ivy league psychologists, but the big screen dabbled in artistic compositions of color and abstract art. Simply a treat. A Fantasia for the Sixties! The sequels never got so gutsy.
Failure Face
owen-watts25 July 2023
My first full-length Charlie Brown - and I was amazed to discover it was the film that "broke the Disney monopoly". This strangely existential film, cobbled together out of re-used bits of animation and with lengthy avant garde sequences, is genuinely charming and seemed to have thrilled audiences at the time. For me it's almost pure unrefined Americana, replete with an abundance of neuroses, but there's also a fundamental playfulness that's really endearing. A little baggy in parts and the film almost makes a solid argument for the shortness of the original format and Rod McKuen's songs always feel a little cringe.
What a film, Charlie Brown
knoxvillian30 October 2002
This has got to be one of the most overlooked films in talking about classic stories. The storytelling of this film is wonderful, with a surprisingly insightful point for an animated film.
This film follows the fortunes of our title character, Charlie Brown, as he finally proves his worth by making it to the National Eliminations Spelling Bee, Second Grade. Along the way, we see his failures in baseball, his troubles with an overly imaginative dog, and his entanglements with his closest friends. All of the classic scenes from the comic are there as well. With only this mix of characters and the superb storytelling, the film would have been a classic.
But wait, there's more! The story is set against a beautiful backdrop of color and inventive imagery (Schroeder's concert of the "Adagio Cantabile" by Beethoven or the Snoopy's ice-skating interlude come to mind). In addition to all of this, there is the always transcendent score by Vincent Guaraldi as well as several fun songs sung by the characters and a title song by Rod McKuen that makes me wonder why one is unable to find a soundtrack to this movie anywhere.
If you haven't seen this movie, then I highly recommend that you do. Perhaps you'll see why this is easily on of the very best animated films out there.
This film follows the fortunes of our title character, Charlie Brown, as he finally proves his worth by making it to the National Eliminations Spelling Bee, Second Grade. Along the way, we see his failures in baseball, his troubles with an overly imaginative dog, and his entanglements with his closest friends. All of the classic scenes from the comic are there as well. With only this mix of characters and the superb storytelling, the film would have been a classic.
But wait, there's more! The story is set against a beautiful backdrop of color and inventive imagery (Schroeder's concert of the "Adagio Cantabile" by Beethoven or the Snoopy's ice-skating interlude come to mind). In addition to all of this, there is the always transcendent score by Vincent Guaraldi as well as several fun songs sung by the characters and a title song by Rod McKuen that makes me wonder why one is unable to find a soundtrack to this movie anywhere.
If you haven't seen this movie, then I highly recommend that you do. Perhaps you'll see why this is easily on of the very best animated films out there.
Return victorious or don't come back at all!
mark.waltz28 January 2022
Warning: Spoilers
After winning the spelling bee for hisvschool, usual blockhead loser Charlie Brown has the confidence of his classmates including the obnoxious Lucy who has always stepped on his self-esteem, tore away the football before he can kick it and makes him pitch on a baseball mound covered in Dandy Lions. She's continuing to stalk Schroeder here, who is completely uninterested of course, only noticing her when she mistakes a bust of Beethoven for George Washington. It's obvious that these kids have the mind of adults, and that will make this animated feature of Interest to adults who may relate to how the relationship of this group of friends has its highs and lows. Even Snoopy, the dog, without speaking, has his own rules and regulations and human abilities, able to fly a kite Charlie Brown can't. When Lucy and Linus strike out at a baseball game and everybody just accepts it, then yells in frustration in CB does it, the reflection of how cruel childhood really could be towards some hits home. It's hard not to watch the cartoons from TV and the features without looking at the psychological elements Charles Schulz was trying to emphasize.
This animated musical film has its highs and lows, many of them very funny and all of them original, not seen in any of the tv specials although a lot of the familiar sitegags are back. The score is pretty decent, although the clever spelling bee song isn't really melodic. It takes a good half hour or more for them to get to the gist of the plot, the challenge of the spelling bee, and it's surprising to see Lucy actually cheering when he wins the school title. There are definite moments of cleverness, a few insipid oh, and the film does get to be a little bit over long. The psychedelic elements of the 70's may seem weird to children of a decade fifty years later, and Schroeder's nightmare is just beyond bizarre. There's a sense of nostalgia though, but Charlie Brown's desperation to achieve something is definitely a relatable goal after a subject of a song called "Failure Face". As a feature film, after all those annual holiday specials of the sixties, this doesn't measure up to those. Perhaps less in this case is more.
This animated musical film has its highs and lows, many of them very funny and all of them original, not seen in any of the tv specials although a lot of the familiar sitegags are back. The score is pretty decent, although the clever spelling bee song isn't really melodic. It takes a good half hour or more for them to get to the gist of the plot, the challenge of the spelling bee, and it's surprising to see Lucy actually cheering when he wins the school title. There are definite moments of cleverness, a few insipid oh, and the film does get to be a little bit over long. The psychedelic elements of the 70's may seem weird to children of a decade fifty years later, and Schroeder's nightmare is just beyond bizarre. There's a sense of nostalgia though, but Charlie Brown's desperation to achieve something is definitely a relatable goal after a subject of a song called "Failure Face". As a feature film, after all those annual holiday specials of the sixties, this doesn't measure up to those. Perhaps less in this case is more.
A realistic look at human mentality
PeachHamBeach5 December 2008
Warning: Spoilers
Yep, that's what I said: this cartoon feature-length film featuring the beloved "Peanuts" gang is, like the comics of Schulz, a very realistic and intimate look inside the human psyche, not just of Charlie Brown, but of the Van Pelt kids.
Charlie Brown believes he's a complete loser. Albeit, 6-8 year olds may not usually consciously form such a concise opinion of themselves, but, like the comic strip, Charlie Brown's voice is not only that of a perceptive adult, but of the inner child left behind. I don't know why people believe childhood is such a wonderful time. It SHOULD be. By rights, it ought to be our most precious, sacred, worry-free time, and adulthood ought to be the bummer. But in reality, childhood, when adults tower over you controlling your life and people your own size pick mercilessly at you for being the least bit different, is a time we look forward to leaving behind us, but unfortunately drag along with us for the rest of our days. I am now in my late 30s, and stressful career and all, health problems and all, I'll gladly move forward. I'd never revisit childhood, not for a million dollars!
Charlie's kite won't fly right, his baseball team is on a 99 game losing streak, and he can't even get his toy boat to sail in the bathtub. He feels miserable, unwanted and depressed. He seeks out the advice of wanna-be psychiatrist Lucy, all the while knowing that Miss Van Pelt is one of his biggest antagonists. She eagerly points out everything wrong with him and how hopelessly dumb and worthless he is, which is what abusive people do when they, deep down, hate themselves worse than they could ever hate you, but need to use you to build up their own meager self esteem. The one trait that spells doom for Charlie every time is his own admission that he believes himself a failure. That only makes Lucy and the other mean girls Violet and Patty, feel more powerful.
Desperately seeking self-worth, Charlie Brown decides to try out for the school spelling bee. First he wins against his home classmates, then he wins Spelling Champion of his school. Is this not a victory? Indeed it is, but instead of finding that self worth, and basking in the victory, Charlie dreads his next task, the National Elimination spelling bee in the big city. He berates himself for "getting himself into this mess," and not only makes himself sick with stress and worry, but exhausts himself studying all night before the competition, refusing even to take a nap, fearful that he will let the kids back home down if he doesn't use every minute for study. So it's no wonder he misspells a simple word like "beagle".
Second place, 1st runner up, the last to be eliminated. Do these things spell "loser"? You would think not, but naturally, poor lovable self-doubting Charlie Brown thinks its worse than if he had just been beaten earlier, or had never even made it out of his school contests. He took a risk, put himself out there, tried something out, and the results were not what he wanted. Now he feels like a failure as usual and is afraid to ever do anything again, because the humiliation he feels is unbearable.
The one "peanut" who seems to genuinely route for Charlie, without any selfish motives, is Linus. If Charlie would open his eyes, he would see that he has at least one true friend in the world, someone who believes in him and doesn't think of him as a total loser just because he didn't win first in the national bee. He even gave Charlie his beloved security blanket for good luck. Somehow, he coaxes Charlie Brown out of his shell of fear and humiliation.
The ending is realistic. Things seem not to have changed much since the spelling bee. Snoopy and Linus are still Charlie's closest frients, Lucy is the same ol' conniving meanie yanking the ball away just as Charlie is about to kick it.
But Charlie IS changed. Even though he didn't win first place, he has returned home someone new, someone who takes risks and tries new things and works very hard toward a goal, and even though you'll never hear Lucy and the mean girls admit it, this is his victory.
Deep down, at some point in our lives, "we're all a boy named Charlie Brown."
Charlie Brown believes he's a complete loser. Albeit, 6-8 year olds may not usually consciously form such a concise opinion of themselves, but, like the comic strip, Charlie Brown's voice is not only that of a perceptive adult, but of the inner child left behind. I don't know why people believe childhood is such a wonderful time. It SHOULD be. By rights, it ought to be our most precious, sacred, worry-free time, and adulthood ought to be the bummer. But in reality, childhood, when adults tower over you controlling your life and people your own size pick mercilessly at you for being the least bit different, is a time we look forward to leaving behind us, but unfortunately drag along with us for the rest of our days. I am now in my late 30s, and stressful career and all, health problems and all, I'll gladly move forward. I'd never revisit childhood, not for a million dollars!
Charlie's kite won't fly right, his baseball team is on a 99 game losing streak, and he can't even get his toy boat to sail in the bathtub. He feels miserable, unwanted and depressed. He seeks out the advice of wanna-be psychiatrist Lucy, all the while knowing that Miss Van Pelt is one of his biggest antagonists. She eagerly points out everything wrong with him and how hopelessly dumb and worthless he is, which is what abusive people do when they, deep down, hate themselves worse than they could ever hate you, but need to use you to build up their own meager self esteem. The one trait that spells doom for Charlie every time is his own admission that he believes himself a failure. That only makes Lucy and the other mean girls Violet and Patty, feel more powerful.
Desperately seeking self-worth, Charlie Brown decides to try out for the school spelling bee. First he wins against his home classmates, then he wins Spelling Champion of his school. Is this not a victory? Indeed it is, but instead of finding that self worth, and basking in the victory, Charlie dreads his next task, the National Elimination spelling bee in the big city. He berates himself for "getting himself into this mess," and not only makes himself sick with stress and worry, but exhausts himself studying all night before the competition, refusing even to take a nap, fearful that he will let the kids back home down if he doesn't use every minute for study. So it's no wonder he misspells a simple word like "beagle".
Second place, 1st runner up, the last to be eliminated. Do these things spell "loser"? You would think not, but naturally, poor lovable self-doubting Charlie Brown thinks its worse than if he had just been beaten earlier, or had never even made it out of his school contests. He took a risk, put himself out there, tried something out, and the results were not what he wanted. Now he feels like a failure as usual and is afraid to ever do anything again, because the humiliation he feels is unbearable.
The one "peanut" who seems to genuinely route for Charlie, without any selfish motives, is Linus. If Charlie would open his eyes, he would see that he has at least one true friend in the world, someone who believes in him and doesn't think of him as a total loser just because he didn't win first in the national bee. He even gave Charlie his beloved security blanket for good luck. Somehow, he coaxes Charlie Brown out of his shell of fear and humiliation.
The ending is realistic. Things seem not to have changed much since the spelling bee. Snoopy and Linus are still Charlie's closest frients, Lucy is the same ol' conniving meanie yanking the ball away just as Charlie is about to kick it.
But Charlie IS changed. Even though he didn't win first place, he has returned home someone new, someone who takes risks and tries new things and works very hard toward a goal, and even though you'll never hear Lucy and the mean girls admit it, this is his victory.
Deep down, at some point in our lives, "we're all a boy named Charlie Brown."
A bit simple by modern standards
briancham199431 May 2020
I wasn't expecting Shakespeare, but the story of this film was very simplistic. Don't get me wrong, I liked all the characters and humour and I definitely wanted Charlie to succeed, but this film didn't offer much plot-wise. Still, the amusing characters and comedic moments that made the comic strip great make up for it.
A very good but somewhat forgotten Peanuts feature film
AlsExGal9 December 2017
Sometimes the Peanuts cartoons can be a little corny, but I really liked this one. It was actually a little sad, even for Charlie Brown. Poor guy, why can't he ever win anything? In this particular film, Charlie Brown feels like a loser because he can't get his kite to fly, he can't play baseball and can't seem to do anything right. Of course, people like Lucy, Violet and Patty (not to be confused with Peppermint Patty) have to make sure he knows how much of a loser he is, even going as far as to sing a song called "Failure Face" to him. There is another scene of Charlie Brown visiting Lucy for psychiatric help and she reiterates how much of a loser he is. She even shows him a slide show she made to pinpoint every moment that Charlie is a failure.
In an attempt to overcome his inferiority complex and to prove to the other kids that he's not a loser, Charlie Brown decides to enter the school spelling bee. He ends up doing really well wins the school bee (Yay for Charlie Brown!). He is sent to a bigger spelling bee (I'm assuming he's either in a state spelling bee or perhaps a city wide spelling bee?), via the bus and even stays in a hotel. He runs himself ragged trying to study. Linus had given Charlie Brown his blanket as a good luck charm for the bee and then has a nervous breakdown being without the blanket. Snoopy and Linus ride the bus to find Charlie Brown and retrieve Linus' blanket.
There are of course some funny Snoopy scenes: Snoopy plays "The Star Spangled Banner" on a record player to start of the baseball game and later he has a funny ice skating/ice hockey scene. Snoopy also plays the jaw harp to help Charlie Brown write a song to learn all the basic spelling rules ('i' before 'e' except after 'c').
This film had all the delightful trademarks of a 1960s film: montages, bright colors, Simon & Garfunkle-esque maudlin sounding music. It was really fun. One thing that made me laugh was that one of Charlie Brown's words in the spelling bee was "fussbudget." This film also brought up all kinds of questions that I suppose I should ignore, because it's a cartoon and it's Peanuts:
-Why is Charlie Brown, an 8 year old, riding a bus alone to the city and staying in a hotel room alone?
-Why is Linus riding the bus (kind of alone) accompanied by a dog to the city to find Charlie Brown?
-Why aren't any of the Spelling Bee participants' parents in the audience? The audience is entirely children.
-How does Snoopy have such a long extension cord to reach all the way from his doghouse to the baseball field to play his record player?
-Snoopy's doghouse has electricity?
-How does Snoopy's back not hurt sleeping on the top of his doghouse?
Oh well, I guess it's just best to lose yourself in Peanuts' world full of whimsy and absent of all parental supervision.
In an attempt to overcome his inferiority complex and to prove to the other kids that he's not a loser, Charlie Brown decides to enter the school spelling bee. He ends up doing really well wins the school bee (Yay for Charlie Brown!). He is sent to a bigger spelling bee (I'm assuming he's either in a state spelling bee or perhaps a city wide spelling bee?), via the bus and even stays in a hotel. He runs himself ragged trying to study. Linus had given Charlie Brown his blanket as a good luck charm for the bee and then has a nervous breakdown being without the blanket. Snoopy and Linus ride the bus to find Charlie Brown and retrieve Linus' blanket.
There are of course some funny Snoopy scenes: Snoopy plays "The Star Spangled Banner" on a record player to start of the baseball game and later he has a funny ice skating/ice hockey scene. Snoopy also plays the jaw harp to help Charlie Brown write a song to learn all the basic spelling rules ('i' before 'e' except after 'c').
This film had all the delightful trademarks of a 1960s film: montages, bright colors, Simon & Garfunkle-esque maudlin sounding music. It was really fun. One thing that made me laugh was that one of Charlie Brown's words in the spelling bee was "fussbudget." This film also brought up all kinds of questions that I suppose I should ignore, because it's a cartoon and it's Peanuts:
-Why is Charlie Brown, an 8 year old, riding a bus alone to the city and staying in a hotel room alone?
-Why is Linus riding the bus (kind of alone) accompanied by a dog to the city to find Charlie Brown?
-Why aren't any of the Spelling Bee participants' parents in the audience? The audience is entirely children.
-How does Snoopy have such a long extension cord to reach all the way from his doghouse to the baseball field to play his record player?
-Snoopy's doghouse has electricity?
-How does Snoopy's back not hurt sleeping on the top of his doghouse?
Oh well, I guess it's just best to lose yourself in Peanuts' world full of whimsy and absent of all parental supervision.
first full length Peanuts movie
SnoopyStyle10 December 2023
It's the everyday failures of downtrodden Charlie Brown. It's the kite. It's baseball. Lucy even has them in a slide show. Of course, she does the football, but then tops it off with instant replay. Charlie Brown can't win. Linus suggests that he just needs to win at something. There is a spelling bee at school. To everyone's surprise, he actually wins and he is forced to keep competiting in the big city.
It's a full length Peanuts cartoon. I love the old style animation. The first part is pure Charlie Brown and his litany of failures. The surprise is that he actually wins the spelling bee. I do like how they do it by giving him all the familiar words. I would like a different National Spelling Bee. Waiting for the words to be spelled out is a bit repetitive and slow. The funnier joke would be Charlie Brown losing right away on a word like Happiness. Overall, this is simple, gentle, and sweet.
It's a full length Peanuts cartoon. I love the old style animation. The first part is pure Charlie Brown and his litany of failures. The surprise is that he actually wins the spelling bee. I do like how they do it by giving him all the familiar words. I would like a different National Spelling Bee. Waiting for the words to be spelled out is a bit repetitive and slow. The funnier joke would be Charlie Brown losing right away on a word like Happiness. Overall, this is simple, gentle, and sweet.
memorable moments in a wonderful animated movie
Quinoa198415 April 2006
This is another of the few Charlie Brown specials/movies that still sticks around in my mind. In fact, there are some scenes that, for one reason or another, still seem as fresh as ever. It's not the best of the specials, but it is a very good way to introduce one not terribly familiar to the Peanuts world because it makes use of almost all of the main characters and their trials, tribulations, quirks, and gifts. Like Charlie Brown's inadequacy with flying a kite, or Lucy's imperative to mess with the kid's head at most turns, or Linus's compulsive need for his blue blanket, or even Schroder's knack at the piano. Some of these revelations of character are charming and funny.
The animators also bring some interest and imagination to otherwise unnecessary (story-wise) scenes, like Schroder's piano sequence (as a kid I was a little perplexed but not now) and Snoopy's wonderful ice skating scene in the city. The plot is more for the kids than adults as Charlie Brown competes at the one thing that looks like his knack, the spelling bee, reaching to the highest competition and a chance to make himself no longer an outsider. Some of the songs accompanying the film are less than great and hamper on the amusing scenes. However this doesn't exclude how entertaining the special can be, with every spelling-bee scene worth the watch. And the conclusion is wholly satisfying for anyone in the audience, not a happy one but not compromised either.
The animators also bring some interest and imagination to otherwise unnecessary (story-wise) scenes, like Schroder's piano sequence (as a kid I was a little perplexed but not now) and Snoopy's wonderful ice skating scene in the city. The plot is more for the kids than adults as Charlie Brown competes at the one thing that looks like his knack, the spelling bee, reaching to the highest competition and a chance to make himself no longer an outsider. Some of the songs accompanying the film are less than great and hamper on the amusing scenes. However this doesn't exclude how entertaining the special can be, with every spelling-bee scene worth the watch. And the conclusion is wholly satisfying for anyone in the audience, not a happy one but not compromised either.
It's a racy movie, Charlie Brown!
BrettErikJohnson2 March 2004
This is definitely one of the more intriguing movies featuring the Peanuts gang. The basic plot is innocuous enough. It involves Charlie Brown entering a spelling bee to prove that he's not a loser like everyone thinks he is.
There are a few moments, however, that struck me as odd and/or humorous considering that they involved kids only in second grade.
1. Sally tells Linus that she wants to go to a movie with him which is intended for "Mature Audiences".
2. One of the words which is supposed to help Charlie Brown learn how to spell is "codeine".
3. In the background of one scene, you can see pumps at a gas station with bull's eyes on them.
4. Most interesting by far is the scene where Lucy is shaking Linus. She shakes him so hard that his shorts come loose and you see his butt crack. Umm...what where they thinking with that one?!!
Of course, no Peanuts cartoon would be complete without several ridiculous continuity errors. They help add to the basic charm of it all. Two extended sequences pad the running time but bring things to a screeching halt in my opinion. One is with Schroeder playing a piece on his piano and the other shows Snoopy ice skating back and forth and back and forth and back and forth.
Ultimately, the one thing which I did like about this particular movie was that it had a sophistication that was sorely lacking from subsequent Peanuts films. That makes "A Boy Named Charlie Brown" an animated feature which I mildly recommend. 4/10
There are a few moments, however, that struck me as odd and/or humorous considering that they involved kids only in second grade.
1. Sally tells Linus that she wants to go to a movie with him which is intended for "Mature Audiences".
2. One of the words which is supposed to help Charlie Brown learn how to spell is "codeine".
3. In the background of one scene, you can see pumps at a gas station with bull's eyes on them.
4. Most interesting by far is the scene where Lucy is shaking Linus. She shakes him so hard that his shorts come loose and you see his butt crack. Umm...what where they thinking with that one?!!
Of course, no Peanuts cartoon would be complete without several ridiculous continuity errors. They help add to the basic charm of it all. Two extended sequences pad the running time but bring things to a screeching halt in my opinion. One is with Schroeder playing a piece on his piano and the other shows Snoopy ice skating back and forth and back and forth and back and forth.
Ultimately, the one thing which I did like about this particular movie was that it had a sophistication that was sorely lacking from subsequent Peanuts films. That makes "A Boy Named Charlie Brown" an animated feature which I mildly recommend. 4/10
A good film
newkidontheblock28 June 2004
A Boy Named Charlie Brown is a solid film in my opinion. Great music, a good plot, and real trippy animation and montages. Vince G. really out did himself for this one.
The basic concept of this movie is that Charlie Brown is fed up with his title as a loser, a failure and a wash-out, so he gets in the class spelling bee and wins. He's finally heralded as a winner, life is sweet.
Well, after chilling out for a while, he studies for the all state spelling bee with the help of his best friend Linus, who gives him his beloved blanket for good luck. Now for the sub-plot
Linus is slowly sinking in his own personal hell because of the absents of his blue blanket, so they (Snoopy and Linus) go to the location of the bee and catch up with Charlie who is sleeping at the time. Snoopy abandons Linus and goes ice skating with the song "skating" playing in the background. To find out the end of the film, you'll just have to rent it from your local video store
Like i said earlier, I very much enjoyed the Music in this film. Very 60's, but still staying true to the peanuts style of music. I very much enjoyed the theme song to the movie and there rendition of the national anthem. So bravo Boy Named Charlie Brown, you are truly a good film
The basic concept of this movie is that Charlie Brown is fed up with his title as a loser, a failure and a wash-out, so he gets in the class spelling bee and wins. He's finally heralded as a winner, life is sweet.
Well, after chilling out for a while, he studies for the all state spelling bee with the help of his best friend Linus, who gives him his beloved blanket for good luck. Now for the sub-plot
Linus is slowly sinking in his own personal hell because of the absents of his blue blanket, so they (Snoopy and Linus) go to the location of the bee and catch up with Charlie who is sleeping at the time. Snoopy abandons Linus and goes ice skating with the song "skating" playing in the background. To find out the end of the film, you'll just have to rent it from your local video store
Like i said earlier, I very much enjoyed the Music in this film. Very 60's, but still staying true to the peanuts style of music. I very much enjoyed the theme song to the movie and there rendition of the national anthem. So bravo Boy Named Charlie Brown, you are truly a good film
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