Charlie Brown Xmas

Charlie Brown's depression is reacted to by Linus who says that he (Charlie Brown) is the only person he knows who could "take a holday like Christmas and turn it into a problem."

Actually, Charlie Brown is like countless others who find the holidays difficult and painful--a time where lonliness and need is keenly felt. So Linus is actually of no help to Charlie Brown here and is actually wrong!!! Interesting that Linus is the one who later presents the true meaning of Christmas to the Charlie and the others...


The Main Feature is Great!   December 4, 2003
Calinira
I really enjoy watching Christmas movies and animated Christmas specials and I grew up watching A Charlie Brown Christmas and I think it's a really cute Christmas Special that is great for the whole family and points out the true meaning of Christmas. A Charlie Brown Christmas is great but the extra feature It's Christmas Time Again Charlie Brown is not!


Still brings tears to your eyes!   December 3, 2003
RMurray847 (Albuquerque, NM United States)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful

A TRUE Christmas classic. There are lots of great Christmas movies and TV shows that are fun to watch each year, from CHRISTMAS VACATION to THE GRINCH. But there is something special about Charlie Brown's take.

First of all, it's the only mainstream Christmas classic that actually DARES to bring the story of the birth of Jesus to front and center!! When Linus takes centerstage and quotes the bible for us, you can almost feel the air suck out of the room. It's a moment of simple drama that can really bring a tear to your eye. Linus, without saying a harsh word, essentially tells everyone to "shut up and remember the meaning of this holiday!" It's a beautiful moment.

There's plenty of amusing stuff too. The pitiful tree...Snoopy's hijinks, etc. It's not laugh out loud funny, of course, but sweet and innocent. These are kids who live in a world without adults...and don't seem to need them either! It's always a nice 22 minute trip down memory lane. Every adult should own this...if only to take minute to journey back to childhood. And kids need to keep seeing this. I'm glad it has remained a classic.

The animation is no great shakes, of course, but the style is executed marvelously. The voice acting, on the other hand, leaves nothing to be desired. The kids involved have done a terrific job. The music, ever present, is great, as we've come to expect from any Peanuts special. All in all, this is a MUST OWN DVD.

(I do wish there were more extras available. Other than a 2nd Christmas special...it's okay, but no classic...there is nothing. Can't believe there isn't some little documentary or something out there.)


The special that could not be made in this day and age.   November 28, 2003
2 out of 2 found this review helpful

In addition to being a true classic, "A Charlie Brown Christmas" is a cultural landmark -- an indicator of where our nation has been, and where it is going. In 1965, it was acceptable to put on network TV a program with an explicit Christian message (Linus reads from the Gospel of Luke! The kids sing "Hark, the Herald Angels Sing"! The names "God" and "Christ" actually spoken!). Today, the script would not pass muster at the networks. We might offend someone, you know. I can't think of a better indicator than this great program to measure the decline of our society. I guess when the moral busybodies finally succeed in removing "A Charlie Brown Christmas" from the annual rotation (and they will eventually attempt to do so, in the name of "multiculturalism" or "tolerance"), we can close the book on our once-great country.