Whether it be The Grinch or Rudolph, we all have that holiday special that excites us for Christmas. However, A Charlie Brown Christmas is the best one, and it still holds up to this day.
A Charlie Brown Christmas first aired on CBS on December 9, 1965. This holiday classic follows Charlie Brown (voiced by Peter Robbins), who is depressed because he doesn’t understand the true meaning of Christmas. In an attempt to make him feel better, Lucy (voiced by Lucy Stratford) makes Charlie Brown the director of the Christmas play. However, everything falls apart with everyone being out of control. Despite all that, in the end, Charlie Brown and all the other kids discover the true meaning behind the holiday season.
What makes A Charlie Brown Christmas a holiday staple, is its simplicity which tie into the overall message. The message A Charlie Brown Christmas tries to get across is; Christmas is all about appreciating the little things in life. The holidays aren’t about commercialism. While the other characters focus on the material side of Christmas; Charlie Brown looks for something more meaningful.
Charlie Brown is able to find meaningfulness in the Christmas tree he picks at the end of the special. The tree is very simplistic; with very few pine needles and decorations. In spite of its flaw, he looks on the positive side and chooses it over the synthetic aluminum trees. When he presents the Christmas tree to the other characters, he is ridiculed because it isn’t what they expected.
Since the other characters have a selfish mindset, they only focus on what they want and not the thought that was put into it. One could say they represent how greed corrupts people and leaves them feeling unsatisfied. Its only when they’re able to put aside their selfishness, they’re able to enjoy themselves.
The presentation of A Charlie Brown Christmas relates back to the theme of less is more. While watching the movie, one could see how minimalistic the animation style is. The color pallet is very basic, and the backgrounds aren’t that detailed. Furthermore, the music in A Charlie Brown Christmas is calm and soothing, unlike most Christmas songs which are upbeat and thrilling.
Like Charlie Brown’s Christmas tree, you have to appreciate the film despite how simplistic it is. It doesn’t rely on good character development, or outstanding animation, or an extraordinary musical score. In my opinion, the goal of the film was to be timeless. By being incredibly simplistic, A Charlie Brown Christmas achieves that goal.
If you’re looking for a family friendly holiday special with a timeless story and heart warming message, I recommend you watch A Charlie Brown Christmas. It’s only $13.00 on iTunes so give it a watch. Heck, I’d bet you’ve already watched it a million times over the years.
