Christmas movies: “A Charlie Brown Christmas”

"A Charlie Brown Christmas" was another must-see show every Christmas in the '80s.

Source: https://www.tvguide.com/news/where-to-watch-a-charlie-brown-christmas/

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It still brings a tear to my eye, even when I just think about it. When I was growing up, I always had an affinity for Charlie Brown and that was no more apparent than when watching “A Charlie Brown Christmas” every year.

Charlie goes from discouragement to joy, and who can ever forget the magic of that Charlie Brown Christmas tree.

No survey of Christmas movies I watched in the 1980s would be complete without “A Charlie Brown Christmas”.

The story
Charlie Brown is sad and dejected about the Christmas season. After a visit to Lucy for advice, she suggests he direct a Christmas play. That does not go too well either, as the cast members are all about material possessions and Charlie Brown laments the commercialism.

He chooses a play with a Christmas tree at the centre. However, when he goes shopping for a tree, the only live one is a sickly looking sapling. It’s more of a Christmas branch than a tree.

Charlie Brown takes it back. As he passes Snoopy’s dog house, which is heavily decorated, he grabs a bulb. In an attempt to decorate the tree, he hangs the bulb, making the tree bend over. It left Charlie Brown thinking he killed it.

Meanwhile, Linus has given an impassioned speech, and the rest of the kids come to their senses, and go right out to the tree. Led by Linus, who wraps the base of the tree with his beloved security blanket, they decorate it. Then the kids all sing “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing”.

Charlie Brown hears this, returns to the tree, and they all yell, “Merry Christmas Charlie Brown!”

He joins them in the song and it begins to start snowing.

Charlie Brown realizes the spirit of Christmas, and its true meaning, are alive and well.

Just the start
Charlie Brown has always had a special place in my heart. Beyond “A Charlie Brown Christmas” there were other specials I just loved watching such as “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” and “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown”.

Book ‘em
We used to be able to order books through school every month, called Scholastic Books. They had different names depending on the age group, but I remember “Arrow”, “Lucky”, and “Tab”. One year, I recall ordering a Charlie Brown book, “You’re a Good Sport Charlie Brown”, I think.

I remember the day the book order came. I was in Grade 6, and our regular teacher was away. The phys ed teacher, who was kind of a jerk, was subbing. He gave out the orders. That day there were only two, for me and a girl named Kathy. My name didn’t get called. I went up asking where my book was? He said it must not have come, because the only ones were this teen romance book, and Charlie Brown. He gave the Charlie Brown book to Kathy. I told him I ordered it. He couldn’t believe it. I also couldn’t believe Kathy didn’t initially speak up and say she didn’t order the Charlie Brown book. However, she was one of the shyest, quietest people I have ever met.

That was the last time I ever ordered from Scholastic Books.

Story time
I was also fascinated by the metaphor of how Lucy and the football. No matter how much she says she won’t, Lucy pulls the ball away every time Charlie Brown goes to kick it. It sends him flying into the air and landing on his back every time.

I used that metaphor in the first short story I ever wrote. It was a teen angst, coming of age type story where a high school boy is chasing after the girl of his dreams but she doesn’t really see him. Worse, she gives him little glimpses. I called it “The Charlie Brown Blues”, and it was some source material for a play I wrote in Grade 11 and 12.

Parting thoughts
“A Charlie Brown Christmas” aired on CBC Channel 9 every year on peasant vision, and I watched it every year.

The themes are as true today as they were in 1965, especially how commercialized Christmas is and how so many people have forgotten the true meaning of Christmas.

Charlie Brown has always been a beleaguered kind of character, and that was never more evident than in “A Charlie Brown Christmas”. That’s why it is so poignant seeing his reaction to the mocking he gets from his friends, then when they rally around the Christmas tree and wish him a Merry Christmas.

It is such a heart-warming story, it almost brings a tear to my eye as I think about it.