A Charlie Brown Christmas

Dir: Bill Melendez

1965

*****

Very few Christmas films are essential viewing but for me, it just isn't Christmas until I've watched A Charlie Brown Christmas. As a child (and as a big child) I was nuts about the Peanuts, I had everything from Snoopy pyjamas to a Woodstock calculator (that still works). Much like the way a good war film is an anti-war film, a good Christmas film is an anti-commercial Christmas film. Here is where the film trips up somewhat. The story sees young Charlie Brown become depressed during Christmas, an emotion many can relate to at the time of the year, so he puts on the school's Christmas play in order to rediscover the spirit of Christmas. Commercialization and secularism are touched upon and although the theme leans towards tradition, peace and the season of goodwill, it does get biblical and the Gospel according to Luke is read aloud. It's funny really because even as a child I saw the Peanuts as this crazy beatnik alternative cartoon that actually touched on real issues. However, it's Christmas, the birth of Christ is really what it's all about so you can't fault them for that and besides, and this is where it trips up, the whole film was commissioned and sponsored by Coca-Cola. Hypocrisy is the real spirit of Christmas, followed closely by nostalgia and watching brilliant cartoons in your pyjamas. Merry Christmas Charlie Brown!