Director: Bill Melendez

Cast: Peter Robbins, Chris Shea, Tracy Stratford, Kathy Steinberg, Bill Melendez

Screenplay: Charles M. Schulz

25 mins. Rated TV-G.

 

Okay, this isn’t exactly a feature film, but it is a staple of the holidays, more so than yesterday’s film.

Anywho, Charlie Brown (Peter Robbins) is depressed. It’s Christmas, and he isn’t feeling the holiday spirit. At the idea of Lucy Van Pelt (Tracy Stratford), Charlie decides to direct the Christmas play, all the while trying to discover the true meaning of Christmas.

This is a rather family lesson with some rather adult ramifications. I love that Charlie Brown is feeling what a lot of us feel when the Holiday season arrives. I’ve always treated the holidays as a gift or a blessing, a time when we come together and reset our relationships with those around us who haven’t treated each other right throughout the year. Charlie Brown discovers that the commercialism around Christmas is killing it, and while I don’t entirely believe the it is commercialism as much as the over-commercialism during this time of year. Don’t fight over the latest toy but just be happy you can receive anything from your loved ones. I have worked in retail in the past, and my favorite part of it during the holidays is that I can help people find the perfect gift for the perfect people in their lives. My least favorite is watching people tear each other apart just to find an item that is impossible to find. People need to realign their priorities and accept that it isn’t that big of a deal and Christmas will still go on and people will still be happy.

I digress.

A Charlie Brown Christmas is a magical special, perhaps only burdened by all the specials to come after it, but it stands as a powerful part of the holidays. Peace on Earth, yo.

 

4/5

-Kyle A. Goethe