A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (1973)

Yes, Thanksgiving has been over for a while now, but this is one review that I want to get out of the way after finally watching my DVD copy of this movie. You see my sister got me a Peanuts holiday collection which contains this film along with It's The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown and A Charlie Brown Christmas. Since then, I have made it somewhat a tradition to watch them every year for their respective holiday, but the thanksgiving film was never used. Whether I had time or just forgot about it or whatever, the film wasn't played for Thanksgiving. But finally this year, while my family and I were watching movies, I took the oppertunity to have this film be one of the films to see as a family. And now that I've finally made use of my DVD for this movie, it's only fitting that I finally review it just like the other two Peanuts holiday classics.

Plot: Charlie Brown and his sister Sally are planning to go to their grandmother's for Thanksgiving dinner. But when Charlie Brown's friend Peppermint Patty invites herself and some her friends over to Charlie Brown's house for Thanksgiving dinner, he, Linus Snoopy and Woodstock try to set up their own Thanksgiving dinner for Peppermint Patty and her friends before Charlie Brown goes to his grandmother's.

Of the three most commonly known Peanuts specials, I think this one is arguably the most unique but also the least popular. Everyone practically knows the stories of It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown and A Charlie Brown Christmas, making them such classics for their respective holidays, but while this special is considered a timeless classic for the holiday that it's representing too, I honestly feel like it's the one with the least love. I'm not saying this to really attack the film. Far from it. I just feel I should address that it feels like this one isn't getting as much respect as the other two. With that said, this is a fun, lovable special to watch for Thanksgiving. The real heart of the special is pretty much the heart of really anything from Peanuts; the Peanuts gang themselves. Charlie Brown is the kid where almost nothing goes right for him no matter how he tries, which I sometimes find really depressing looking at Peanuts again all grown up. (Also, I noticed while I was writing the plot paragraph how they never call him just Charlie. I mean yes, Peppermint Patty calls him Chuck and I remember in the comics that there's one girl that calls him Charles, but aside from that, he's always called by his full name, Charlie Brown. I just realized that really.) Linus is the smart one who always has the right thing to say about the certain holiday (as long as it doesn't concern The Great Pumpkin). Peppermint Patty is the tomboy who... has something of a crush on Charlie Brown. And then you have my favorite character from the comic strips, Snoopy. Who in the world doesn't like Snoopy? I"m not sure if I can even properly describe what makes him so likable. There's just so many different elements to his character. The two that are definitely in this short are how he seems to have a lot of stuff mysteriously inside his dog house, and how he can be a very slapstick kind of funny character. Heck, we even see him with Woodstock, who has that really weird but kind of cool and unique voice for when he's speaking. But what also makes this film memorable, is how the characters play out the situation is unique. They are making this Thanksgiving dinner with this completely non-Thanksgiving related food that is so...unexpected. In fact I can see people finding this special to not really act like it's Thanksgiving enough because of it. I mean the actual dinner is what most people think of when they think Thanksgiving. But at the end of the day, it still tells a story about Thanksgiving while also at some point in the short, still telling what the holiday is all about. And that's really all that's needed for it to be as loved as it is for this holiday.

And that's my review for A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. I really don't know what more there is to say about it. Most of you already know the story, there's hardly anything to not like about the characters, it's just a fun, animated short film about Thanksgiving that is easily one of the most unique classic for that holiday.

Rating:100%