A Charlie Brown Christmas is one of the most beloved and rewatched Christmas specials in holiday history. Charlie Brown and his drooping wooden Christmas tree are as iconic and recognizable as Rudolph and his glowing red nose. It's a simple but adorable classic that continues to be watched on repeat to this day.
That all being said, it might be a Christmas classic, but does that necessarily mean it's a good film. There are several different techniques and sequences that make this little special a product of the times. So why do we continue to watch? Let's unpack both the dated and the timeless elements of this Christmas tradition.
Dated: The Child Actors
Child actors nowadays definitely have a stigma around them. When they're good, they possess an incredible amount of talent that makes us all a little low-key jealous. When they're bad, however, they come across as underwhelmingly mediocre. We're not saying the cast of this special is bad, but we know they're untrained kids.
For some, it can be a little distracting, but it still kinda works. There are no adults in the Peanuts universe unless they're represented by a trombone. The special has been compared to watching kids in a Christmas pageant, which is kind of appropriate given the message of the plot. We might just let this one slide.
Classic: Schultz's Art and Animation
We've got to give credit where credit is due, and Charles Schultz was definitely someone who knew how to bring his art into a different medium. With creator, writer, and producer credits all under his belt in this special, you know he was in total control of bringing his characters to life.
Despite the cheap animation, the special definitely looks like a Peanuts comic strip come to life. The lines, the colors, and the shapes all look like something out of Schultz's sketchbook. Though Bluesky gave them an update in 2016, this looks more like the source than anything.
Dated: Cheap Production
Despite it looking like a perfect transition from comic page to screen, you can't deny that the special looks cheaply animated. You would think they would give someone as well-known as Charles Schultz a bigger budget, especially with a sponsor like Coca Cola funding the special.
Pair the previously mentioned child actors with the iconic but overly simplistic animation and you get something that looks cheaply made as the years go by. No offense to the artist, but it definitely shows. Call us nitpicking if you want, but we can't help but notice this dip in presentational quality.
Classic: Vince Guaraldi's Jazzy Soundtrack
One of the biggest things everyone can take away from this special is the mellow, holiday-inspired soundtrack from jazz icon, Vince Guaraldi. The mood of this special is almost entirely built from the groovy piano vibes and soft background music that gets us into that warm holiday mood.
Everyone immediately recognizes the "Linus and Lucy" theme, the snappy rendition of "O Tanenbaum," and the famous "Christmas Time is Here" all of which come from this special. The tunes alone are so engraved in our heads, Chrismas stations play them on repeat even on Thanksgiving. Talk about getting a song in your head.
Dated: Repetition
This one's more or less something we only notice as adults with sharper eyes, but a lot of things in the special repeat themselves, and we're not just talking music or animation cycles, though those are a big factor. Certain moments in A Charlie Brown Christmas get somewhat formulaic after a few rewatches.
Stop us if this sounds familiar. Charlie Brown is blue about the Christmas season, someone tries to help but doesn't get the right idea, CB is then the but of someone's joke, cue the Guaraldi music. Sound familiar? This routine happens at least three times before Linus gives us the meaning of Christmas.
Classic: All of Snoopy's Bits
Snoopy is one of the most beloved characters in cartoon history, and quite frankly, our favorite member of the Peanuts crew. Charlie Brown might be the face of the series and the theme might be called "Linus and Lucy" but Snoopy is perhaps the most memorable character in the bunch.
For a character with no dialogue, he's definitely more expressive and vibrant than any of the kids, and perhaps has the funniest scenes and sequences. We never get tired of his antagonizing of Lucy, especially when he straight-up licks her. He's so beloved by fans old and new, we had to give him his own spot.
Dated: Charlie Brown Can be Whiny
Let's be honest, Charlie Brown is not the most uplifting and bright-eyed character we know. He's always fighting some sort of emotional or social battle. Whether it's the kite-eating tree or Lucy and her infamous football, something's always got Charlie Brown down. Even at Christmas he gets depressed.
Granted, the holidays can be really hard for some, but Charlie Brown's a kid! Kids are normally ecstatic and off-the-walls around December. Even when he's directing the Christmas pageant he sounds somewhat whiny at times, not that his peers do anything to help. At least Linus has his back.
Classic: Relatable Conflict
We know we just finished chewing out Charlie Brown for being depressed during the holidays, but we'd be lying if we said it wasn't a problem many individuals deal with over the supposedly most wonderful time of the year. Between the hustle and bustle of the season and the commercialism of Christmas, sometimes it can get a few of us down.
The message of the Christmas holidays can get smothered and covered in tinsel and lights so much that we tend to distance ourselves for a time or two. Thankfully, the special ends with a very poignant reminder of why we celebrate. Like Charlie Brown, all it takes is a little love to remind us why the season is so joyful.
Dated: Slow Pacing in a Short Time
The special is only 25 minutes long, not counting the commercials that would give us an even 30. That all being said, it certainly doesn't feel like a short little special. For some strange reason, the pacing lingers in the weirdest places, like in the school's auditorium or simply Charlie Brown and Linus walking in the snow.
The special is already a slow burn to begin with. Aside from a few bits and gags here and there, it pans out very slowly and quietly. This isn't a bad thing, but it might not hold a modern audience of Christmas-crazy kids today.
Classic: Linus Reciting the Scripture
The thing the special does better than anything else is giving viewers the literal meaning of Christmas by directly quoting the scriptures. For many, this special is first and sometimes the only place they hear the story of Christ's birth. Even in the '60s, this was a big thing to do.
Despite his recitation, Linus never comes off as preachy, mainly because Charlie Brown not only hears the message but applies it as well. Any Christmas special can show a nativity display or have Christian imagery, but this strikes an emotional level with us. It's definitely a holiday message we all need to hear. That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.