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Happy New Year, Charlie Brown

  • TV Short
  • 1985
  • G
  • 24m
IMDb RATING
7.2/10
2.1K
YOUR RATING
Happy New Year, Charlie Brown (1985)
AnimationComedyFamilyMusicalShort

Charlie Brown is obliged to attend Peppermint Patty's New Year's Eve party, even though he has to finish the novel "War and Peace".Charlie Brown is obliged to attend Peppermint Patty's New Year's Eve party, even though he has to finish the novel "War and Peace".Charlie Brown is obliged to attend Peppermint Patty's New Year's Eve party, even though he has to finish the novel "War and Peace".

  • Directors
    • Sam Jaimes
    • Bill Melendez
  • Writer
    • Charles M. Schulz
  • Stars
    • Chad Allen
    • Kristie Baker
    • Melissa Guzzi
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.2/10
    2.1K
    YOUR RATING
    • Directors
      • Sam Jaimes
      • Bill Melendez
    • Writer
      • Charles M. Schulz
    • Stars
      • Chad Allen
      • Kristie Baker
      • Melissa Guzzi
    • 19User reviews
    • 2Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win & 1 nomination total

    Photos23

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    Top cast10

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    Chad Allen
    Chad Allen
    • Charlie Brown
    • (voice)
    • (as Chad Allan)
    Kristie Baker
    • Peppermint Patty
    • (voice)
    • (as Kristi Baker)
    Melissa Guzzi
    • Lucy van Pelt
    • (voice)
    Aron Mandelbaum
    • Schroeder
    • (voice)
    Jeremy Miller
    Jeremy Miller
    • Linus van Pelt
    • (voice)
    Jason Mendelson
    • Marcie
    • (voice)
    Elizabeth Lyn Fraser
    • Sally Brown
    • (voice)
    Desirée Goyette
    • Singer
    • (voice)
    • (uncredited)
    Bill Melendez
    Bill Melendez
    • Snoopy
    • (voice)
    • (uncredited)
    • …
    Janet Waldo
    Janet Waldo
    • Heather - The Cute Little Red-Haired Girl
    • (uncredited)
    • Directors
      • Sam Jaimes
      • Bill Melendez
    • Writer
      • Charles M. Schulz
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews19

    7.22.1K
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    Featured reviews

    7chrbubb-386-447636

    A not-so-Happy New Year for Charlie Brown

    This now-forgotten "Peanuts" animated special aired originally on New Year's Day 1986 (and recently rerun in 2014 on ABC) is a nice addition to any New Year's celebration and indeed a wonderful companion to the Thanksgiving and Christmas specials. The script uses quite a bit of material from classic "Peanuts" strips dating back to the early '60s mixed into a storyline involving the most stressful New Year's holiday one could imagine: Charlie Brown not only has to read "War and Peace" and write a book report on it as assigned by his sadist of a teacher (in the original strip, it was "Gulliver's Travels," by the way), but stresses out over Peppermint Patty and Marcie's New Year's party and the prerequisite dance lessons. Poor Charlie Brown spends 70 percent of the special lugging around a book that's half as big as he is, having no success in getting through it (by New Year's Eve he's still only on page five), and trying to get in some reading time whenever he can (even at the party itself), and the rest of the time worrying about inviting the Little Red-Haired Girl to the dance (much to the disgust of Peppermint Patty, who expects Charlie Brown to ask her and is as usual completely oblivious to the fact that he's not interested in her). Both story lines end as unhappily as one would expect them to in a "Peanuts" special, though there's a bit of a consolation prize for Charlie Brown as far as the party goes...

    The special will probably invite the inevitable comparisons to 1984's "It's Flashbeagle, Charlie Brown," due to the "party" storyline and the inclusion of a few songs. In particular, the 1950s-ish "Musical Chairs" song sounds like a leftover from "Flashbeagle" in that it sounds a lot like an amalgamation of "Lucy Says" (although this time around it's Peppermint Patty and not Lucy who sings the song and dominates the game) and "I'm In Shape." By the way, the reviewer who said the "Pig Pen Hoedown" was included in this special is incorrect; the "Hoedown" is included in "Flashbeagle." Pig Pen appears in this special only as a musician in Schroeder's jazz combo at the New Year's party.

    This special is, however, much more cohesive than "Flashbeagle" in terms of story, and doesn't seem as disjointed, as there's very little extraneous material outside of the chief story lines, and Snoopy doesn't hog all the screen time, which, as much as I love Snoopy, can get quite tiring in other "Peanuts" movies and specials.

    Overall, very enjoyable even if it doesn't rise to the "classic" level of "A Charlie Brown Christmas," "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving," "It's the Easter Beagle..." or "It's the Great Pumpkin...". 7/10. One of the better post-1980 "Peanuts" specials.
    7SnoopyStyle

    jealous Peppermint Patty is funny

    The teacher assigns Charlie Brown's class to do a book report on War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy. Peppermint Patty tells Charlie Brown about her New Year Party. He drops in on dance class and Peppermint Patty grabs him. He continues to struggle with the book while she keeps dropping hints about an invitation. He tells her about inviting the little red haired girl, Heather. He decides to put the invitation in her mail slot but his hand gets caught. At the party, Peppermint Patty wins musical chairs and continues to drop hints on the clueless Charlie Brown. He is left alone reading the book and falling asleep. Heather shows up and Charlie Brown miss her. In the end, he gets a D- for his book report. Even worst, they have to read Crime and Punishment by Dostoyevsky.

    I just can't get over that Charlie Brown is reading War and Peace. It's pretty outlandish. I do like a jealous Peppermint Patty. She has a great awkward charm about her. They could have had more fun with her and Marcie in this one. The style is still as charming as ever.
    8Mark-AA84

    A classic Peanuts special to watch as you ring in the new year.

    First off, I remember first watching this Charlie Brown special on Disney Channel before 1995 began. Also, Charlie Brown is to read Tolstoy's novel, "War and Peace," during Christmas vacation. This is not really grade school material. It is more for college students. If I was assigned to read a lengthy novel during vacation taking a college course, I'd pick a Jules Verne novel like "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" or "Around the World in 80 Days." I also remember when this special ran on Nickelodeon at one time or another.

    My favorite part of this Peanuts special is the musical chairs game. I always like to watch this special to ring in the new year, but I don't thinkI'd want to read "War and Peace." It's too lengthy for me to read.
    10ultramatt2000-1

    Life Is Tough Charlie Brown

    That should of been a better title. First of all, Charlie Brown is assigned to read "War and Peace" by Leo Tolstoy. (That is book is super long!) Second, wants to meet Heather, the Little Red-Haired Girl, but he gets tangled up with Peppermint Patty who pressures him to have fun with her. I remember seeing this for the first time in the late-eighties in a birthday party during my childhood. When I saw it again in the early and mid-nineties, it taught me how to talk to people at the store when I am having trouble looking for something at a store or library. Charlie Brown was annoying anyone, but he was desperate to get his holiday homework done! (Hey Charlie Brown, if there is no film, strip, record, or computer game based on "War and Peace" don't worry there is a movie made in 1956, watch the movie and things will go your way hopefully.) This special brings back memories for me. I enjoyed watching it. It reminds me of the clothes I wore, the warm and friendly faces of my friends and family, the food I ate and was devoid of worries! This cartoon is worth playing whenever you are having parties with kids and whether it is New Years Eve or not. Do I recommend it? Yes (despite the way [children's] television is going these days). I saw it ABC recently, and let me tell you that this special got cut to pieces for more commercial time. That aside, give it a watch. Happy New Year!
    Bondorf39

    Dust jacket

    "No book report has ever been finished by just reading the dust jacket."

    The history of Charlie Brown is a timeline of things that happened while he was looking the other way. Everyone has that story of how they left the ballgame early and missed the greatest play in sports history. Poor Charlie Brown lives every day like that. You can keep your Willie Loma and John Procter. The greatest tragic hero in American literature is a boy named Charlie Brown.

    This is a very good special, and it includes the famous "Pig-Pen" Hoedown scene.

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    Related interests

    Daveigh Chase, Rumi Hiiragi, and Mari Natsuki in Spirited Away (2001)
    Animation
    Will Ferrell in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)
    Comedy
    Drew Barrymore and Pat Welsh in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
    Family
    Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music (1965)
    Musical
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    Short

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      This special is one of many that Violet and Patty are reduced to silent cameos. These two characters (among others like Shermy, Pig Pen, and Frieda) were prominent in the earlier specials, such as It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966) and A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965), but were phased out with the introduction of Peppermint Patty and Marcie.
    • Goofs
      Charlie Brown is seen reading "War and Peace" on the porch outside the New Year's Eve party. Although we can hear him reading it normally, he is turning the pages in the wrong direction (going backwards).
    • Quotes

      Lucy van Pelt: [as Schroeder plays his piano] Well, are you taking me to the party or not?

      [Schroeder stops playing]

      Schroeder: Musicians don't dance. And anyway, I'll be playing the piano at the party.

      [continues playing]

      Lucy van Pelt: I don't mind the rejection; it's the smile that bugs me.

    • Connections
      Featured in MsMojo: Top 10 Memorable New Year's Eve Kiss Scenes (2021)
    • Soundtracks
      Slow, Slow, Quick! Quick! (Doin' The Foxtrot)
      (uncredited)

      Written by Desirée Goyette and Ed Bogas

      Performed by Desirée Goyette

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • January 1, 1986 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Snoopy.com
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Щасливого нового року, Чарлі Браун
    • Production companies
      • Lee Mendelson Film Productions
      • Bill Melendez Productions
      • Charles M. Schulz Creative Associates
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 24m
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.33 : 1

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