Happy New Year, Charlie Brown

Although not the best animation of Charlie Brown and Snoppy, it is a short short film. This short, had a great animation, had actors and had a story, the only part I did not like, was the fact that the story does not have a very good development, making the story a bit annoying. Even so, I highly recommend it.

This has one of my all-time favorite lines. Sally wonders to Charlie Brown, when will her Sweet Babboo invite her to the party? Linus responds from outside, "I AM NOT YOUR SWEET BABBOO! AND I WOULDN'T INVITE YOU TO A GARAGE SALE!"

I think this also marks the only appearance ever of the Little Red Haired Girl, whom we not only see, but also find out that her name is Heather.

Poor Charlie Brown... trying to learn to dance, read War and Peace, make an appearance at at New Year's Party, and still deal with his crazy dog!

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!

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.

"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.