It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown first aired in 1966, and, to quote Linus, it’s still “nothing but sincerity as far as the eye can see.”
To be honest, I was ambivalent about seeing it. Although I’d decided not to sugarcoat my review of this “timeless classic,” I had planned to be kind. Peanuts was one of my big influences as a cartoonist, and I’d figured this would mostly be some nice holiday fluff for the ol’ blog and that would be that.
But once the Guaraldi music began and Linus was accusing Lucy of pumpkincide, I found myself reveling in the sweetly humorous humanity that is Schulz’s legacy.
There’s an embarrassment of comic riches here including Lucy’s football pulling, Snoopy’s pantomimed Red Baron dogfight, and of course, Charlie Brown’s “I got a rock.” (I laughed out loud every time. Honestly, who gives out rocks?!)
If you haven’t seen It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown in a while, treat yourself to it on DVD. (The disc also includes the 1972 You’re Not Elected, Charlie Brown in which Linus runs for student body president. Talk about good timing!) I think you’ll agree that while it’s no Charlie Brown Christmas, it’s a close second.
“I got a rock.” Hee-hee-hee… Gets me every time.
It has a couple of disturbing things, though. "I got a rock" — given that it was presumably adults giving out the candy, then they had to figure out which one was C.B. and then single him out. downright evil! And Linus destroys the poor girl's halloween. How many halloweens does a kid get?
Sort of like "Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer" teaching kids that people don't love you for yourself, they love you for your job and position in life.
🙂