# Race for Your Life, Charlie Brown

Race for Your Life, Charlie Brown is a 1977 American animated adventure comedy film produced by United Feature Syndicate for Paramount Pictures, directed by Bill Melendez and Phil Roman, and the third in a series of films based on the Peanuts comic strip. It was the first Peanuts feature-length film produced after the death of composer Vince Guaraldi, who was originally intended to score the film, and used the same voice cast from the 1975 and 1976 TV specials, You're a Good Sport, Charlie Brown, Happy Anniversary, Charlie Brown, and It's Arbor Day, Charlie Brown, and the same voice cast member from the 1974 TV special, It's a Mystery, Charlie Brown. However, Liam Martin voiced Linus van Pelt for the last time in the movie, and went on to voice Charlie Brown in the 1978 TV special, What a Nightmare, Charlie Brown!. This would be Stuart Brotman's final role before his death from a brain aneurysm in 2011.
Unlike the previous two Peanuts theatrical films, Charles M. Schulz wrote an original plot without relying on any specific storyline from the strip. The idea for the film came to him during a family trip, during which he tried rafting with his wife on Rouge River. However, some gags were taken from the strip, such as the one where Snoopy and Peppermint Patty jump on the waterbed. The film received mixed-to-positive reviews from critics and came 5 years after Snoopy Come Home, and 3 years before Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown (and Don't Come Back!!).

## Plot

The children embark on a journey to Camp Remote, an isolated camp situated in the mountains. Upon arrival, they are introduced to the regimented structure and harsh conditions of camp life. In addition to these challenges, they must contend with a trio of domineering bullies and their aggressive bobcat, Brutus. Even Snoopy and Woodstock find themselves intimidated. The bullies boast of their repeated victories in the annual raft race, though it is soon revealed that their success is achieved solely through deception. Their raft is equipped with an outboard motor, radar, sonar, and a direction finder, and they employ underhanded tactics to sabotage their competitors.
The children are divided into three teams: the boys’ team, consisting of Charlie Brown, Linus, Schroeder, and Franklin; the girls’ team, led by Peppermint Patty and including Marcie, Sally, and Lucy; and Snoopy and Woodstock, who compete independently. Charlie Brown reluctantly assumes leadership of the boys’ team, doubting his abilities. Peppermint Patty, in contrast, is assertive but ineffective, insisting that all decisions be made through secret ballot votes. However, when the results do not align with her preferences, she disregards them in favor of her own judgment. Meanwhile, the bullies’ arrogance results in an early misstep as they crash into a dock, losing valuable time.
Throughout the race, the children traverse a variety of landscapes, including dense forests, towering mountains, and a logging community built along a river. Along the way, they encounter numerous challenges such as getting lost, enduring severe storms, and suffering repeated sabotage at the hands of the bullies. During one particularly treacherous storm, Snoopy and Woodstock are separated. Snoopy searches tirelessly for Woodstock, eventually taking refuge in an abandoned cabin for the night, where he has an unsettling encounter with a bear. After a prolonged search, he and Woodstock are joyfully reunited. Later, they arrive at the same cabin where the girls have sought shelter, but rather than being welcomed, they — along with the boys’ team — are forced to camp outside in the snow.
As the journey continues, Charlie Brown demonstrates growing confidence and leadership. Though initially blamed for various mishaps, he gradually rises to the occasion, proving himself to be a capable leader. When the bullies ultimately destroy the other teams’ rafts, the boys and girls merge into a single group. Despite ongoing setbacks, Charlie Brown maintains his composure and leads them toward the final stage of the race.
As the race nears its climax, the group appears poised for victory due to Charlie Brown’s newfound self-assurance. However, their progress is derailed when Peppermint Patty prematurely initiates a celebration, inadvertently knocking the boys overboard. The girls attempt to rescue them but fall into the water themselves. Seizing the opportunity, the bullies revel in their imminent triumph. However, their consistent recklessness and internal disputes have weakened their raft, and just before reaching the finish line, it collapses and sinks.
With all other competitors eliminated, Snoopy and Woodstock remain the only ones in contention. Brutus attempts one final act of sabotage by puncturing Snoopy’s inner tube. Undeterred, Woodstock swiftly constructs a makeshift raft using twigs and a leaf for a sail, continuing toward victory. When Brutus attempts to attack him, Snoopy intervenes, striking the bobcat and ensuring Woodstock’s safe passage. Ultimately, Woodstock crosses the finish line first, securing victory. The bullies begrudgingly concede but vow revenge in the next year’s race. Their threats are cut short when Snoopy subdues Brutus once more, sending him fleeing in terror.
As the children prepare to return home, Charlie Brown reflects on the experience, resolving to be more confident and assertive. However, as he finishes speaking, his moment of self-assurance is abruptly undercut when the bus departs without him (just like it happened earlier in the film), forcing him to hitch an alternate ride with Snoopy and Woodstock on a motorcycle.

## Voice cast

* Duncan Watson as Charlie Brown
* Bill Melendez as Snoopy and Woodstock
* Gail Davis as Sally Brown
* Melanie Kohn as Lucy Van Pelt
* Liam Martin as Linus Van Pelt
* Stuart Brotman as Peppermint Patty
* Jimmy Ahrens as Marcie
* Greg Felton as Schroeder and Camp Announcer
* Tom Muller as Franklin and Bully #3
* Kirk Jue as Bully #1
* Jordan Warren as Bully #2
* Fred Van Amburg as Radio Announcer
* Jackson Beck as Brutus
Violet, Patty, Shermy, Pig-Pen, Frieda, and Roy have silent roles.

## Reception

Race for Your Life, Charlie Brown received 3 out of 5 stars in The New York Times from Janet Maslin, who wrote: "The film runs an hour and quarter and has a rambling plot about a regatta, but it seems less like a continuous story than a series of droll blackout sketches, many of them ending with the obligatory 'Good Grief!' ... The net effect is that of having read the comic strip for an unusually long spell, which can amount to either a delightful experience or a pleasant but slightly wearing one, depending upon the intensity of one's fascination with the basic Peanuts mystique."
Leonard Maltin gave the movie 2.5 out of 4 stars (his lowest rating for the original four Peanuts movies), stating it's "mildly entertaining, but lacks punch".

## Home media

The film was released on VHS in 1979 as a Fotomat exclusive, Betamax the same year and LaserDisc in the early 1980s. It was also the very first release in 1981 on RCA's now defunct CED format. The VHS was released to mass markets in the early 1980s. It was released on VHS again with new artwork on August 17, 1994, and again on October 1, 1996, under the Paramount Family Favorites label. The film was released for the first time on DVD on February 10, 2015.