Product: A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)
Rating: 5.0
Subversive,wry,magnificent.
Simply, this is the best Christmas show ever produced.If it were made presently,the edge would be off, the sountrack would be sung by various"divas" and teen hearththrobs,and Charlie Brown himself would different. This masterpiece,which was awarded a Peabody[and an emmy],is no less than a subtle,full frontal attack on Christmas as it is now celebrated.By using the beloved Peanuts characters.Schultz gets away with something that now he would be censored for. The plot,known to most,is simple. In this first Peanuts special, Charlie Brown,hapless everyman with a good great heart,is looking for the soul of ChristmAS.With his intrepid buddy Linus[and his ever present security blanket],he becomes the head [director ]of the local christmas pagent. When he is sent out to buy a christmas tree , well, you'll see.Linue delivers the most accurate summation of christmas known to exist.No teacher,scholar,theologian,etc.could ever touch this.The ending,itself is perfect.Vince Guaraldi's score is now legendary,and if anything is UNDERRATED.For a few years CBS used to,this is delicious irony,cut off the ending to bring a commercial!Boy,they sort of missed the boat,hunh?Do yourself a favor,buy this,play it whenever you get depressed.Better than prozac,and no side effects.I'd give it 10,20,30 stars!!!!!!!!!!