by: NICOLE TRUGILLO/Editor-in-Chief
Good ole’ Charlie Brown.
It was only a matter of time before the gang from “Peanuts” would hit the big screen.
I was surprised and excited when I first saw the trailer for the movie. Being a college student, I knew many people my age wouldn’t understand the nostalgia the film brings to me.
“The Peanuts Movie,” based on the original comic strip by Charles M. Schulz, starts with Snoopy and Woodstock as winter has come and snow is on the ground. The Peanuts friends get a phone call from the school, explaining it’s a snow day, and that’s when the film introduces the main Peanuts characters.
There is Lucy, known for her blue dress and aggressive attitude. She also has a crush on Schroeder, who idolizes Ludwig van Beethoven and plays classical music on his toy piano.
Linus, Lucy’s brother, is the intellectual one, and he always carries his iconic blanket with him. Peppermint Patty is known for her fearless personality and athleticism. She is usually accompanied by Marcie, who refers to Peppermint Patty as “Sir.”
Sally is Charlie Brown’s little sister, who refers to him as “big brother,” and she also has a crush on Linus.
The main characters and the rest of the Peanuts gather in front of Charlie Brown’s house and yell, “come out and play, Charlie Brown.”
Charlie Brown is known for his yellow shirt with a black zig-zag, and he tries to pick the right outfit because it’s a special day for him. He goes outside and tries to fly a kite, but being frustrated by his failure, decides to give up and try next time.
School resumes the next day, and that’s where the Little Red-Haired Girl is introduced. Charlie Brown instantly develops a crush on her and tries many ways to impress her.
While Snoopy gets caught trying to enter Charlie Brown’s classroom, he finds a typewriter and begins writing about his persona, the Flying Ace and his bird crew, the Beagle Scouts, as well as his love interest and co-pilot, Fifi.
Charlie can’t get up the nerve to talk to the Little Red-Haired Girl, so he asks Lucy for advice. She tells him that girls like boys who have accomplishments and have won awards. Charlie Brown then gets the idea that he should win the talent show to impress the Little Red-Haired Girl.
Charlie Brown, along with Snoopy, who helps him, tries out for the talent show. Charlie Brown is a magician. He is confident that he will win, but Sally’s performance isn’t looking too good. He then decides to ditch his magic act and help out his sister.
One night, when Charlie Brown is outside, he sees the Little Red-Haired Girl across the street, and he notices that she loves to dance. He then decides that he will sign up for the school dance competition, where he will try to impress the Little Red-Haired Girl once more with the help of Snoopy.
At the school dance, Charlie Brown is praised for his dancing skills. But it’s too good to be true, as Charlie Brown’s plan fails as he slips and triggers the sprinkler system, causing his friends to evacuate.
With his luck, Charlie Brown is paired with the Little Red-Haired Girl to write a book report on “War and Peace,” against Marcie’s advice. Things start to go Charlie Brown’s way as he gains popularity for scoring the perfect score on a test. He completes his book report in time and has an assembly in his honor for scoring a perfect score. He receives a medal, and Marcie presents him with his test. He looks over it, and notices it’s Peppermint Patty’s test. He tells the audience that it is indeed Peppermint Patty’s test and gives the metal back to Marcie.
Things continue to become worse, as Charlie Brown’s book report is destroyed by Linus’ model of the Red Baron’s plane, which is Snoopy’s enemy in his story. Then the screen jumps back into Snoopy’s story. Fifi is captured by the Red Baron. But in the end, Snoopy rescues Fifi and destroys the Red Baron.
Spring arrives and Charlie Brown becomes depressed, because his attempts to impress the Little Red-Haired Girl have failed. He is surprised that she picks him to be her pen-pal during the summer, and he wants to know why and determines to talk to her. Her parents tell Charlie Brown that she is on her way to summer camp, and he does everything to get to her in time.
He makes his way to the Little Red-Haired Girl, but he is slowed down by a carnival. As he starts giving up, a kite falls from the Kite-Eating Tree and the string entangles him and takes him to the Little Red-Haired Girl. Other students follow, because they are amazed Charlie Brown is flying a kite.
Charlie Brown asks the Little Red-Haired Girl why she chose him, despite all his failures. She explains all of his characteristics to him and gives examples of each one. She calls him honest, caring, and a compassionate person, and she admires him for all the things he has done.
They promise to write one another, and while the bus carries her away, his friends, along with Snoopy and Woodstock, crowd around and carry him away. The camera freeze frames and turns into a drawing of the cartoon strip that Schulz created, and his signature appears.
“The Peanuts Movie” opened Nov. 6. It has been the first film featuring the Peanuts in 25 years, and it celebrates the comic strip’s 65th anniversary and the 50th anniversary of the TV special, “A Charlie Brown Christmas.”
It was a lengthy movie, but it was worth watching because it details everything the “Peanuts” are known for. It followed the comic strip perfectly, and it brought so much nostalgia that made me smile when I heard the signature music of Vince Guarldi’s “Linus and Lucy.”
The characters were perfect, and Schultz would not have been disappointed with this film. I wasn’t disappointed, and I’m a young adult. I was very excited. The Peanuts gang were a major part of my childhood, and I will never get too old to watch or read.
From being a major part of my childhood, to the funny gags and entertaining movie, I give this film 5 out of 5 stars (and I have no regrets.)
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