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A Charlie Brown Christmas

Play trailer Poster for A Charlie Brown Christmas 1965 30m Animation Comedy Kids & Family Holiday Play Trailer Watchlist
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86% Tomatometer 21 Reviews 93% Popcornmeter 100+ Ratings
Christmastime is here. Happiness and cheer. And for Peanuts fans everywhere, it just wouldn't be Christmas without this classic holiday delight. Christmas lights may be twinkling red and green, but Charlie Brown has the Yuletide blues. To get in the holiday spirit, he takes Lucy's advice and directs the Christmas play. And what's a Christmas play without a Christmas tree? But everyone makes fun of the short, spindly nevergreen Charlie Brown brings back - until the real meaning of Christmas works its magic once again

Critics Reviews

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AV Club Staff AV Club 11/29/2018
The special ends on a joyous note, and the lo-fi charms of its non-professional voice cast and simple-yet-expressive animation retain a pleasantly transportive power. Go to Full Review
Kevin Fallon The Daily Beast 12/05/2022
No other film just feels like Christmas the way that this one does. Go to Full Review
Carson Timar ButteredPopcorn 08/28/2022
C+
While the core and visuals work well enough, the story just isn't there and at nearly every turn the special alienates itself from modern audiences. Go to Full Review
David Grossman Decider 12/29/2021
That kind of earnestness can cut across any culture, any moment in time, and any viewer. Go to Full Review
Justin Brown Medium Popcorn 12/12/2020
1/5
It's my least favorite of these specials. And it makes no sense. Go to Full Review
Brandon Collins Medium Popcorn 12/12/2020
1/5
I was thrown off by how slow it felt, even at 25 minutes, and the ending is so randomly thrown together... Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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James E @JamesE167 Jan 5 One of the best Christmas movies and one of the best Charlie Brown movies. See more David S. @baxter667 Dec 25 A decent and insightful Christmas special that has aged well, this is so good it's hard to criticize and is a unique Christmas special with a great theme and it's funny!!! Good for Christmas and I still enjoy this one!!! See more Steve F @SteveOnScreen Dec 18 Charlie Brown questions the meaning of Christmas while everyone else skates, dances, and crowns Lucy as Queen. Therapy lands him directing a play that immediately implodes. In protest, he rejects a pink aluminum tree and chooses the saddest real tree ever sold. The gang mocks him. The tree bends. He spirals. Then Linus takes center stage, blanket in tow, and calmy recites the Nativity story like a theological mic drop and reminds everyone what Christmas is actually about. Absolute legend. Charlie Brown nearly kills the tree with an ornament stolen from Snoopy’s wildly over-decorated doghouse and assumes he’s ruined Christmas. Again. But the gang rallies. The tree is saved. They sing. Snow falls. Lucy shuts up. The jazzy Peanuts Christmas music seals it as an all-time classic. Sixty years later, the message still holds: Christmas doesn’t need to be perfect. Sometimes it’s fragile, awkward, and held together by friends, a blanket, a little faith, and one extremely enthusiastic dog. See more Alex C. @Alex.C Dec 11 A amazing Christmas classic See more Ed R @JustcallmeER Dec 10 A nostalgic, brilliant comedy that is a must watch every year! See more TheMovieSearch R @TheMovieSearch Dec 6 Charlie Brown Christmas remains an enduring classic that perfectly captures the heart of the holiday season. Its charm lies in its simplicity—the small, scrawny Christmas tree with a single drooping bulb has become an iconic symbol of the story’s deeper message about the true meaning of Christmas. The director expertly brings Charles Schulz’s beloved Peanuts characters to life, balancing humor, warmth, and subtle poignancy. Each character feels distinct and memorable, making the audience invested in their interactions and reactions throughout the story. The screenplay is remarkably effective, proving that a straightforward, heartfelt narrative can resonate across generations. Even decades later, the pacing, dialogue, and emotional beats remain engaging, allowing viewers to connect with both the festive cheer and the underlying reflection on materialism versus meaning. Its legacy is well-earned, and watching it is essential for anyone seeking a timeless, heartwarming holiday experience. See more Read all reviews
A Charlie Brown Christmas

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Movie Info

Synopsis Christmastime is here. Happiness and cheer. And for Peanuts fans everywhere, it just wouldn't be Christmas without this classic holiday delight. Christmas lights may be twinkling red and green, but Charlie Brown has the Yuletide blues. To get in the holiday spirit, he takes Lucy's advice and directs the Christmas play. And what's a Christmas play without a Christmas tree? But everyone makes fun of the short, spindly nevergreen Charlie Brown brings back - until the real meaning of Christmas works its magic once again
Director
Bill Melendez, Phil Roman
Producer
Lee Mendelson, Bill Melendez, Jason Mendelson
Screenwriter
Charles M. Schulz
Genre
Animation, Comedy, Kids & Family, Holiday
Original Language
English
Release Date (DVD)
Sep 12, 2000
Runtime
30m