Technically,
I don’t know if you can call this brilliant piece of work a movie because it’s
only twenty-five minutes long—thirty with commercials inserted. Nowadays, you
can watch it any time, in full color, without commercials, simply by finding
it on You Tube. But when I was a kid, it aired once a year with plenty of fanfare
leading to the big event so you could be sure to catch it—provided the winter
weather didn’t mess with your antenna and turn your TV screen to snow. Even in
black and white, it was worth waiting for.
A
Charlie Brown Christmas was created in only six months in 1965, on
a shoestring budget. The producers broke from common practice by hiring
children to do the voice work, by using a jazz soundtrack (performed by pianist
Vince Guaraldi), and by not using a laugh track. Experts predicted it would be
a huge flop. Fifty-four years later, this classic remains a must-see in many
homes every Christmas.
The
story begins with a typically depressed Charlie Brown, who visits Lucy’s Psychiatric
Help booth to share his dismay over the commercialization of Christmas. His
sister Sally writes to Santa saying she wants cash—particularly tens and
twenties. Lucy complains about always getting toys instead of what she wants:
real estate. Even Charlie Brown’s dog Snoopy succumbs, turning his doghouse
into a gaudy display in hopes of winning a neighborhood contest.
Upon
receiving Lucy’s five-cent advice, Charlie takes on the project of directing
the Christmas play, which only leads to more frustration as the entire cast remains
distracted by the glitz and glitter of Christmas. When Charlie picks out a
Christmas tree, he chooses a spindly one—symbolically, the only real tree on
the lot—recognizing that it just needs a little love. For this too, Charlie
Brown becomes a laughingstock. In desperation, he cries out, “Can’t anyone out there tell
me what Christmas is all about?”
To
which a tiny voice responds, “Sure, Charlie Brown. I can tell you.”
Thus
begins the pivotal moment when little Linus, blanket in hand, takes the
spotlight. He quotes Luke 2:8-14 verbatim from the King James Bible. At the
end, in his sweet little lisp, Linus says, “And that’s what Christmas is all
about, Charlie Brown.”
The
simple but brilliant message reflects the heart of Peanuts creator Charles
Shultz. One subtle but important element of Linus’s big scene goes unnoticed by
most of us. At the exact moment when the angel says, “Fear not!”, Linus drops
his security blanket to the stage floor.
When
our daughter and son-in-law named their son Linus, I knew I wanted to give him
something significant for his first Christmas. It took some hunting, but I found
a little figurine of Linus van Pelt as he appears on stage for his recitation.
When you press a button on the bottom, you hear the story from Luke in Linus’s
voice. I hope it keeps working until our Linus matures enough to appreciate the
full meaning of it.
How
are your Christmas preparations coming along? Are you becoming caught up in the
lights, the food, the shopping, the presents? Are you enjoying freedom from
security blankets because God’s gift at Christmas taught us that perfect love
casts out fear? I hope you’ll take some time this season to watch A Charlie
Brown Christmas with fresh eyes and an open heart. Enjoy the nostalgia. Reflect
on Linus’s recital. Notice the blanket drop. Read the passage for yourself. And
join the children when they sing, “Peace on earth and mercy mild; God and
sinners, reconciled.”
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