There’s No Time for Love Charlie Brown
When it comes to specials that show
off Peanuts’ storytelling craft, this special, as unknown as it is, is one of
the specials that does it the best.
Practically every minute of it has something great to it that
successfully holds the audience’s interests.
Its theme is of the kids struggling with schoolwork which prevents them
from thinking of other things in life such as, as the title says, falling in
love. The first several minutes of the
special sell the theme with a series of short scenes of many characters doing tests,
projects, and homework assignments, all of which sell the appeal of the
characters and give the unique feel of reading Peanuts comic strips about
school. Now, as someone who’s spent
several years as a student putting schoolwork above everything else, I, and
maybe all students, can really relate to these short scenes and the effect it
has on the kids. Also, even if you’re
not a student, the school troubles can be seen as any overbearing factor of
life, like a job or something. Anyway,
what we see of the gang at school leads us to the main plot of the special
where Charlie Brown has to get an A on a report of an upcoming field trip to an
art museum to pass the semester.
However, with his reputation of messing up in mind, the special goes in
an amusingly interesting direction when he, along with Sally, Peppermint Patty,
and Marcie, enter an adjacent supermarket instead of the museum and only Marcie
has suspicions that they’re in the wrong place adding an entertaining charm to
this plot point. Speaking of Marcie,
this special marks her animated debut. Immediately, she shows off great
appeal. She’s smart in terms of
knowledge and to her surroundings, but is nervous when it comes to new
activities like field trips. Her dynamic
with Peppermint Patty, whom she calls “Sir” adds to her charm for having
someone to look up to for guidance. This
dynamic also benefits Peppermint Patty by presenting her as a loyal friend who
helps Marcie through the field trip no matter how hard it turns out to be
making her come off as more than the absent-minded character she usually
is. Speaking of which, Marcie also shows
how helpful she can be to Peppermint Patty with being social. Through observing her interactions with
Charlie Brown, Marcie discovers that Peppermint Patty’s in love with him, and
when Peppermint Patty objects by unintentionally saying no one could ever love
Charlie Brown, Marcie points out that was a bad move through noticing that
comment seemed to hurt him. Marcie also
puts things right for Charlie Brown letting him know that Peppermint Patty
really does like him while also showing affection to him, though wisely behind
her friend’s back. As you can see,
Marcie, as well as Peppermint Patty, prove to be the stand-out characters of
this special, but really, all the characters shine in here, particularly
Charlie Brown, Sally, Snoopy, Linus, and Lucy.
This is perhaps one of the best displays of personalities from the
Peanuts cast. As for how this special
ends, it’s actually pretty satisfying with Charlie Brown ending on good terms
with Peppermint Patty and Marcie, and even though he went to the supermarket
instead of an art museum, that mess-up gets him the A he needs. He may be built on bad luck, but it really is
great to see Charlie Brown get a happy ending every now and then. This special packs in so much greatness; the
story is interesting, all the characters present are utilized greatly, and the
themes are relatable and well presented.
It all results in, what I feel, is one of the strongest Peanuts specials
conceived.
Highly Recommended
The Ranking
- There’s No Time for Love Charlie Brown
- You’re Not Elected Charlie Brown
- Play it Again Charlie Brown
Be sure to stay tuned for the review of the next special, the most recognizable one from this decade, the Emmy Award-wining "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving."
If you would like to check out other Peanuts special reviews on this blog, click here for the guide made especially for them.
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