June 10, 2009
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Me in a peanut shell.
There are very few films in this world that I would say define me as a person. Terry Gilliam's masterpiece Brazil definitely reflects certain aspects of my personality, from my viewpoint on the proverbial bureaucratic machine and my penchant for fantastical daydreaming. However, if you really want to know me as a person, right down to the existential breadcrumbs which constitute the very essence of my being, check out director Bill Melendez's outstanding 1969 animated feature A Boy Named Charlie Brown, based, of course, on the legendary comic strip by Charles Schulz. It's easily the finest of the Peanuts adaptations, skillfully transforming these charming three-panel short stories into a full-blown, cleverly-written meditation on life in the modern world. For a children's film, this is pretty heady stuff, as most of the characters intellectualize their lives through a series of deep, thought-provoking conversations which take place in a series of seemingly unrelated set pieces. The core of the story -- Charlie Brown advances through the ranks of a local spelling bee, leading him to a televised championship in the big city -- is as sweet and engaging as they come, proving you don't need lofty budgets, expensive 3D artwork, or overpriced voice actors to produce an animated feature with an enormous heart. If you haven't yet experienced A Boy Named Charlie Brown for yourself, you're missing out on one of the greatest motion pictures ever made. Make no mistake -- it's one of my all-time favorites.
Recipe For Success: Charles Schulz's Outstanding Script + Great Voice Acting + More Profound Truths Than You'd Ever Expect
What The World Needs: Is a deluxe edition of this great movie on DVD.
Who do I need to speak to about that?
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