The first original animated Charlie Brown special in five years, Happiness Is a Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown returns to the source. Drawing from Charles M. Schulz's original Peanuts comic strips—especially the stories involving Linus' attachment to his security blanket—scriptwriters Stephan Pastis and Craig Schulz (Charles' son) tell their tale in a series of short comedic pieces interwoven with Lucy's attempts to attract Schroeder's attention and Sally's puppy-love attachment to her “sweet babboo,” Linus. Andy Beal, who learned his craft as a Pixar animator, makes his directing debut alongside veteran Frank Molieri. Together they honor the classic Peanuts productions with a visual approach that maintains the old-school design simplicity and line animation, along with a soundtrack featuring the same distinctive childrens' vocal performances, a bouncy piano score by Mark Mothersbaugh, and the trademark “waa-waa” muted-horn sound for the (unseen) adults. The overall result is the best new Charlie Brown show in a long time—funny, clever, and warm, qualities that made Peanuts such a legendary strip. And, of course, there's a worthwhile lesson here as well. DVD extras include a nice collection of informative featurettes on the scripting process, animation, and child actors in the voice cast. Recommended. Aud: P. (S. Axmaker)
Happiness Is a Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown
(2011) 46 min. DVD: $19.99. Warner Home Video (avail. from most distributors). ISBN: 0-7806-7061-2. Volume 26, Issue 3
Happiness Is a Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown
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