Charlie Brown doesn’t fail to surprise audiences with his borderline depressive outlook on the holidays once again. It seems that Thanksgiving to Charlie Brown is not about why turkey will be on the table, but how it will be there.
The main premise of the TV special is set into motion when Peppermint Patty, the neighbourhood baseball babe, invites herself and the rest of America to Charlie Brown’s house for a Thanksgiving get together. Okay, maybe not the whole country, but Charlie Brown’s panic will forever and always ensue the same frenzy as if this were true.
The only other problem that lies here is that while Peppermint Patty’s raging puppy dog crush on Charlie Brown is sweet but inconvenient, it seems that Charlie Brown doesn’t know the first thing about turkey dinner—or how to say no in times of confusion. In this case, vulnerability plus pushy people equals an evening of misfortune and misunderstandings.
It’s not that Charlie Brown didn’t try to stop this unforeseen event—he did, if you count all the times he said, “Well, uh,” over the telephone during Peppermint Patty’s several phone calls.
Her pestering leads Charlie Brown to some deep utter dismay, but mostly self-loathing if you watch his mouth form into a twisted mess—nothing short of Charlie Brown’s typical cartoon self.
“It’s your own fault,” his little sister, Sally, said, “Because you’re so wishy washy.”
Wishy-washy? Indeed. Time waster? Not in Charlie Brown’s dictionary. With the help of man’s best friend, Snoopy, and his other best friend Linus, Thanksgiving dinner is on its way—if you count popcorn, toast, candy and pretzels a delicate meal to satisfy your cravings that day.
Dinner is set outside with falling leaves and tall trees that set a gorgeous autumn background—even for a Peanuts cartoon special. When it comes to attention that the mashed potatoes and stuffing won’t be filling any stomachs that evening, Peppermint Patty bashes dinner, letting a saddened Charlie Brown sulk back inside his house.
At the end of the special, Peppermint Patty realizes that Thanksgiving isn’t about the food we eat. It’s about whether or not we eat it together. It’s not about where you are with someone, but the fact that you’re with them is what makes it so special.
