Race for Your Life, Charlie Brown
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''Race for Your Life, Charlie Brown'' is a 1977 American
animated Animation is a method by which still figures are manipulated to appear as moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited on film. Today, most ani ...
adventure An adventure is an exciting experience or undertaking that is typically bold, sometimes risky. Adventures may be activities with danger such as traveling, exploring, skydiving, mountain climbing, scuba diving, river rafting, or other extreme ...
comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...
produced by
United Feature Syndicate United Feature Syndicate (UFS) is a large American editorial column and comic strip newspaper syndication service based in the United States and established in 1919. Originally part of E. W. Scripps Company, it was part of United Media (along ...
for Paramount Pictures, directed by
Bill Melendez José Cuauhtémoc "Bill" Melendez (November 15, 1916 – September 2, 2008) was an American character animator, voice actor, film director and producer. Melendez is known for working on the ''Peanuts'' animated specials. Before ''Peanuts'', he p ...
and Phil Roman, and the third in a series of films based on the ''
Peanuts ''Peanuts'' is a syndicated daily and Sunday American comic strip written and illustrated by Charles M. Schulz. The strip's original run extended from 1950 to 2000, continuing in reruns afterward. ''Peanuts'' is among the most popular and infl ...
'' comic strip. It was the first ''Peanuts'' feature-length film produced after the death of composer Vince Guaraldi, who was originally intended to score the film, and used the same voice cast from the 1975 and 1976 TV specials, ''
You're a Good Sport, Charlie Brown ''You're a Good Sport, Charlie Brown'' is the 14th prime-time animated television special based on the comic strip ''Peanuts'' by Charles M. Schulz. It was originally aired on the CBS network on October 28, 1975. In this special, Charlie Brown, ...
'', '' Happy Anniversary, Charlie Brown'', and ''
It's Arbor Day, Charlie Brown ''It's Arbor Day, Charlie Brown'' is the 15th prime-time animated television special based on Charles M. Schulz's comic strip ''Peanuts''. The subject of the special is Arbor Day, a secular holiday devoted to planting trees. ''It's Arbor Day ...
'', and the same voice cast member from the 1974 TV special, '' It's a Mystery, Charlie Brown''. However, Liam Martin voiced Linus van Pelt for the last time in the movie, and went on to voice Charlie Brown in the 1978 TV special, ''
What a Nightmare, Charlie Brown! ''What a Nightmare, Charlie Brown!'' is the 17th prime-time animated television special based on the comic strip ''Peanuts'' by Charles M. Schulz. It originally aired on Thursday, February 23, 1978, at 8:00 P.M. ET/PT on CBS. The special is unusu ...
''. This would be Stuart Brotman's final role before his death from a brain aneurysm in 2011. The film received mixed-to-positive reviews from critics, and came five years after ''
Snoopy, Come Home ''Snoopy, Come Home!'' is a 1972 American animated musical comedy-drama film directed by Bill Melendez and written by Charles M. Schulz based on the ''Peanuts'' comic strip. The film marks the on-screen debut of Woodstock, who had first appeared ...
'', and three years before ''
Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown (and Don't Come Back!!) ''Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown (and Don't Come Back!!)'' is a 1980 American animated adventure comedy film produced by United Feature Syndicate and distributed by Paramount Pictures, directed by Bill Melendez and Phil Roman. It was the fourth ful ...
''.


Plot

The Peanuts gang heads off to Camp Remote somewhere in the mountains. Accidentally left behind by the bus while at a desolate rest stop, Charlie Brown is forced to hitch a harrowing ride on Snoopy's motorcycle in order to make the rest of the journey to the camp, accompanied by rock guitar type riffs while protesting Snoopy's wild driving. Upon arrival, the kids are immediately exposed to the regimentation and squalor of camp life which completely differs from their comfortable residences back home. They struggle with the concept that the camp schedule is in the 24-hour clock (Franklin asks if "oh-five-hundred" :00 AMis noon, and Sally thinks "eighteen-hundred" :00 PMis a year). Although they attempt to adjust to camp life, Snoopy, in his own tent, enjoys an ice cream sundae while watching a Western film on his portable TV set. The gang must contend with a trio of ruthless bullies (and their bobcat, Brutus, vicious enough to intimidate even Snoopy and Woodstock) who openly boast of having won a raft race every year they have competed, but are only repelled when Linus uses his security blanket as a whip (which also gets him unwanted attention from Sally, who praises the courage of her self-proclaimed "Sweet Babboo"). It is revealed that they have only "won" through outright cheating — using a raft equipped with an outboard motor, direction finder, radar and sonar, along with utilizing every trick available to thwart everyone else's chance to even make it to the finish line, much less win the race. The kids are broken into three groups: the boys' group (consisting of Charlie Brown, Linus, Schroeder, and Franklin), the girls' group (consisting of Peppermint Patty, Marcie, Sally, and Lucy), and Snoopy and Woodstock. Charlie Brown reluctantly leads the boys' group, struggling with insecurity but doing anything possible to work things out and implement his decisions. His antithesis is Peppermint Patty, the very confident but inept leader of the girls' group who does little more than stand around and give orders. Moreover, she insists that every decision, regardless of inconsequentiality, be confirmed by a vote of secret ballots. Predictably, when the voting is tied or she disagrees with the outcome, she often overrules the decision, angering the other girls. The overconfident bullies use their cheating to burst ahead, but while boasting, they fail to watch where they are going and crash into a dock, costing them substantial time and effort to dislodge their boat while the others sail past. The groups see many unique sights along the river race, such as mountains, forests, and a riparian logging community of houses built on docks. However, they also run into different obstacles: getting lost, stranded, storms, blizzards, and sabotage from the bullies. Snoopy abandons the race to search tirelessly for Woodstock when a storm separates them; finding an abandoned cabin to retire for the night, was spooked by a bear that was at the door when he was trying to sleep: as was the bear when seeing Snoopy. After a long search, they manage to find each other and are joyfully reunited, later reuniting at the abandoned cabin where the girls claimed it for the night, kicking the boys (including Snoopy and Woodstock) outside where they then had to camp in the snow. Charlie Brown grows increasingly into his leadership role; ultimately, after the bullies sabotage everyone else's rafts, the boys' and girls' teams merge. Although blamed for problems, Charlie Brown handles them well; for instance, when the team is trapped on a water wheel, he decides, as the leader, to remove the obstacle. Thanks to Charlie Brown's growing self-confidence and leadership, the gang has a good chance of winning the race at its climax, after overcoming considerable odds. Unfortunately, Peppermint Patty incites the girls to celebrate prematurely; after accidentally knocking the boys overboard, the girls attempt to rescue them, only to fall overboard themselves. Seizing the opportunity to pull ahead, the bullies gloat about their apparently imminent victory; however, their brash over-confidence, infighting, and constant carelessness during the race has seen them become involved in numerous mishaps, substantially damaging their raft. Just shy of the finish line, their raft finally gives out and sinks, leaving Snoopy and Woodstock as the only contenders left. Brutus slashes Snoopy's inner tube with a claw, but Woodstock promptly builds a raft of twigs (with a leaf for a sail) and continues toward victory. When Brutus is about to attack Woodstock, Snoopy punches him, and Woodstock wins the race. Conceding defeat, the bullies vow vengeance next year, but their threats are humiliatingly stopped when Snoopy clobbers and punches Brutus for threatening Woodstock again, sending a terrified Brutus scampering away. As the gang boards the bus to depart for home, Charlie Brown decides aloud to use the experience as a lesson to be more confident and assertive, and to believe in himself. Unfortunately, right after he finishes speaking, the bus leaves without him once again, forcing him to hitch another ride with Snoopy and Woodstock on his motorcycle.


Voice cast

* Duncan Watson as
Charlie Brown Charles "Charlie" Brown is the principal character of the comic strip '' Peanuts'', syndicated in daily and Sunday newspapers in numerous countries all over the world. Depicted as a "lovable loser," Charlie Brown is one of the great American a ...
*
Bill Melendez José Cuauhtémoc "Bill" Melendez (November 15, 1916 – September 2, 2008) was an American character animator, voice actor, film director and producer. Melendez is known for working on the ''Peanuts'' animated specials. Before ''Peanuts'', he p ...
as
Snoopy Snoopy is an anthropomorphic beagle in the comic strip ''Peanuts'' by Charles M. Schulz. He can also be found in all of the ''Peanuts'' films and television specials. Since his debut on October 4, 1950, Snoopy has become one of the most recog ...
,
Woodstock Woodstock Music and Art Fair, commonly referred to as Woodstock, was a music festival held during August 15–18, 1969, on Max Yasgur's dairy farm in Bethel, New York, United States, southwest of the town of Woodstock. Billed as "an Aq ...
* Gail Davis as
Sally Brown Sally Brown is a fictional character in the comic strip ''Peanuts'' by Charles Schulz. She is the younger sister of main character Charlie Brown. She was first mentioned in May 1959 and throughout a long series of strips before her first appeara ...
* Melanie Kohn as Lucy Van Pelt * Liam Martin as Linus Van Pelt * Stuart Brotman as
Peppermint Patty Peppermint Patty is a fictional character featured in Charles M. Schulz's comic strip ''Peanuts''. Her full name is Patricia Reichardt, which is very rarely used in the strip. She is one of a small group in the strip who live across town from C ...
* Jimmy Ahrens as
Marcie Marcie is a fictional character featured in the long-running syndicated daily and Sunday comic strip ''Peanuts'' by Charles M. Schulz. Marcie is a studious girl who is sometimes depicted as being terrible at sports. She is friends with the ...
* Greg Felton as
Schroeder __NOTOC__ Schroeder is a North German language, German (from Schröder) occupational name for a cloth cutter or tailor, from an agent derivative of Middle Low German , "to cut". The same term was occasionally used to denote a gristmiller as well as ...
, Camp Announcer * Tom Muller as Franklin, Bully #1 * Kirk Jue as Bully #2 * Jordan Warren as Bully #3 * Fred Van Amburg as Radio Announcer * Jackson Beck as Brutus Violet,
Patty A patty or burger (in British English) is a flattened, usually round, Serving size, serving of ground meat and/or legumes, grains, vegetables, or Meat analogue, meat alternatives. Patties are found in multiple cuisines throughout the world. ...
,
Pig-Pen Pig-Pen is a fictional character in the comic strip ''Peanuts'' by Charles M. Schulz. While amiable, he is a young boy who is, except on rare occasions, extremely dirty and attracts a permanent cloud of dust. History "Pig-Pen" is a nickname. I ...
, 5, Frieda, and Roy have silent roles.


Reception

''Race for Your Life, Charlie Brown'' received 3 out of 5 stars in ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'' from
Janet Maslin Janet R. Maslin (born August 12, 1949) is an American journalist, best known as a film and literary critic for ''The New York Times''. She served as a ''Times'' film critic from 1977 to 1999 and as a book critic from 2000 to 2015. In 2000 Maslin ...
, who wrote: "The film runs an hour and quarter and has a rambling plot about a regatta, but it seems less like a continuous story than a series of droll blackout sketches, many of them ending with the obligatory 'Good Grief!' ... The net effect is that of having read the comic strip for an unusually long spell, which can amount to either a delightful experience or a pleasant but slightly wearing one, depending upon the intensity of one's fascination with the basic 'Peanuts' mystique."
Leonard Maltin Leonard Michael Maltin (born December 18, 1950) is an American film critic and film historian, as well as an author of several mainstream books on cinema, focusing on nostalgic, celebratory narratives. He is perhaps best known for his book of fi ...
gave the movie 2.5 out of 4 stars (his lowest rating for the original four Peanuts movies), stating it's "mildly entertaining, but lacks punch".Maltin, Leonard (2003), pp. 1128.


Home media

The film was released on VHS in 1979 as a
Fotomat Fotomat was an American retail chain of photo development drive-through kiosks located primarily in shopping center parking lots. Fotomat Corporation was founded by Preston Fleet in San Diego, California, in the 1960s, with the first kiosk ope ...
exclusive, Betamax the same year and LaserDisc in the early 1980s and was also the very first release in 1981 on RCA's now defunct CED format. The VHS was released to mass markets in the early 1980's. It was released on VHS again with new artwork on August 17, 1994, and again on October 1, 1996, under the Paramount Family Favorites label. The film was released for the first time on
DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...
on February 10, 2015.


See also

* ''Peanuts'' filmography


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Race For Your Life, Charlie Brown 1977 films 1977 animated films 1970s American animated films American buddy films American children's animated adventure films American children's animated comedy films Animated buddy films 1970s English-language films Films directed by Bill Melendez Films directed by Phil Roman Films scored by Ed Bogas Films with screenplays by Charles M. Schulz Paramount Pictures animated films Paramount Pictures films Peanuts films Rafting films Films about summer camps Films about competitions 1977 comedy films 1970s children's animated films