Race for Your Life, Charlie Brown
Race for Your Life, Charlie Brown | |
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Directed by |
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Written by | Charles M. Schulz |
Produced by |
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Starring |
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Edited by |
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Music by | Ed Bogas Judy Munsen (music supervisor) |
Production companies |
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Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
Release dates |
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Running time | 75 minutes[1] |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Box office | $3.2 million[2] |
Race for Your Life, Charlie Brown is a 1977 American
The film received mixed-to-positive reviews from critics, and came five years after
Plot
This article's plot summary may be too long or excessively detailed. (January 2023) |
The kids head off to Camp Remote somewhere in the mountains. Upon arrival, the kids are immediately exposed to the regimentation and squalor of camp life. Besides this, the gang must contend with a trio of ruthless bullies and their
, 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. 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
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.
Thanks to Charlie Brown's growing self-confidence and leadership, the gang has a good chance of winning the race at its climax. 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 strangles and punches Brutus for threatening Woodstock again, and Brutus flees in fear of Snoopy's wrath, screeching and yowling in fright.
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, forcing him to hitch another ride with Snoopy and Woodstock on his motorcycle.
Voice cast
- Duncan Watson as Charlie Brown
- Bill Melendez as Snoopy and Woodstock
- Gail Davis as Sally Brown
- Lucy Van Pelt
- Liam Martin as Linus Van Pelt
- Stuart Brotman as Peppermint Patty
- Jimmy Ahrens as Marcie
- Greg Felton as Schroeder and Camp Announcer
- Tom Muller as Franklin and Bully #3
- Kirk Jue as Bully #1
- Jordan Warren as Bully #2
- Fred Van Amburg as Radio Announcer
- Jackson Beck as Brutus
Violet, Patty, Pig-Pen, Frieda, and Roy have silent roles.
Reception
Race for Your Life, Charlie Brown received 3 out of 5 stars in
Leonard Maltin 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".[5]
Home media
The film was released on VHS in 1979 as a Fotomat 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.[6] The VHS was released to mass markets in the early 1980s. 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 on February 10, 2015.[7][8]
See also
References
- ^ "Race for Your Life, Charlie Brown (U)". British Board of Film Classification. August 17, 1977. Retrieved December 28, 2017.
- ^ "Race for Your Life, Charlie Brown". Box Office Mojo.
- ISBN 0-8160-3831-7. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
- ^ Maslin, Janet (August 4, 1977). "Screen: Charlie Brown as Before". The New York Times. Retrieved December 28, 2017.
- ISBN 978-0-45-120940-5.
- ^ "Race For Your Life, Charlie Brown - The First RCA VideoDisc Title". CEDMagic.com. Retrieved December 28, 2017.
- ^ Lambert, David (November 10, 2014). "Charlie Brown/Peanuts Specials DVD news: Announcement of Race for Your Life, Charlie Brown". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Archived from the original on December 29, 2017. Retrieved December 28, 2017.
- ^ Lambert, David (November 11, 2014). "Charlie Brown/Peanuts Specials DVD news: Box Art for Race for Your Life, Charlie Brown". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Archived from the original on December 29, 2017. Retrieved December 28, 2017.