The Peanuts Movie will be consumed by adults who grew up reading the comic strip and children because these adults might take them along. The plot of the animated 3-D movie, which opens in India on December 11, seems geared for the younger crowd. Charlie Brown (voiced by Noah Schnapp) has a crush on his new neighbour, the Little Red-Haired Girl (voiced by Francesca Angelucci Capaldi). When he is finally handed the opportunity to impress his love, an ethical dilemma typically pops up. Meanwhile, Snoopy combats his arch-nemesis, the Red Baron, while also trying to impress his lady love, the poodle Fifi.
Though the new movie promises to be a pure nostalgia trip for those who grew up reading the comic strips, Charles Schulz, the creator of Peanuts, might just be doing cart-wheels in his grave.
For one thing, Schulz detested the name “Peanuts” that was given to the comic by the United Feature Syndicate when it was first published in 1950. The movie steps away from the original comics by bringing the red-haired girl into the picture. She was a shadowy figure in the comics, with no actual recorded drawing being made by the creator.
The television series based on the Charlie Brown comics were sketched by hand only after Schulz’s go-ahead. The TV series retain the cheerful yet philosophical edge of the comic strip.
The characters don’t lose their appeal all these years later because of their ability to ponder over life’s little and big questions. Peanuts was deceptively packaged as a comic for kids, but its followers got the message all right.
“Nothing takes the taste out a peanut butter sandwich,” says Charlie Brown during a one lunch break at school. Or sample Lucy’s snappy reply to Charlie’s problem of feeling low all the time.
Peanuts has left quite a a legacy online. The internet is populated with fan fiction stories of Charlie Brown finally getting to meet the love of his life, and among its famous fans are the former American president Ronald Reagan and actor Alec Balwdin. The founders of the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo named their publication after the main character. The first covers of the magazine featured their inspiration.
Coldplay even named a song Charlie Brown. The lyrics might not feature the cartoon character’s name, but earlier uncut versions alluded to the Peanuts character.
The new movie is worth a watch, if only to piece back memories of the much-loved comic strips. The old combination of Charlie Brown’s bad luck and Snoopy’s gags never gets too old. For the younger generation, there’s the good old story of the underdog finally winning the day.