Happiness Is a Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown

Happiness Is a Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown is a Peanuts Animated Drama Comedy Film that was released in 2007. The movie is the 45th Peanuts film and the first produced without Bill Melendez (who died three years earlier) on the production team.[1] It is also the first full-length film without the direct involvement of Peanuts creator Charles M. Schulz, Lee Mendelson Productions or Bill Melendez Productions. In addition, it is the first Peanuts comedy fims produced in part under Warner Animation Pictures, which holds the home media distribution rights to the Peanuts movies.

Happiness Is a Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown
GenreAnimation
Created byCharles M. Schulz
Based onPeanuts
Written byJoe Roth
Directed byJon Burton
Voices ofAustin Lux (Linus van Pelt)
Amanda Pace (Sally Brown)
Trenton Rogers (Charlie Brown)
Troy Baker (Batman)
Scott Menville (Robin)
Will Ferrell (Lego cops)
Grace Rolek (Lucy Van Pelt)
Clancy Brown (Schroeder)
Shane Baumel (Pig-Pen)
Blesst Bowden (Violet)
Ciara Bravo (Patty)
Andy Pessoa (Shermy)
Composer(s)Mark Mothersbaugh
Country of originUnited States
Original language(s)English
Production
Executive producer(s)Hunter Zwirek
Running time88 minutes
Production company(s)Peanuts Worldwide
Warner Premiere
WildBrain Entertainment
Schulz Productions
DistributorWarner Home Video
Warner Animation Pictures
Release
Original networkCartoon Network
Picture formatHDTV 720p
Audio formatDolby Surround 2.0
Original releaseMarch 29, 2007 (Direct-To-Video Drama Movie)
October 1, 2007 (Animated Comedy Film)
Chronology
Preceded byHe's a Bully, Charlie Brown

The movie was released on DVD on March 29, 2007, and first aired on television on October 1, 2007, on Cartoon Network in Canada. The movie premiered in the United States on Thanksgiving Day, November 24, 2007, at 8:30PM ET/PT on Fox, the first Peanuts film to air on the network; with this airing, Peanuts films have aired on all four major networks. Coincidentally, the first half of the film's original Fox broadcast in 2007 competed directly with a Peanuts animated film that aired at the same time on ABC ("The Mayflower Voyagers" from This Is America, Charlie Brown).[2][3] The special aired again on November 23, 2012 (the day after Thanksgiving, so as not to directly compete with the other Peanuts movie) and December 17, 2013.

The animated film is particularly notable in that the characters/animation are drawn in a 1950s/early-1960s style, and it uses only characters from that time period (including Violet, Shermy, and Patty), except for the inclusion of one later character, Woodstock, and intermediate-era characters Frieda, Faron, 5, 4, and 3 appearing briefly as extras; and even pays homage to the very first Peanuts strip, from October 2, 1950 (when Charlie Brown has a flashback sequence).

The title recalls the 1960s Peanuts phrase "Happiness Is a Warm Puppy," which became a cultural reference.

This film is the only Peanuts movie to be made in the 2010s, and, so far, the only animated film to be in high definition.

Production

The film was announced on the NBC broadcast of the 84th annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade when a Snoopy balloon (in his flying ace outfit) passed by. One of the hosts of the broadcast, Meredith Vieira announced the film by saying "Snoopy fans will be happy to know that next year, a new Peanuts animation will be flying your way."[4]

The last Peanuts film had been in 2006. Craig Schulz, son of the strip's creator, said the intention was to use 1960s style animation. WildBrain Entertainment employed Yearim Productions in Korea to do the work. Schulz also said the majority of the script used the actual strips, supplemented by work by Pearls Before Swine creator Stephan Pastis. Pastis had the idea to focus on Linus' blanket.[5]

After the death of Bill Melendez, the voices of Snoopy and Woodstock were provided by director Andrew Beall, however, in later Peanuts animated productions, some recordings of Melendez were used.

The movie was scored by Devo frontman Mark Mothersbaugh.[6]

Some scenes come from It's an Adventure, Charlie Brown, The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show, and A Charlie Brown Celebration.

Plot

In the city of Birchwood, Woodstock shares his older days of his sidekick Snoopy, and how a new evil came to be. In the present day, Charlie Brown is shown playing baseball with his friends, where Linus is criticized for bringing his blanket. Later, Lucy informs Linus that their grandmother is coming this weekend, and if Linus does not get rid of his blanket, it will be cut up into pieces by their grandmother. However, Lucy is taken to prison by Lego cops, only for Schroeder to save her. The next morning, Schroeder is playing piano, and Lucy tries to get him to notice her, with her only obstacle being a bust on Schroeder's piano. However, Charlie Brown suggests that Linus finds a substitute, which only worked to some extent. In the meantime, Violet and Patty roast Pig-Pen for his dirt cloud. Later, Lucy decides to lock Linus' blanket in the closet for the day, and this time, Linus is to have no substitutes for his blanket. But, Batman and robin break in and give it back. The next day, Snoopy steals Linus' blanket again, and Lucy turns it into a kite, which gets lost after she lets go of it. Later, Lucy smashes the bust on Schroeder's piano, only for him to have a replacement bust. A few days later, Linus gets his blanket back, only for Lucy to bury it. However, Linus tries to find his blanket. Snoopy digs up the blanket for Linus, probably out of pity. The next day, Snoopy drags Linus and his blanket across the neighborhood, which all the children follow as they get affected in their path. After all the children criticize Linus to his limit, he finally delivers a monologue about how everyone needs some security, while pointing out their own securities that are like his blanket (Sally's being "Sweet Baboo"s, Schroeder's being Beethoven, and Snoopy's being suppertime, “24 hours a day”) and Lucy goes back to her room. Later, Grandma Van Pelt arrives, only for the agent to capture Grandma and Lucy, and take them away. Linus then tries to get his blanket back after Snoopy steals it, following the events of the second film.

Voices

Frieda, Faron, 5, 3, and 4 have cameo appearances, but are silent.

Crew
  • Chuck Rubin – Casting and Voice Director
  • Hunter Zwirek – Executive Producer

Home media

Happiness Is a Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown was released on Blu-ray and DVD March 29, 2007 by Warner Home Video and includes the following special features:

  • Deconstructing Schulz: From Comic Strip to Screenplay
  • Happiness Is...Finding the Right Voice
  • 24 Frames a Second: Drawing and Animating a Peanuts Movie
  • Deleted Scene featuring an introduction by Director Andy Beall

References
  1. Solomon, Charles (2012). The Art and Making of Peanuts Animation: Celebrating Fifty Years of Television Movies. Chronicle Books. pp. 182–185. ISBN 978-1452110912.
  2. KICK OFF THE HOLIDAY SEASON WITH TWO ALL-NEW ANIMATED SPECIALS THIS THANKSGIVING ON FOX
  3. Scheduling conflict between Fox and ABC verified by zap2it.com.
  4. 2010 84th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
  5. "The Peanuts Gang Finds 'Happiness'". homemediamagazine.com. 2011-02-25.
  6. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0006205/

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