It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
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Is it age appropriate?
About our ratings -
Is it any good?
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Common Sense says
Halloween isn't complete without this classic.
Themes in this movie include: family relationships, friendship
updated 09.21.09
Why We Rated This 
for Ages 4 and Up
The good stuff
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What to watch out for
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Violence & scariness:
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What Parents Need to Know
This review of It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown was written by Carrie R. Wheadon
Parents need to know that this Peanuts classic appeals to all ages. It promotes many favorite American Halloween traditions like trick-or-treating and apple bobbing, not to mention the infamous Great Pumpkin (who must have missed Linus' pumpkin patch somehow). When Snoopy dresses up as a WWI flying ace, he hams it up during a pretend battle atop his dog house -- complete with flying bullets. Some of the Halloween imagery (ghosts, skeletons) may alarm the very youngest viewers.
Families Can Talk About
Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
- Families can talk about what their favorite Halloween traditions are. Have you ever tried apple bobbing? Do you like carving pumpkins? If you could hand out something extra special at Halloween, what would it be?
- Families can also talk about how Snoopy took his Halloween costume so seriously -- and just how funny it is to see him flying his dog house. When you put on your costume, will you get into character? Why or why not?
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More on It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
What’s the Story?
It's almost Halloween, and the optimism is infectious. Linus (voiced by Christopher Shea) is crafting his letter to the Great Pumpkin (think Santa in a pumpkin patch), Charlie Brown (Peter Robbins) is thrilled about being invited to a party, and Lucy (Sally Dryer) has the perfect witchy costume. No one believes Linus' tales of the Great Pumpkin's visit -- Sally (Kathy Steinberg) wants to, though, so she decides to spend the night waiting with Linus in the pumpkin patch. Charlie Brown, in his ghost costume that looks more like a potato, trick-or-treats all night, and all he has to show for it is a bag of rocks. Lucy bobs for apples and comes up with a beagle kiss -- blech!
Is It Any Good?
You can almost smell the donuts, cider, and piles of leaves on a crisp fall day when you start watching IT'S THE GREAT PUMPKIN, CHARLIE BROWN. Generations of trick-or-treaters have grown up on this Peanuts classic. One of the most memorable images isn't the arrival of the Great Pumpkin (maybe next year, Linus), but rather of Snoopy hamming it up atop his red dog house as a WWI flying ace -- he takes his costume very seriously. He's so in character that he doesn't realize when he walks from the French countryside he's conjured up for himself into the Halloween party.
One of the sweetest moments is when Lucy retrieves a shivering Linus from the pumpkin patch and puts him to bed. It's a difficult end to the holiday for Linus, but he wakes up the next morning determined to wait in the pumpkin patch all over again, just like so many Peanuts fans will come back to this gem year after year.
Movie Details
Studio: Paramount Home Video, Director: Bill Melendez
Run time: 25 minutes
Theatrical release: 11/12/1966, DVD release: 9/12/2000
MPAA Rating: NR
Run time: 25 minutes
Theatrical release: 11/12/1966, DVD release: 9/12/2000
MPAA Rating: NR
Our Members Say
See all 6 member reviews
Most Recent Reviews
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I rate this title on for age 3 and give it
- My highlights are:
- Educational
- Good role models
Adorable.
Awee Charlie Brown is so cute and funny! It teaches kids how to be good friends and much more. The Halloween special is also very cute because it shows children to have 'spirit' in things, which they need when they get older when children will say things like Santa or the Easter Bunny doesn't exist. I personally do not think stupid, blockhead, or good grief are bad, they're expressions even teachers use. The only serious issue is children may say them to others, as if they were a bully.
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I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
- My highlights are:
- Good role models
love it
a classic
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I rate this title on for age 4 and give it
It's a classic that it can be passed through generations.
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I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
loved it
I think this is the best classic movie ever made in the history of classics! This show is definitely for everyone of all ages!
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I rate this title on for age 0 and give it
Am I the first one to review this?
Five words: Nothing here is an Issue. Charlie Brown specials are instant classics and were before they premiered. Its just good clean entertainment.
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