Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown (NR, 1975)

In BE MY VALENTINE, CHARLIE BROWN, cartoonist Charles Schulz brings the Peanuts gang face to face with one of the most fraught American traditions: the school Valentine's Day card exchange. Characters navigate crushes on unavailable teachers, the perils of creating homemade valentines, and the echo of empty mailboxes, along with the feelings that go along with those disappointments. While Charlie Brown (voiced by Duncan Watson) is the most pitiable character, his optimism never leaves him. And the ongoing high jinks of his dog Snoopy will have viewers of every age laughing.

Schulz's cartoon genius came from using humor to express universal experiences, and this DVD is a perfect example. Kids will probably identify with the latent fear of not receiving any valentines, and with the pressure of finding just the right card for that special person -- whether it's a classmate, sibling, or teacher. It's a relief to see characters apologizing to Charlie Brown after snubbing him, even if their motives are a bit selfish.

The film uses visual humor with the dialog to achieve some truly funny moments, like when Sally (Lynn Mortenson) finds an entire Shakespearean sonnet written on a candy heart, or when Linus (Stephen Shea) hurls away candy after candy in frustration, not knowing that Snoopy and Woodstock are gleefully disposing of the spoils. A 2008 edition includes two TV specials -- "It's Your First Kiss, Charlie Brown" and "You're in Love, Charlie Brown" -- that explore the theme of unrequited love even further, as well as a documentary-style featurette about Schulz's work.

Studio: Warner Home Video
Director: Phil Roman
Cast: Duncan Watson, Lynn Mortenson, Stephen Shea
Genre: Family and Kids
Run time: 25 minutes
Theatrical release: January 28, 1975
DVD release: January 15, 2008
MPAA Rating: NR
MPAA explanation: Not Rated