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Charlie Brown, Continued

Revisiting "A Charlie Brown Christmas," I was struck by a few things:

*The mystery of the tree. CB picks a shoddy tree, but after the kids surround it and primp it, it seems to be transformed. It actually seems to become a different tree. This isn't explained. Is this some kind of allusion to the miracle of the wine and the loaves? Or is the artist suggesting that perspective means everything? (A tree, from varying angles, is more than just one tree; it has more than one personality.) This is so strange....

*When Lucy the therapist understands that she has a paying customer, she changes her sign. It no longer says, "The Doctor Is Out." It now says: "The Doctor Is REAL IN." (What does that REAL mean? Is it meant to mean, "I'm REALLY, REALLY in....I'm excited about your money, and I'm SO in right now....") I can't tell you how much that "Real" has puzzled me, year after year after year....

*The high point, for me, is the snowflake scene. "Try to catch snowflakes on your tongue!" There's beautiful animation and a sprightly Vince Guaraldi waltz (I think it's called "Skating"). And Lucy adds a moment of startling absurdity: "I never eat December snowflakes. I always wait for January snowflakes. January flakes are the best." A tart, subtle comment on human self-importance and silliness. My favorite.

Merry Christmas to you!
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