Spooky Movie Month Day #29 – It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!

October 29th 

It’s concert day! The Inland Master Chorale Fall Concert is today and I know better than to think we’re going to have time tonight to watch a movie, so while I’m painting a box for Lion’s Halloween costume and shredding Dragon’s pant legs for his, we’re watching “It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!” and several other of our favorite classics while we run around to get things done. 

This is an interesting one for us. The Great Pumpkin, while a classic and beloved story, was totally hated by my kids for YEARS. Everyone was mean to Charlie Brown and Linus, everyone had giant attitudes and were constantly rude and acted selfishly, even cruel to one another. Lion couldn’t stand Lucy and how she would hurt Charlie Brown, shaming him on the football field and treated him like he was stupid. I remember as a very small kiddo, they’d say things like “If I knew her I’d punch her in the nose” and Dragon hated how Charlie Brown only got rocks and must have been so disappointed and how everyone made fun of Linus for believing in The Great Pumpkin. It was only just a few years ago when they suddenly decided they liked it. So, what changed? 

Well, 2020 happened and my kids got a crash course in sarcasm, cynicism and were forced to swallow an extra few years of maturity before they were actually ready for it, so when they watched Charlie Brown again that year, it didn’t feel so terrible… and infinitely better than real life. 

Now, if you ask them – Lion still can’t stand Lucy and doesn’t really *LOVE* this movie, or the kids, but has a sort of nostalgic feeling of tradition about it since I have always turned it on a day or two before Halloween each year. 

Dragon, oddly, loves it. It’s a comfort movie for them now and watches it all year. It’s one of my favorites, mainly for the music and the colors. I always felt the artistry was magic – how they colored the skies throughout the story was so beautiful and felt so completely like Halloween. So, I got my dose of spooky then set off for the concert. After, we ate ‘scary pancakes’ at IHOP before heading home and turning in early again. 

Only 2 days left!! As time seems to be going faster, tomorrow is HUGE – The Mothership is headed to a KILLER pizza party!