Linus falls for a new girl who soon must go to the hospital for cancer treatment.Linus falls for a new girl who soon must go to the hospital for cancer treatment.Linus falls for a new girl who soon must go to the hospital for cancer treatment.
- Nominated for 1 Primetime Emmy
- 2 nominations total
- Charlie Brown
- (voice)
- Janice Emmons
- (voice)
- Sally Brown
- (voice)
- Lucy Van Pelt
- (voice)
- The Bully
- (voice)
- Big Sister
- (voice)
- Snoopy
- (voice)
- …
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaOriginally planned as a 5-minute educational video to be shown to young cancer patients, Charles M. Schulz suggested that the project be expanded to a full half-hour special. CBS and producer Bill Melendez initially balked at the idea, but ultimately went ahead with it due to Schulz's enthusiasm of the project. Schulz was touched by the idea as his mother Dena succumbed to cancer on the night he was drafted for WWII. Schulz himself would later succumb to cancer on February 12, 2000, mere hours before his final strip appeared in newspapers worldwide.
- GoofsLinus moves from sitting in front of Janice and next to Charlie Brown, to sitting behind Charlie Brown, next to the window, and back.
- Quotes
The Bully: [approaches Linus and Janice] Huh? Say, who's the kid with the pink hat? Pretty cute. Does it fly? It needs a propeller. Hey, maybe it'll fly without a propeller!
[he spins off Janice's hat to the snow and laughs to see Janice is bald due to chemotherapy]
The Bully: Hey, look at this! A baldy!
Linus van Pelt: [as Janice cries, furiously] You blockhead! What's the matter with you?
The Bully: What's the matter with me? What's the matter with her? She's bald! She's got no hair!
[laughs]
Linus van Pelt: [angrily takes him by the jacket] Janice has got leukemia, cementhead! That's cancer! Have you ever heard of cancer? She's been in the hospital and she's had chemotherapy to help her get better, and it makes her hair fall out! Does that make you happy? Would you like to go through what she's gone through? Think about it!
[releases him]
Linus van Pelt: Or don't you ever think about anything!
[Linus comforts Janice and picks up their books off the snow]
The Bully: [hands back Janice's cap] I'm sorry.
[Linus takes the cap, gives it to Janice, and both Linus and Janice leave]
The Bully: [smiles in sympathy] Hey, I like your cap!
- Crazy creditsInstead of rolling over stills from the special as usual, the credits roll over a black screen. In the last few seconds, Janice is heard laughing happily and her pink cap falls into the frame.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Zomergasten: Episode #4.1 (1991)
The main storyline revolves around a friend of Linus named Janice who slowly goes through treatments to cure her diagnosed leukemia, much to the grief of the poor kid. Based on the serious subject matter at hand here, one could imagine this would be much darker than most Peanuts specials, and to the featurette's credit, it does handle the topic with a lot of respect. Considering the effects cancer can have on the youth, the special even helps educate young viewers on the complicated procedures patients go through to get the right treatment. In addition, Linus goes through quite the amount of grief through his concern for Janice's well being, which I'm sure many of us have witnessed with a loved one at some point in their lives. While he can get a little heated around others, a lot of it comes from the confusion of not being able to comprehend a serious situation like a near terminal disease. Even Janice herself is surprisingly brave for a young kid trying to beat cancer, which could hopefully send a positive message to the ill youth.
However, perhaps it was my expectations getting the better of my judgement, but the special isn't quite as serious as it could have been. Perhaps the entire special should have focused more on Janice's dilemma or laid off the Snoopy filler, but the tone just isn't strong enough to make much of an impact. Even when the special attempts to get dramatic, it mostly just lets a specific scene play out and not even go back to it to make the story more engaging. Arguably one of the more well known scenes from this special involves a mean kid laughing at Janice's loss of hair, and Linus proceeding to berate him for being such a bully. While the scene shows a more passionately defensive side to Linus, it barely has much of a payoff and is quickly forgotten about after it's over. Also, the special wraps up so quickly and sweetly that it doesn't let the poorer emotions of the characters resonate long enough. No matter how poignant you are with a special on cancer, you must let the drama speak for itself so the viewers will have a better appreciation for the risks you took in the long run.
So in spite of its sincere intentions and moments of stubbornness the Peanuts have been known for, Why, Charlie Brown, Why? falls short in the drama department and plays itself a little too safe to break any new ground whatsoever. It's good to know that this special inspired many children to feel for the sick and understand what someone can go through when they're in love, but there isn't much worth remembering from the special outside of the leukimia subject. That being said, I still recommend giving this special a watch if you want to see Charles Schulz tackling a more personal topic.
- elicopperman
- Sep 20, 2020
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- Also known as
- チャーリーブラウン なぜなんだい?
- Filming locations
- USA(USA)
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