Unlike the previous two Peanuts theatrical films, Charles M. Schulz wrote an original plot without relying on any specific storyline from the strip. The idea for the film came to him during a family trip, during which he tried rafting with his wife on Rogue River.[4] However, some gags were taken from the strip, such as the one where Snoopy and Peppermint Patty jump on the waterbed.[5] The film received mixed-to-positive reviews from critics.
Plot
The film begins with Charlie Brown and his friends on a bus ride to Camp Remote, an isolated camp situated in the mountains. Upon arrival, they are introduced to a trio of domineering bullies and their aggressive bobcat, Brutus. The camp organizes a series of challenges through which the children compete, concluded by a raft race that lasts multiple days. The Bullies, who have won every other competition through cheating, plan to win the raft race by equipping their raft with a outboard motor, radar, sonar, and a direction finder. They also employ underhanded tactics to sabotage their competitors.
The children are divided into three teams: the boys’ team, consisting of Charlie Brown, Linus, Schroeder, and Franklin; the girls’ team, led by Peppermint Patty and including Marcie, Sally, and Lucy; and Snoopy and Woodstock, who compete independently. Charlie Brown reluctantly assumes leadership of the boys’ team, doubting his abilities. Peppermint Patty, in contrast, is assertive but ineffective, insisting that all decisions be made through secret ballot votes. However, the results do not align with her preferences, prompting her to disregard them in favor of her own judgment. Meanwhile, the bullies’ arrogance results in an early misstep as they crash into a dock, losing valuable time.
Throughout the race, the children traverse a variety of landscapes, including dense forests, towering mountains, and a logging community built along a river. Along the way, they encounter numerous challenges such as getting lost, enduring severe storms, and suffering repeated sabotage at the hands of the bullies. During one particularly treacherous storm, Snoopy and Woodstock are separated. Snoopy searches tirelessly for Woodstock, eventually taking refuge in an abandoned cabin for the night. The next day, Snoopy leaves to search again. Meanwhile, the children, searching for Snoopy, stumble upon the cabin. When Snoopy, having found Woodstock, returns to the cabin, strife starts to form between the boys and girls over who should be able to stay the night in the cabin, ending with the girls forcing the boys out, making them sleep outside in the snow.
The next morning during breakfast between the two groups, the girls suggest getting a Christmas tree, having seemingly forgotten the race due to making no progress in the past few days. After Charlie Brown berates the girls for this, the Bullies are able to catch up to the group, subsequently destroying the boys wooden raft and leaving the girls inflatable raft stranded. After the girl's raft is recovered, both groups decide to merge out of necessity, with Charlie Brown being declared the leader. As they catch up with the bullies, Charlie Brown gains confidence within himself.
As the race nears its climax, the group appears poised for victory due to Charlie Brown's newfound self-assurance. However, their progress is derailed when Peppermint Patty prematurely initiates a celebration, inadvertently knocking the boys overboard. The girls attempt to rescue them but fall into the water themselves. Seizing the opportunity, the bullies revel in their imminent triumph. However, their consistent recklessness and internal disputes have weakened their raft, and just before reaching the finish line, it collapses and sinks.
With all other competitors eliminated, Snoopy and Woodstock remain the only ones in contention. Brutus attempts one final act of sabotage by puncturing Snoopy's inner tube. Undeterred, Woodstock swiftly constructs a makeshift raft using twigs and a leaf for a sail, continuing toward victory. When Brutus attempts to attack him, Snoopy intervenes, striking the bobcat and ensuring Woodstock's safe passage. Ultimately, Woodstock crosses the finish line first, securing victory. The bullies begrudgingly concede but vow revenge in the next year's race. Their threats are cut short when Snoopy subdues Brutus once more, sending him fleeing in terror.
As the children prepare to return home, Charlie Brown reflects on the experience, resolving to be more confident and assertive. However, before he can finish speaking, the bus departs without him (as was the case earlier in the film), forcing him to hitch an alternate ride with Snoopy and Woodstock on their motorcycle.
Race for Your Life, Charlie Brown received 3 out of 5 stars in The New York Times from Janet Maslin, who wrote: "The film runs an hour and quarter and has a rambling plot about a regatta, but it seems less like a continuous story than a series of droll blackout sketches, many of them ending with the obligatory 'Good Grief!' ... The net effect is that of having read the comic strip for an unusually long spell, which can amount to either a delightful experience or a pleasant but slightly wearing one, depending upon the intensity of one's fascination with the basic Peanuts mystique."[6]
Leonard Maltin gave the movie 2.5 out of 4 stars (his lowest rating for the original four Peanuts movies), stating it's "mildly entertaining, but lacks punch".[7]
Home media
The film was released on VHS in 1979 as a Fotomat exclusive, Betamax the same year and LaserDisc in the early 1980s. It was also the very first release in 1981 on RCA's now defunct CED format.[8] The VHS was released to mass markets in the early 1980s. It was released on VHS again with new artwork on August 17, 1994, and again on October 1, 1996, under the Paramount Family Favorites label. The film was released for the first time on DVD on February 10, 2015.[9][10]
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