What Kids Can Learn From “The Peanuts Movie”

By Amanda Nojadera, Common Sense Media

Just as Inside Out had plenty of conversation starters for parents and kids about feelings and growing up, The Peanuts Movie offers lots of positive messages you can talk about with your kids. And those lessons, such as being yourself and never giving up, weren’t lost on the young actors who voice some of Charles M. Schulz’s iconic creations. Here’s what they had to say about these topics and their characters.

What lessons do you hope kids can learn from Charlie Brown and his friends?

• Hadley Belle Miller, age 11 (Lucy van Pelt): “I think that kids can learn that everybody in the gang is just like a normal kid. They’re just going to a school dance or have a crush on this girl. I think you can learn that if they can do it, then so can you, because they’re actually just like you.”
• Francesca Capaldi, age 11 (Little Red-Haired Girl): “I hope kids learn that it’s OK to be yourself and you don’t have to win big awards. It’s better to be yourself and have a big heart.”
• Noah Schnapp, age 11 (Charlie Brown): “I think they should learn to dream big, because that’s like the main part of the movie. And I also think that because Charlie Brown never gives up, they should learn a life lesson: Whenever they’re angry or frustrated, they should just get right back up and try again and not just quit.”

What do you like most about the character you voice?

• Miller: “I like that Lucy has a voice and that she likes being right. I just think she could learn how to say it in a nicer way. I don’t think she’s trying to be mean. I think she’s trying to be helpful, but she doesn’t know how.”
• Capaldi: “I like [the Little Red-Haired Girl] because she’s always been unknown. No one really knows her personality, but now they’re getting to know her a little bit. And I like that she’s very kind and she’s always nice to everyone.”
• Schnapp: “I think that’s an easy one, because Charlie Brown never gives up. He’s always known for never giving up and always being persistent. A lot of people just walk away and give up and never go back, but they can learn to try again whenever they’re frustrated, like Charlie Brown.”
• Mar Mar, age 13 (Franklin Armstrong): “I think the best part about playing Franklin is that he can be an MC of the school dance, the announcer, or the stage director in the play. He’s a jack of all trades. I think that the best part about Franklin is that he can do so many things with his talents. It’s just amazing.”

Check out Common Sense Media’s video review of The Peanuts Movie.

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