A Garfield Christmas

A Garfield Christmas is a 1987 American animated television special based on the Garfield comic strip. It once again featured Lorenzo Music as the voice of Garfield. The special was first broadcast December 21, 1987 on CBS and was rebroadcast on CBS every year thereafter until 2000. It was only recently rebroadcast again in 2008 on ABC Family. It has been released on both VHS and DVD home video.

TV Guide ranked the special number 10 on its 10 Best Family Holiday Specials list.

Plot

In a brightly decorated house, Garfield (voiced by Lorenzo Music) is awakened by Jon (voiced by Thom Huge) dressed as an elf, who says it is Christmas and Garfield must be treated to a large amount of lasanga before opening his gift, which consists of a robotic Santa which reads minds and produces whatever Garfield wants, pleasing him until Jon actually wakes Garfield up and realizes he was dreaming. Jon tells Garfield it is Christmas Eve and that he, Garfield, and Odie (voiced by Gregg Berger) are going to the countryside to celebrate Christmas with Jon's family on their farm. Garfield wonders why they always go to the farm and wonders why they never come to their place instead. During his drive to the farm, Jon talks about Christmas he had when he was a boy. Making their animated debuts are the sweet and always cooking Mom (voice by Julie Payne), hard working farmer Dad (voiced by Pat Harrington Jr.), mischievous younger brother Doc Boy (voiced by David L. Lander), and the tough as nails Grandma (voiced by Pat Carroll). Grandma and Garfield quickly grow a special bond. Jon, Garfield, and Odie take a walk, while Grandma spikes Mom's sausage gravy by adding chili powder. Jon and Garfield return for supper, while Odie works on something secretive and then sneaks back into the house. During supper, Grandma sneaks some food to Garfield and Odie.

After supper, they decorate the tree. Jon has Garfield to put the star on, as no one else can reach the top of the tree. Next, Mom asks Doc Boy to play a song on the piano. Grandma shoves him aside, as he can't sing and plays her version of "O Christmas Tree". Mom plays "Christmas In Your Heart", while Grandma tells Garfield about her beloved and deceased husband. Mom has Dad to read a book called Binky: The Clown Who Saved Christmas. Dad is reluctant, as he is tired of reading it every year, but then reluctantly reads it anyway. That night, Garfield finds out about Odie's suspicious activity and follows him into the barn and sees him make something out of a piece of wood, some wire, a plunger handle and a hand rake. While there, Garfield stumbles upon some old letters and found out that it must be 50 years old. Meanwhile, Jon and Doc Boy unexpectedly wake Dad up at 1:30 a.m. and ask him if it is time to open presents, but Dad angrily tells them to go to bed when Jon and Doc Boy argue each other that it is technically Christmas morning. The next morning, just when it seems like all the presents have been opened, Garfield gives Grandma the letters he found in the barn. These letters were love notes written to Grandma by her late husband from when they first met each other and married. Garfield also finds out that Odie had been busy making his ultimate Christmas gift: a homemade back scratcher. This is a rare glimpse at Garfield's other side, as Garfield learns one of the true meanings of Christmas and gladly thanks Odie for the gift he made.

Cast

• Lorenzo Music - Garfield
• Thom Huge - Jon Arbuckle
• Gregg Berger - Odie
• Pat Carroll - Grandma
• Pat Harrington Jr. - Dad
• David L. Lander - Doc Boy
• Julie Payne - Mom

Songs

• "Gimme, Gimme, Gimme, Gimme" performed by Lou Rawls
• "Can't Wait Till Christmas" performed by Thom Huge and Lorenzo Music
• "O Christmas Tree" performed by Pat Carroll
• "Christmas in Your Heart" performed by ensemble and Desirée Goyette
• "You Can Never Find an Elf When You Need One" performed by Lou Rawls and Desirée Goyette
• "A Good Old-Fashioned Christmas" (ending song) performed by ensemble

This special is available on the DVD Garfield's Holiday Celebrations.

External links

• A Garfield Christmas Special at the Internet Movie Database