Frosty the Snowman (1969)
When you filter out the sequels, knock-offs, and derivative works, I count four quintessential animated holiday specials: How the Grinch Stole Christmas, A Charlie Brown Christmas, Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer, and Frosty the Snowman. That isn't to say that those are necessarily the best specials out there (though The Grinch and Charlie Brown are definitely in the running), but they're the most iconic, the most "classic." And, for years, I've been of the opinion that three out of four of them deserved that honor. The exception being Frosty, which I considered poorly animated, cheesy, and just not particularly interesting. When we slid the DVD in, I was wringing my hands in anticipation of ripping it apart when I wrote this article. Then a funny thing happened. I liked it. Maybe I just hadn't paid attention the last few times I watched. The writing is actually quite clever, and the pace moves along at a fair clip. The relationship between Karen