Fairy Tale Spotlight: The Peanut Butter Solution [1985 Film]

There are a number of scenes from movies that I remember as a kid, but some of them never had titles attached to them. For as long as I can remember, there was this odd scene about a child meeting a pair of ghosts. They explain to the kid that they can make as much noise as they want because nobody will hear them unless they are seen. They then proceeded to slam cabinet doors while the kid's eyes were closed, proving that they made no noise unless they were looked at while doing it.

As it turns out, the scene came from a 1985 Canadian film called "The Peanut Butter Solution." I recently found out what the name was and went out of my way to watch it... and I loved every single moment of it. Now, here is the weird thing: I actually had this movie spoiled for me before I saw it. When I found the listing for it, I started reading the synopsis which unfortunately spoiled the whole thing. Oddly, I still wanted to see it. The entire plot sounded so bizarre and mixed up that I was having trouble conceiving in my mind that such a movie could even play out properly.

The movie plays something like an odd fever dream. Lynchian at times, but sometimes it feels more like it just dips into the realm of fairy tale. It never quite sticks to reality but still clearly lives in reality. At the beginning we are introduced to the boy and his family. Their mother is far from home, and she is leaving the dad to take care of a boy and a very intelligent daughter. You can relate to this just fine, but the moment things change is when the boy visits a haunted house... and then all of his hair falls out. Nothing goes normal after that.

From there you have encounters with ghosts, an old man who kidnaps children, and a paintbrush that can paint portals to other places. The movie just goes all over the place, but it's good. It's genuinely good, and I can't really give you any reason not to watch it.

Even though I had it spoiled and still enjoyed it, I don't want to do the same thing to you. Just understand that this movie puts you on a journey that is very hard to forget. I kept a single scene in my head for over 30 years. That's saying something.

If you are interested in seeing "The Peanut Butter Solution," there is a very pixilated version available on YouTube; however, you can rent a high quality version on AmazonPrime for $1.99. Watch it from beginning to end. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

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