HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS * (Theatrical Release USA 2000)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 4.3|5.0 Stars ìììì

How The Grinch Stole Christmas—creative, refreshingly new, and totally entertaining—allows Jim Carrey to once again establish an unmistakable, strong film presence. However, despite being completely disguised behind the Grinch’s heavy costuming, Carrey establishes just the right touch to offset the acting of Taylor Momsen (character Cindy Lou Who) without overpowering her efforts. It’s a pleasure to see this small girl, who is not afraid of the Grinch in the slightest, set into process a set of events that completely changes his life. The color, scenery, special effects, and characters are fully maximized to create pleasing effects and unique originality in every scene. This feature rates as one of the best Christmas films made and well worth viewing. And, the film even contains a nice moral: Don’t get personal about criticism, take it in stride, be happy, consider, endeavor to see the other person’s point of view, do not exclude yourself from community due to differences between you and ‘them’, and live by the imperative that no one—young, old, male, female, black, white, red, brown, yellow, green—shall be treated with anything other than love because love has the power to heal everything and anything in life.

Film Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia

Storyline

The film’s story begins with a green, hairy looking animal-like ‘thing’ bundled tightly in a blanket, floating from the air to the doorstep of two elderly female Whos for care. The Whos name the ‘thing’ Grinch. Grinch grows, enters school, falls in love, and experiences challenges as a classmate who desires the same girl makes fun of the Grinch’s beard. The Grinch goes home and tries to shave, but when he returns to school the next day with facial cuts covered with paper swabs all over his face, everyone makes fun of him. This seemingly minor incident causes the Grinch to leave the community and establish a reclusive lifestyle until a young girl named Cindy Lou Who breaks open the Grinch’s small black heart so that he can finally be free to love, feel, and care within the larger community.

Additional Thanks

Great Work for Director Ron Howard. Thank you to Executive Producer Todd Hallowell for making the film possible. Additional characters/cast include: Max (Kelley), Mayor Augustus Maywho (Jeffrey Tambor), Martha May Whovier (Christine Baranski), Lou Lou Who (Bill Irwin), Whobris (Clint Howard), 8-Year Old Grinch (Josh Ryan Evans), and Clarnella (Mindy Sterling).

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe? 

Yes. Director Ron Howard completely put this story in the “It’s well worth monies spent for entertainment” category.

 * Also Known As Dr, Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas or The Grinch

Video Critique Available Here:

Ben Meyers