A classic story from Dr. Seuss about the Whos of Whoville and their less-enthusiastic exiled neighbor is set during the Christmas holidays. The book has been adapted into three different films, two animated films and one live-action film. In addition, the classic by Dr. Seuss adapted into a musical for Broadway and got the live TV treatment in 2020. Ever since the animated film debuted in 1966, How the Grinch Stole Christmas has been a key to what the Christmas holiday means to people who don’t celebrate it.
The Grinch’s story is that he lives in a cave at the top of Mount Crumpit with his dog Max. During a Christmas season, he devises a plan to steal every decoration, meal and gift from the Whos. Except this plan backfires on him when the Whos gather and start singing, causing his heart to triple and inspire him to return everything he stole. But when director Ron Howard made his version, he added more detail to the story as a whole. Howard placed themes of xenophobia and its consequences, political corruption, and capitalism at the center of the film’s plot. His film is a exemplary piece because of the comical approach to these subjects.
Saturday Night Live alum Molly Shannon plays Betty Lou Who, mother of Cindy Lou Who. She’s more concerned with her neighbor’s competition than her daughter’s Christmas crisis. Martha May Whovier, played by Christine Baranski, was the most popular and beautiful girl in the school. As an adult, she has the best and brightest house and secretly remains in love with the Grinch. Clint Howard, whose acting career began as a toddler The Andy Griffith Show, plays Whobris. As Mayor Maywho’s second-in-command, Whobris awaits a question from the mayor about what to do or say. Many comedies rely on one or two comedians to carry the film, but Howard’s gathering of many comedians is one of the reasons his adaptation of How the Grinch Stole Christmas it’s noticable.
5/6 Corruption and Christmas
Another iconic comedian Jeffrey Tambor portrays Mayor Augustus Maywho. However, before becoming mayor, Augustus was the school’s bully. When the Grinch was in school, he was mocked by Augustus and his friends for already having a beard at such a young age. This caused the Grinch to go home to shave, which only caused more ridicule. According to pacer, 41% of students reported feeling that the bullying they experienced would happen again. While many bullies are often bullied at home, they have learned that fear is the way to control people. Augustus Maywho clearly uses fear on Lou Lou Who at the beginning of the film, as well as on Whobris, his assistant. These little moments with other Who adults act as a window into how he gets voted Holiday Cheermeister year after year.
4/6 Life in Whoville
The Whos live in a small town of towers and spires at the base of Mount Crumpit. Big Picture Film Club reports that Whoville’s architecture is inspired by cities in Morocco, while its shops are inspired by those in Paris. In addition to real life inspiration, the Whos also have a similar story to the stork bringing babies to parents-to-be. Clarnella (Mindy Sterling) and Rose (Rachel Winfree) tell Cindy Lou Who that Who babies float in baskets and appear on the parents’ porch, except for the Grinch, whose basket ends up in a tree. While on the tree, he witnesses an unusual themed Christmas. The key party is hosted by none other than the Grinch’s mothers. It is possible that these celebrations only take place at Christmas, making the holiday quite merry.
3/6 The Whos’ love for Christmas
One thing that is certain is the Whos’ love for Christmas. Every year they have roast beasts, leave cookies for Santa and decorate their homes. Martha May Whovier also wins Most Beautifully Decorated Home, thanks to her impeccable style and color coordination. She also has a machine that shoots out lights and nails them into the house as well. Her possession of this machine means the Whos take Christmas decorations pretty seriously. The pièce de resistances, of course, is the 1000th Whobilation Celebration, celebrated on Christmas Eve. During the celebration, the Holiday Cheermeister judges fudge and pudding tastings, participates in various games, and leads various marches and dances.
2/6 Cindy-Lou Who, the heroine
In the 1966 story and film, Cindy Lou Who is a small Who child who encounters the Grinch, dressed as Santa Claus, stealing her family’s indoor decorations. In the 2000 version, however, she plays a much bigger role. In fact, she’s the voice of reason against the adults who have shunned the Grinch and only seem to care about the 99% of retail sales. She also embarks on an investigative journey to discover who the Grinch really is, rather than believing him to be a lonely, miserable person. After learning he was bullied in isolation, she decides to help the Grinch reintegrate into Whoville by nominating him for the Holiday Cheermeister. Because of her decision to question the norm, she helped not only save Christmas, but also the Grinch.
1/6 Performance of Jim Carrey
The crème de la crème of the film, of course, is Jim Carrey’s portrayal of the Grinch. Carrey has been praised for his comedic brilliance, but the Grinch needed a different approach. Under layers of make-up, prosthetics, and hair, Carrey wouldn’t be able to change his face so easily. He had to rely on other physical aspects such as walking, climbing and dancing to be funny. While he doesn’t hide his voice as much, the inflections and tones he uses help with his line delivery, conveying emotions that might otherwise have been hidden due to the heavy makeup. What makes Carrey perfect as the Grinch is his ability to improvise. In fact, one infamous scene was improvised by Carrey: While trying on several outfits for the Whobilation, the Grinch pulls a tablecloth off the table with nothing falling, only to return to knock everything off the table. The plan was to drop everything off the table, so when that didn’t happen, Carrey came up with the now-famous moment on the spot.