How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000 film) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Ron Howard
Written by	Jeffrey Price Peter S. Seaman
Narrated by	Anthony Hopkins
Starring	Jim Carrey Taylor Momsen Jeffrey Tambor Christine Baranski Bill Irwin Molly Shannon
Music by	James Horner
Cinematography	Don Peterman
Editing by	Dan Hanley Mike Hill
Studio	Imagine Entertainment
Distributed by	Universal Pictures
Release date(s)	November 8, 2000 (2000-11-08) (Los Angeles) November 17, 2000 (2000-11-17) (United States)
Running time	105 minutes
Country	United States Germany
Language	English
Budget	$123 million
Money made	$363.4 million

How the Grinch Stole Christmas (also known as Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas and simply The Grinch) is a 2000 German-American Christmas fantasy comedy-drama film directed by Ron Howard and written by Jeffrey Price and Peter S. Seaman. Based on Dr. Seuss's 1957 book of the same name, it was the first Dr. Seuss book to be adapted into a full-length feature film. The film is narrated by Anthony Hopkins and stars Jim Carrey in the title role along with Taylor Momsen (in her feature film debut), Jeffrey Tambor, Christine Baranski, Bill Irwin and Molly Shannon in supporting roles.

Because the film is based on a children's picture book, many additions were made to the storyline in order to bring it up to feature-length, including some information about the backstory of the title character and reworking the story's minor character Cindy Lou Who as a main character. Most of the rhymes that were used in the book were also used in the film, though some of the lines were to some degree changed and several new rhymes were put in. The film also borrowed some music and character elements that originated in the 1966 animated television special, such as the song "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" and the Grinch's green skin tone.

Produced by Howard and Brian Grazer's Imagine Entertainment, How the Grinch Stole Christmas! was released by Universal Pictures in the United States on November 17, 2000 to mixed reviews, with critics praising the production values (particularly the makeup), Carrey's portrayal of the titular character, and James Horner's musical score, but criticizing the script, characters, innuendos and inconsistent tone. It was a huge commercial success nonetheless, grossing $363 million worldwide and becoming the sixth-highest grossing film of 2000. It was originally the second highest-grossing holiday film of all-time behind Home Alone (1990), until both films were surpassed in 2018 by the third film adaptation of the story. It won the Academy Award for Best Makeup as well as getting nominations for Best Art Direction and Best Costume Design.

Plot

All the Whos of Whoville enjoy celebrating Christmas. The Grinch, a green humanoid creature, arrives in Whoville as a baby, adopted by two elderly women. He was a timid child who had a crush on Martha May Whovier, one of the prettiest girls in his school, who showed empathy towards him. Bully Augustus MayWho, however, was jealous that Martha liked the Grinch more than him and began to mock him for having a beard. Because of this, on the day of the school's Christmas party, the Grinch cut his face while attempting to shave, to which his classmates—except Martha—laughed at him and caused the Grinch to lose his temper and declare that he hates Christmas. He fled to the top of Mount Crumpit, north of Whoville, where he then took up residence.

Years later, nobody likes the Grinch because of his mean-spiritedness, especially at Christmastime. But six-year-old Cindy Lou Who believes that everyone is missing the point about Christmas by focusing too much on the gifts and festivities and too little on the personal relationships. She encounters the Grinch at the post office and later discovers his tragic past.

Cindy nominates the Grinch to be the town's "Holiday Cheermeister", much to the displeasure of Augustus MayWho, who is now the mayor of Whoville. Cindy climbs to Mount Crumpit to invite the Grinch to the celebration and he eventually accepts. As Cheermeister, the Grinch participates in several events and begins to have fun, but Mayor MayWho spoils everything by giving him an electric razor as a present reminding him of his childhood humiliation. The Mayor then publicly proposes marriage to Martha and giving her a gaudy engagement ring and a new car. Enraged, the Grinch berates the Whos for their materialism by telling them that Christmas is only about gifts that they will ultimately end up throwing in the garbage, which is dumped on Mount Crumpit near his home. He burns down the tree with a makeshift flamethrower (the Whos, however have a spare) and goes on a rampage before returning home to Mt. Crumpit.

Finally fed up with the Whos' Christmas, the Grinch concocts a plan to crush the Whos' Christmas spirit by stealing all of their presents, decorations and food while they're sleeping. He disguises himself as Santa Claus and dresses his pet dog Max as a reindeer, then descends into Whoville. The first house he enters is Cindy's, and lies to Cindy when she catches him stealing their tree, allowing him to escape. The Grinch continues stealing all of the gifts, decorations and food and stuffing them all in a large sack, before climbing back to the top of Mt. Crumpit to destroy it all by pushing the sack off the side. When the Whos wake up on Christmas morning, they are horrified to discover the theft and Mayor MayWho blames Cindy for letting the Grinch ruin the holidays for the town. However, her cheerful father, town postmaster Lou Lou Who, comes to his daughter's defense by explaining to the mayor and all of the other Whos that he has finally figured out what Cindy has been trying to tell the whole town — Christmas is mainly about being together with family and friends, not just gifts and fancy decorations. The Whos agree with Lou and start singing Whoville's Christmas carol.

Before the Grinch can push the sack of stolen gifts off the top of Mount Crumpit, he hears the Whos singing and realizes that he has failed to prevent Christmas, but then has an epiphany and finally realizes the true meaning of Christmas, causing his heart to grow three sizes. The sleigh full of gifts then begins to slide over the edge of the cliff along with Cindy, who had come to spend Christmas with him. The Grinch gets the strength to lift the loaded sleigh and carry Cindy to safety, and they ride down the mountain to return everything.

The Grinch apologizes for his pranks and the burglary before surrendering himself to the police, who accept his apology and deny the mayor's request to arrest and pepper spray him. Martha even turns down his proposal and returns his engagement ring to him, declaring that her heart belongs to the Grinch. Afterwards, the redeemed Grinch joins in the Whos' celebration feast and carves the roast beast himself in his cave.

Cast

• Anthony Hopkins as the narrator
• Jim Carrey as the Grinch, a misanthropic and devious green-furred creature who despises Christmas and the Whos of Whoville. It is revealed in his origin story that he started to hate Christmas after his school classmates mocked him for trying to shave his face. Before Carrey was cast to play the Grinch, Jack Nicholson, Robin Williams, Dustin Hoffman, Tom Hanks, Tim Curry and Eddie Murphy were briefly considered.
  • Josh Ryan Evans as the 8-year-old Grinch; his humiliation at school by Augustus MayWho is what drives him into a hatred of Christmas. This was Evans' last film role before his death in 2002.
• Kelley as Max, the Grinch's pet dog and only companion on Mt. Crumpit. It is unknown how and when the Grinch got him.
  • Frank Welker performs the vocal effects for Max.
• Christine Baranski as Martha May Whovier, the Grinch's lifelong crush, and the romantic interest of Mayor Augustus MayWho. In the end, she ultimately rejects the Mayor and chooses the Grinch.
  • Landry Allbright as 8-year-old Martha May Whovier. She shows compassion towards the young Grinch.
• Jeffrey Tambor as Mayor Augustus MayWho, Whoville's rude, arrogant and judgmental mayor. He is revealed to be a school bully who picked on the young Grinch over his shaved face, which is what motivated the Grinch to hate Christmas in the first place. He also denounces the Grinch every chance he gets and wants Christmas in Whoville to be Grinch-less.
  • Ben Bookbinder as 8-year-old Augustus MayWho; he tormented the young Grinch, which motivated the Grinch to hate Christmas.
• Taylor Momsen as Cindy Lou Who, a kind young Who girl who believes that the Christmas spirit in Whoville is lost and is one of the only people to see past the Grinch's nasty behavior. In the film, she is 6 years old whereas in the book in 1957 and the TV special in 1966 she is "no more than 2".
• Bill Irwin as Lou Lou Who, the cheerful and slightly dimwitted postmaster of Whoville, as well as Cindy's father.
• Molly Shannon as Betty Lou Who, Cindy's mother and Martha's rival in a house-lighting contest.
• Clint Howard as Whobris, the mayor's sycophantic aide and servant. He goes along with everything the Mayor says and does.
  • Reid Kirchenbauer as 8-year-old Whobris.
• Mindy Sterling as Clarnella Who, one of the Grinch's adoptive mothers in his childhood.
• Rachel Winfree as Rose Who, one of the Grinch's adoptive mothers in his childhood.
• Jeremy Howard as Drew Lou Who, one of the troublesome sons of Lou and Betty and brother of Cindy.
• T. J. Thyne as Stu Lou Who, one of the troublesome sons of Lou and Betty and brother of Cindy.
• Jim Meskimen as Officer Wholihan, the chief of police.
• Mary Stein as Miss Rue Who, the Grinch's school teacher who later becomes Cindy's teacher.
• Deep Roy as Post Office Clerk
• Rance Howard as Elderly Timekeeper
• Verne Troyer as Band Member
• Bryce Dallas Howard as Surprised Who
• Ron Howard as Whoville Townperson (uncredited)

Television rights

It premiered on television on ABC on November 25, 2004 and aired for a few years. How the Grinch Stole Christmas currently annually airs on Freeform's (formerly ABC Family) 25 Days of Christmas. The American television airings include deleted footage which was not included on the original, theatrical, and VHS/DVD releases such as Cindy's dad maxing out his credit card buying Christmas gifts, Cindy asking her dad who the Grinch was before heading off to school, Lou visiting Cindy staying after school after mentioning the Grinch, a few extended scenes of the post office, the Grinch in his cave and Cindy inviting the Grinch to the Christmas party, Martha May and Betty Lou competing in the Christmas Lights Contest, the Grinch trying out different outfits to wear at the Christmas party, the Grinch drinking eggnog, the Whos passing out gifts to each other, and Cindy's family getting ready for Christmas morning at night. It also sometimes airs on NBC during Christmas night after the animated television special. It aired on FX to promote the television broadcast premiere of the 2018 animated film in 2020.

Soundtrack

The soundtrack for the album was released on November 7th, 2000. It features a collection of music performed by several artists, including Busta Rhymes, Faith Hill, Eels, Smash Mouth, and NSYNC.

All song lengths via Apple Music.All music composed by James Horner, except where noted.

Images for kids

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  Ron Howard is the film's director and producer.

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  Whoville Grinch Family Sedan from How the Grinch Stole Christmas at Stahls Automotive Collection

See also

In Spanish: El Grinch (película de 2000) para niños