By Geno McGahee
I like Christmas movies, for the most part. They are happy themes and usually leave you feeling good…unless they’re one of those religious-preachy sorts of flicks. Religion has no business in a Christmas movie and no, I’m not willing to debate that.
In 2000, after years of trying to turn Dr. Seuss into live-action films, Hollywood finally found a way…he died. Dead men tell no tales and can’t say no. So, his family gave their bank account info to the producers and HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS was filmed.
Jim Carrey was the perfect choice for the role of the Grinch because of his physical comedy approach and knack for impression comedy. Carrey, at the time, was having a hot/cold career. He scored with LIAR LIAR, but THE CABLE GUY underperformed. Carrey was willing to take chances at this point and did so with MAN ON THE MOON and THE TRUMAN SHOW, dramas rather than the safe route of comedy that were easy money. HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS was another challenge for Carrey. He would have to win over the Dr. Seuss fans and bring the character that everyone loved back in a way that was relatable and accepted. This film had to be old and new at the same time.
So, the story is that the Whos from Whoville are happy and they love Christmas, while the town outcast, The Grinch (Carrey), hates the holiday and the Whos. Every Who in Whoville wants nothing to do with the Grinch, but Cindy Lou Who (Taylor Momsen) thinks that he should be included in the holiday festivities. The Mayor, Augustus Maywho (Jeffrey Tambor), has a history with the Grinch and laughs off the idea. The conflict began when Maywho and the Grinch were fighting over the same girl, Martha May Whovier (Christine Baranski). You don’t remember that from the book or cartoon, do you? Yeah, they had to stretch this to 90 minutes. So, they needed to pad it.
Ignoring the wishes of the mayor, Cindy Lou climbs the trash hill and visits the Grinch and convinces him to come. He sees it as a chance to shove it up the mayor’s ass and prove that he is worthy of admiration. Cindy’s parents, Lou Lou (Bill Irwin) and Betty Lou (Molly Shannon) are tied up competing with the neighbors and their holiday décor. The movie is trying to stay true to the message that real Christmas spirit is not about gifts or décor. So, points for that.
When the Grinch comes to the party, things go well, initially, but quickly turn for the worse. The Mayor takes a personal jab at his old rival and that sends the Grinch into a rage where he destroys the big tree and tells the town to kiss his ass. He returns to his home on the hill and plans his revenge. He’s going to steal Christmas from the Whos, taking all the gifts and everything that he believes makes them happy. He sees the materialism in the holiday and wants to watch the Whos deflate and live in misery. When he does this, something unexpected happens.
The Whos in Whoville realize the true meaning of Christmas and the Grinch sees it too. He returns to Whoville as a member of the community and is accepted by the people. The mayor is exposed and removed and there is a lot of love to go around. The monster on the hill is no longer the monster.
HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS translated better to the big screen than THE CAT IN THE HAT did, but not by a whole lot. The cast tries very hard to make this work with special credit going to Jeffrey Tambor, Taylor Momsen, Christine Baranski and especially Jim Carrey. Things just didn’t click here and I’m not sure that they could. I’m not sure that Dr. Seuss was meant for the big screen and this has been evident with every one of the translations with the possible exception of THE LORAX.
There is just something really missing from this film. It is almost too over the top. They put so much emphasis on set design and costumes that they lost their focus on the screenplay and pacing. This film has a Christmas setting, but there is a failure to connect for the viewer. The magic of an Xmas movie is the connection where the viewer walks away feeling better about what they have and understanding that it is about unity and joy rather than the materialism. Here, that is the direct message and it still cannot resonate with the audience. It’s not solely due to the costumes either, as some may contend because films like TOY STORY 3 were able to pull the heart strings.
I think HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS was a missed opportunity. Jim Carrey was right for the role and so too was much of the cast. They should have entertained a few other screenplays and overall approaches. Carrey, as good as he is, wasn’t enough to carry the film. This one is far from an Xmas classic and, in the end, is very forgettable.
Rating: 3/10
