How the Grinch Stole Christmas

The film was based on Dr. Seuss’s 1957 children’s book of the same name, as the first Dr. Seuss book to be adapted into a full-length feature film and the first of only two live-action Dr. Seuss films, followed by The Cat in the Hat released in 2003. This was also the second adaptation of the book, after the 1966 animated TV special of the same name.

Narrated by Anthony Hopkins, it stars Jim Carrey as the eponymous character, with Taylor Momsen, Jeffrey Tambor, Christine Baranski, Bill Irwin and Molly Shannon in supporting roles. The film centers on the Grinch, a misanthropic green creature who lives in a cave on nearby Mount Crumpit and despises the celebrations, as he attempts to sabotage their holiday plans in Whoville.

Produced by Imagine Entertainment, How the Grinch Stole Christmas was released by Universal Pictures in the United States on November 17, 2000. It initially received mixed reviews from critics, though Carrey’s performance and visual prosthetics received praise, its dark tone and humor were criticized. it has since gained a strong cult following. The film spent four weeks as the number one film in the United States and grossed $345.8 million worldwide, making it the sixth-highest grossing film of 2000.

At the time, it also became the second-highest-grossing holiday film of all time behind the 1990 film Home Alone, until both films were surpassed the 2018 animated version of How the Grinch Stole Christmas. It won the Academy Award for Best Makeup, and was nominated for Best Art Direction and Best Costume Design.

One day, six-year-old Cindy Lou Who, who is beginning to question everyone’s obsession with the material aspects of Christmas, encounters the Grinch at her father’s post office. She falls into the giant mail-sorting machine, but the Grinch grudgingly saves her.

Cindy learns from the townsfolk that the Grinch arrived in Whoville as a baby and was adopted by two elderly women. In school, the Grinch fell in love with his pretty classmate Martha May Whovier. Jealous, the school bully Augustus MayWho began making fun of the Grinch’s hairy appearance. At Christmas, the Grinch made an angel as a gift for Martha, then attempted to shave his face, accidentally cutting himself several times. When his teacher and classmates saw the result, all but Martha May laughed at him. The young Grinch snapped, declared his hatred for Christmas, and fled to Mount Crumpit, where he has lived, alone except for his dog Max, ever since.

Cindy nominates the Grinch as the town’s Holiday Cheermeister, outraging MayWho, who is now the mayor. She climbs Mount Crumpit to invite the Grinch to the award ceremony, and he eventually accepts after realizing he could potentially encounter Martha and upset MayWho. As Cheermeister, he participates in various events and begins enjoying himself, until MayWho gives him an electric razor as a gift, reminding him of his childhood humiliation. MayWho then offers Martha a new car while publicly proposing to her. Enraged, the Grinch berates the Whos for their avaricious and commercialized “love” of Christmas. He shaves the mayor’s head, burns down the town’s Christmas tree, and goes on a rampage before returning home.

Learning that the Whos have a spare Christmas tree and are continuing with the festivities, the Grinch decides he must steal all of their presents, decorations and food while they sleep, to truly ruin Christmas. He disguises himself as Santa Claus and Max as a reindeer, descending into Whoville on a hi-tech sleigh. The first house he enters is Cindy’s; when she catches him stealing their tree, he lies to her to facilitate his escape. He singlehandedly strips the entire town of Christmas cheer, stuffing everything into a giant sack, which he drives to the top of Mount Crumpit with the intention of destroying it.

Awakening on Christmas morning, the Who’s are horrified to discover the theft. MayWho blames Cindy for enabling the Grinch to ruin Christmas; however, her father, postmaster Lou Lou Who, defends her for reminding everyone that they have been focusing too much on gifts and decorations and not on showing love and kindness to each other. The townsfolk agree, join hands, and begin Christmas carolling.

Just as he is about to push the sack off the top of Mount Crumpit, the Grinch hears the people singing and realizes his failure. At last understanding the true meaning of Christmas, his heart grows three times larger, and he bursts into tears. The sleigh and its sack of stolen property begin to slide over the edge of the cliff, along with Cindy, who had come to visit the Grinch and climbed aboard. The Grinch saves Cindy and the sleigh, and they ride down the mountain to return everything. He apologizes and surrenders to the police, who pardon him and ignore MayWho’s demand to arrest and pepper spray him.

Having had enough of MayWho, Martha returns his engagement ring and declares her love for the Grinch instead. Later, the reformed Grinch invites the townsfolk over for the Christmas feast, where he personally carves the Roast Beast himself in his cave.