Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas Review

by Scott Renshaw (renshaw AT inconnect DOT com)
November 17th, 2000
DR. SEUSS' HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS
(Universal)
Starring: Jim Carrey, Taylor Momsen, Jeffrey Tambor, Christine Baranski, Bill Irwin, Molly Shannon.
Screenplay: Jeffrey Price & Peter S. Seaman, based on the book by Dr. Seuss.
Producers: Brian Grazer and Ron Howard.
Director: Ron Howard.
MPAA Rating: PG (adult humor)
Running Time: 102 minutes.
Reviewed by Scott Renshaw.

Up on Wholywood Hill, over at Whoniversal
A most challenging film was beginning rehearsal --
A live-action, big-budget, super-sensation
Headlined by The Grinch, Dr. Seuss's creation.
As both book and cartoon, people loved the Yule tale,
But a feature-length Grinch?
It must certainly fail.
Now fans of a hand-drawn Grinch might say, of course,
That this version strays much too far from the source.
Yes, it's true that Ron Howard's film plays fast and loose
With the text and the themes and the verse a la Seuss,
But there's plenty of reason to feel bright and merry
At the pleasures of watching the Grinch a la Carrey.

In Whoville the story begins, as it should,
With a young-ish Who girl who thinks things aren't so good.
With Christmastime bustle abuzz in the town,
Cindy Lou sees priorities quite upside-down.
Played by young Taylor Momsen, this sweet-natured lass
Is ready to give all the presents a pass
And reach out in true Christmas spirit and joy
To the Grinch, who once lived among Whos as a boy.
As part of the back-story, added for drama
We learn that the Grinch suffered some Christmas trauma
And fled to a mountain away from these creatures
Where he grew to adulthood with Jim Carrey's features.
After one failed attempt at a Grinchy inclusion
In Who celebrations, he's back to seclusion
To plot, as we know, stealing all Christmas treasures
So no one might have any holiday pleasures.

The film-makers make a true Seussian world
Where arches may tilt and where storefronts are curled.
>From the bright, shiny colors and odd camera angles
To makeup and hairstyles and costumes with spangles,
The style of THE GRINCH is true Seuss, first to last.
But this twist on the narrative ...
Well, not so fast.
In stretching the story an hour and more,
The screenwriters miss what the tale was before.
Here the Whos are the ones who have so much to learn
And the Grinch, in a quite unpredictable turn,
Isn't just by his far-too-small ticker afflicted.
He's misunderstood, under-loved and conflicted.
The character isn't improved by the shift;
Imagine a mean one who's just slightly miffed.

This misguided Grinch psychological stuff
Might have sunk the whole enterprise quickly enough
If not for the singular sardonic spin
Of Jim Carrey under his green Grinchy grin.
THE GRINCH is his show, and he's up to the task
With the same inspiration we saw in THE MASK.
Whenever he's left to his improvisations,
His facial and physical manipulations,
THE GRINCH is a triumph of comic invention
(Though many jokes won't reach a kid's comprehension).
The rapid-fire gags and sly insider wit
Are almost all funny, nearly every last bit.

It's true that this GRINCH may have some firm detractors
Who hate the whole notion of Whos played by actors,
Or those who think classics should be left alone
And not be big-budgeted and over-blown.
It's equally true that the loss of some verse
In favor of prose is a change for the worse.
This isn't the Grinch of the Seussian vision,
And giving him "depth" proves a silly decision
But all is forgiven when Carrey takes flight
Delivering lines with that wonderful bite.
A true timeless classic this film may not be;
It's simply a package of holiday glee.

On the Renshaw scale of 0 to 10 green parties: 7.

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