Perhaps one of the classic examples of the power of peace and love can be seen within The Grinch’s character arc. He goes from a foul one to a lovable cheer meister. His heart grew three sizes in one night, but it took nearly 20 years for the live-action film to embrace the hearts of its viewers. Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas is now considered a modern holiday classic. It is replayed and broadcasted on a variety of networks during the Christmas season and it is available to stream on HBOMAX.

The film was released in 2000 and stars Jim Carrey as everyone’s favorite green creature of Whoville. Ron Howard directed the Christmas film which featured large set pieces, colorful visual effects, and a narration from Sir Anthony Hopkins. However, the film debuted with a 49% score on Rotten Tomatoes and 46% score on Metacritic. It was referred to by critics as cluttered and jarring… and a bit weird. Perhaps children who saw the film for the first time in 2000 might have found some of the prosthetic designs for the Whos and The Grinch a bit jarring. But the film has amassed such popularity and continues to be played on a yearly basis nowadays. The reception of the film has changed… but how?
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

Live-Action Seuss

Universal Pictures

To start, there hasn’t been much of a positive reception to a live-action Seuss adaptation. Most of the writer’s classic stories have been made into animated films throughout the late 1900s, which makes sense. The medium did bring a more seamless transition from story to screen for Seuss’ stories; after all, the character designs in his works are not necessarily human-like or realistic. Live-action films have to through a lot of trouble with make-up, set design, lighting, costumes, and the whole art department in order to accurately adapt an illustrated story to a visual medium and do justice to the characters from the books. In addition, the world would have to be built from scratch.

Considering How the Grinch Stole Christmas was the first to attempt this transition from animated adaptations to live-action, it did cross a line that ventured into the uncanny valley. The uncanny valley is the phenomenon that occurs when the brain recognizes something to be… almost human. Human characteristics and mannerisms, but the look is just not right. Most of the actors in the film are layered with just enough make-up to look like Whos from Whoville. But their physicality and expressions are intact.

Related: Netflix Pulls How the Grinch Stole Christmas and People Are Freaking Out

The reaction to live-action Seuss works are slightly divisive, but the critical reception to How the Grinch Stole Christmas seems to be spread through the middle. But it was the 2003 live-action adaptation of The Cat in the Hat that ultimately put the nail in the coffin to live-action adaptations of Dr. Seuss’ works. His widow, Audrey Geisel, banned any sequels and live-action productions to be made of her husband’s books based on the reaction to the 2003 Mike Myers film. That particular film ventured into a realm that was filled with vulgar adult humor. While some of that is present in How the Grinch Stole Christmas, the film is marketed to children and families for the holidays.

Getting Into the Christmas Spirit

Universal Pictures

Perhaps the most notable and popular aspect of How the Grinch Stole Christmas is Jim Carrey’s performance as The Grinch. At first glance, it might be jarring to some kids seeing the film for the first time, but those who have grown over the past 20 years have a new appreciation for the amount of work Carrey had to put into the role.

Oscar-winning make-up designer Rick Baker designed a full-bodied suit for Jim Carrey to wear. Jim Carrey’s physical comedy is effortless and his performance is outstanding. However, the amount of effort it took Carrey to physicalize the actual body of The Grinch was a whole other challenge. In an interview on the film’s DVD, Carrey describes the process:

“It was really a challenge because I was buried. My eyeballs were covered and my hands had long fingers on them […] I had to be a zen master.”

Universal Pictures

Carrey also spoke of his experience working on the film on The Graham Norton Show in 2014:

“The first day was eight and a half hours. I went back to my trailer and put my leg through the wall and told Ron Howard I couldn’t do the movie. [Producer, Brian Grazer] came up with a brilliant idea which was to hire a gentlemen who is trained to teach CIA operatives how to endure torture. That’s how I got through The Grinch […] It was horrifying, I was just like ‘it’s for the kids.’ […] I did the make-up 100 times.”

It takes a certain level of dedication to endure a level of torture like being buried under layers and layers of yak hair every day for hours on end. But this does not reflect in Carrey’s performance what-so-ever. He maintains the level of energy and physicality we are used to seeing from Jim Carrey despite the layers of make-up. This is truly what revitalized the film.

Related: Jim Carrey Fans Outraged at The Grinch Being Called a Terrible Movie

Not only does Jim Carrey’s performance shine, the film also embodies the spirit of Christmas. Its theme emphasizes what the holidays are truly about, family. That is ultimately the outstanding factor that makes it a part of the tradition of holiday cinema. While the technical elements, from writing and cinematography, are a bit unorthodox, it does teach that Christmas is not about toys or tangibles, it is about the spirit and spending the day with those you love… and those who truly need it most.

Christmas with the Grinch

Universal Pictures

In addition to the growing success of the film over the past few years, The Grinch has made himself an icon in Universal theme parks. Perhaps the beauty of commercialism does benefit the film’s relevance in this capacity. Throughout the holiday season, guests of Universal’s theme parks will line up by the hundreds to take a photo and be insulted by The Grinch himself. Thanks to the growing age of social media apps like Instagram and TikTok, The Grinch gets more famous by the day. His videos and interactions with guests have gone viral, which helps boost his relevance with younger viewers whose parents may have seen the film at its debut.

How The Grinch Stole Christmas is not a perfect film by any means, but it maintains the spirit of Christmas and offers something new to viewers of all ages. There have been a few versions of the film, including the newest animated film by Illumination starring Benedict Cumberbatch and the original starring Boris Karloff. But Jim Carrey’s film has maintained a relevance that overshadows the others.