The movie How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000) is celebrating its final year as a teenager as this review hits you. Ron Howard directed the story of Jim Carrey‘s irrepressible portrayal of an aggrieved Grinch who does not care for the holiday of Christmas.
(Left to right: Christine Baranski as Martha May Whovier, Jim Carrey as Grinch and Jeffrey Tambor as Mayor Augustus Maywho in How the Grinch Stole Christmas).
Christine Baranski as Martha May Whovier and Jeffrey Tambor as Mayor Augustus Maywho are story embellishments for How the Grinch Stole Christmas who join Jim Carrey as Grinch in depicting both the backstory for the Grinch in addition to some of the morality underpinning the story that is shared later in the film.
(Josh Ryan Evans as 8-year-old Grinch in How The Grinch Stole Christmas).
Glimpses into the collective childhoods of the Grinch, including Josh Ryan Evans in the role of 8-year-old Grinch, also gets into some difficult times in Grinch’s younger years that carry forward to the current day. Whovier and Maywho join the young Grinch in showing some uncomfortable qualities related to Grinch’s unique appearance.
(Bill Irwin as Lou Lou Who, left, and Taylor Momsen as Cindy Lou Who in How the Grinch Stole Christmas).
Cindy Lou Who, as protrayed by Taylor Momsen, serves as a key friend to Grinch with the ever loyal Max, as played by Kelley the dog. Bill Irwin plays Lou Lou Who, a mail delivery professional and father to Cindy, and alas a bit perplexed on the togetherness and spiritual qualities of Christmas that the film, as inspired by the Dr. Seuss book, ultimately strive to deliver.
(Kelley the dog as Max in How The Grinch Stole Christmas).
As mentioned earlier, Ron Howard serves as director for How the Grinch Stole Christmas. The story and presentation are ultimately family-friendly, lacking some of the more overtly sophomoric qualities of films such as Elf (2003) or National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989). My sense is that the Ron Howard adaptation with Jim Carrey starring as Grinch reflects well upon the original Seussian telling.
(Left to right: Producer Brian Grazer, Jim Carrey as Grinch and director Ron Howard from How The Grinch Stole Christmas).
Our view of How the Grinch Stole Christmas is largely positive. I grant the experience 4.25-stars on a scale of one-to-five.
Matt – Saturday, December 21, 2019
Matt Lynn Digital 