How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000 film)

Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas is a 2000 American Christmas fantasy comedy film directed by Ron Howard, who also produced with Brian Grazer, from a screenplay by Jeffrey Price and Peter S. Seaman. Based on Dr. Seuss's 1957 children's book of the same name, this marked the first Dr. Seuss book to be adapted into a full-length feature film. It is the first live-action adaptation and the second adaptation of the book, following the 1966 animated TV special. Narrated by Anthony Hopkins, the film stars Jim Carrey as the eponymous character, with Jeffrey Tambor, Christine Baranski, Bill Irwin and Molly Shannon in supporting roles. The story revolves around the Grinch, a grumpy, green recluse living on Mount Crumpit, who despises Christmas and the joyful residents of Whoville and sets out to sabotage their holiday celebration.
Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas was released on November 17, 2000, by Universal Pictures. The film received mixed reviews from critics upon release, with praise for Carrey's performance and the film's visual effects, while its dark humor and tone were criticized. It emerged as a major commercial success at the box-office, grossing $347 million worldwide and spending four weeks as the top film in the U.S. It became the highest-grossing film of 2000 domestically and the sixth-highest grossing film of 2000 worldwide. It is on the second highest-grossing holiday film of all time behind Home Alone (1990), until it was surpassed by the 2018 animated version of The Grinch produced by Universal's Illumination animation division.
At the 73rd Academy Awards, How the Grinch Stole Christmas won Best Makeup and Hairstyling, in addition to earning nominations for Best Production Design and Best Costume Design. Carrey's performance earned him a nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy.
As the Whos of Whoville prepare for their beloved Christmas celebrations, the Grinch, a bitter and misanthropic green creature who resides in a cave on Mount Crumpit, despises the holiday and plans to ruin it. Six-year-old Cindy Lou Who, disillusioned by the town's obsession with the materialistic aspects of Christmas, has a chance encounter with the Grinch at the Whoville post office, where he reluctantly saves her after she falls into a mail-sorting machine.
Wishing to learn why the supposedly-evil Grinch saved her, Cindy makes inquiries and learns from the townspeople that the orphaned Grinch was raised by two elderly female Whos. While in school, the Grinch and his classmate Martha May Whovier had mutual crushes on each other. Class bully Augustus MayWho, who was also interested in Martha, told the Grinch that Martha would never like him because of his hairy face. The Grinch tried shaving with an electric razor just before the class Christmas Party, but cut himself numerous times. When Augustus, the teacher and every other classmate but Martha laughed at the result, the Grinch snapped, declared his hatred of Christmas, and fled to Mount Crumpit.
Determined to try to make things right, Cindy nominates the Grinch as the town's Holiday Cheermeister; the townsfolk agree, but Augustus, who is now the Mayor, strongly objects. Cindy personally travels to Mount Crumpit to invite the Grinch, who is reluctantly persuaded to come after he learns Martha will be there. At the ceremony, the Grinch participates in various events and greatly enjoys himself, until Mayor MayWho gives him an electric razor as a present, deliberately reminding him of his unhappy childhood. To further humiliate the Grinch, Mayor MayWho proposes to Martha in front of everyone, offering her a new car as an engagement gift. The Grinch furiously accuses the Whos of valuing Christmas only for its materialism. He then shaves the mayor's head and lights the town's Christmas tree on fire before returning to his cave on Mount Crumpit.
Learning that the Whos have a spare tree and are still planning to celebrate, the Grinch hatches a plan to steal all the Whos' Christmas presents, decorations, and food while they sleep. Disguising himself as Santa Claus and dressing his dog Max as a reindeer, the Grinch descends into Whoville on a high-tech sleigh. He starts by sneaking into Cindy Lou Who's house. Cindy spots him, but mistakes him for Santa Claus, and the Grinch manages to convince her he is just taking the tree to the North Pole for repairs. After she goes to bed, the Grinch strips the entire town of its Christmas goods, stuffing everything into a giant sack and driving it to the top of Mount Crumpit.
On Christmas morning, the Whos wake up to discover the theft, much to their dismay. Mayor MayWho accuses Cindy of causing the Grinch to ruin Christmas, but her father, postmaster Lou Lou Who, defends her, reminding the town that Christmas is about more than gifts and decorations. Inspired by his words, the Whos come together, join hands, and begin singing Christmas carols, while Cindy once again sneaks off to Mount Crumpit to visit the Grinch.
As the Grinch prepares to push the sleigh full of stolen goods off the top of Mount Crumpit, he hears the Whos singing below and realizes that his plan has failed. Struck by the true meaning of Christmas, the Grinch's heart literally grows three sizes, and he is overcome with emotion. He then notices the sleigh is about to slip off the mountain into the gorge below, with Cindy sitting atop it. In an impressive feat of strength, the Grinch bodily lifts the sleigh, saving Cindy and the town's Christmas decor.
Returning to Whoville, the Grinch gives back the stolen goods and apologizes. He surrenders to the police, but they decide to pardon him, despite Mayor MayWho's objections. Martha May immediately returns Mayor MayWho's engagement ring and professes her love for the Grinch. After joining the Whos for more carol singing, the reformed Grinch allows the Whos to hold their traditional Christmas feast in his cave, personally carving and serving the Roast Beast.
Before his death in 1991, Dr. Seuss consistently declined offers to sell the film rights to his books. However, following his passing, his widow Audrey Geisel began entertaining several merchandising deals, including clothing lines, accessories, and CDs. In July 1998, her agents made a significant announcement: the film rights to How the Grinch Stole Christmas would be auctioned. The terms were stringent—suitors had to be willing to pay $5 million upfront, 4% of the box-office gross, 50% of merchandising revenue, 70% of book tie-in profits, and music-related income. In addition, any actor considered for the role of the Grinch had to be of a similar stature to Adam Sandler or Jim Carrey. Only directors or writers who had previously earned at least $1 million on a previous project were eligible to participate.
Several studios and filmmakers pitched their vision for the live-action Grinch. 20th Century Fox, with director Tom Shadyac and producers Dave Phillips and John Davis, pitched their version with Jack Nicholson in mind for the Grinch. The Farrelly brothers and John Hughes also submitted their own versions. Universal Pictures, represented by Brian Grazer and Gary Ross, also made a presentation, but all offers were initially rejected by Geisel. Grazer, however, enlisted his producing partner, Ron Howard, to join negotiations. Though Howard was initially uninterested in a live-action Grinch and was focused on adapting The Sea-Wolf, Grazer convinced him to visit Geisel for a pitch. While reviewing the book, Howard became intrigued by Cindy Lou Who's character and developed a vision for a film with an expanded role for her, a deeper portrayal of the Whos, and a more fleshed-out backstory for the Grinch.
In September 1998, Howard officially signed on to direct and co-produce the film, with Jim Carrey cast as the Grinch. John Stamos auditioned for the role, but backed out due to being allergic to prosthetics. It was later revealed that Universal Pictures paid $9 million for the rights to How the Grinch Stole Christmas and Oh, the Places You'll Go!. Before Howard's involvement, Tim Burton was approached to direct but turned down the offer due to a scheduling conflict with Sleepy Hollow.
The final screenplay, written by Jeffrey Price and Peter S. Seaman (known for Who Framed Roger Rabbit and Doc Hollywood), underwent eight drafts before reaching a final version. Audrey Geisel had significant control over the script, vetoing several jokes she found inappropriate, including one about a family called the "Who-steins" who lacked a Christmas tree and presents. Additionally, she rejected the inclusion of a stuffed trophy of The Cat in the Hat on the Grinch's wall. Alec Berg, David Mandel and Jeff Schaffer, writers from Seinfeld, contributed to an uncredited rewrite.
Principal photography for How the Grinch Stole Christmas took place from September 1999 to January 2000. Audrey Geisel, Dr. Seuss' widow, visited the set in October 1999. The majority of the Whoville set was constructed on the Universal Studios Backlot, located behind the iconic Bates Motel set from Psycho (1960). Rick Baker, the makeup artist, was responsible for designing and creating the prosthetic makeup for Jim Carrey and the rest of the cast. According to Baker on an episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, originally, "they wanted me to paint Jim Carrey green and that was it" but after leaking a test video of himself in Grinch-makeup, the studio agreed to Baker's version in the film. After several tests, Carrey was impressed by a photo of Baker's first makeup test, leading to the decision to use Baker's initial design. The Grinch costume was made of yak hair, dyed green, and sewn onto a spandex suit.
The makeup application process for Carrey took up to two and a half hours each day, and Carrey often compared wearing the costume to "being buried alive." In his frustration, he once kicked a hole in the wall of his trailer. Kazu Hiro, Carrey's makeup artist, recalled that Carrey was initially difficult to work with on set, often being irritable and disappearing during shoots. This led to significant production delays, with only three days' worth of footage being completed after two weeks of filming. Hiro eventually left the production, but after discussions with Ron Howard and Baker, Carrey agreed to control his temper, and Hiro returned to the set. To help Carrey cope with the grueling makeup process, producer Brian Grazer hired a consultant to train him in methods for "enduring torture".
Josh Ryan Evans, who portrayed the eight-year-old Grinch, wore the same type of makeup and bodysuit as Carrey. Over the course of filming, Carrey spent 92 days in Grinch makeup and eventually became more comfortable with the process. Most of the makeup appliances used for the actors were connected to their upper lips, along with prosthetic noses, ears, dentures, and wigs.
To keep Carrey's spirits up during production, Howard once donned a Grinch suit himself, and on another occasion, he invited actor Don Knotts to the set, knowing Carrey was a fan of Knotts' work. Carrey also wore uncomfortable yellow contact lenses for his portrayal of the Grinch, but due to the discomfort, many scenes required post-production digital alterations to color his eyes.
During one scene, where the Grinch is directing his dog, Max, Carrey improvised by mimicking Howard's directing style. Howard found the impression hilarious and decided to include the moment in the final cut of the film.
The film's visual effects were provided by Rhythm & Hues Studios (R&H) and Digital Domain, who crafted the CGI environments and characters.
In addition to the visual effects, the movie relied heavily on practical effects and extensive makeup to transform Jim Carrey into the Grinch. This involved hours of makeup application using pioneering techniques that allowed for flexibility in Carrey's facial expressions, enabling him to maintain his comedic timing and exaggerated movements despite the prosthetics.
The soundtrack for the album was released on November 7, 2000. It features a collection of music performed by several artists, including Busta Rhymes, Faith Hill, Eels, Smash Mouth, and NSYNC.
An expanded edition of the soundtrack featuring more cues from Horner's score was released on November 1, 2022 on La-La Land Records.
All song lengths via Apple Music.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas was first screened on November 8 at the Universal Amphitheatre to the cast and crew, as well as others in the industry, including Will Smith.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas was theatrically released by Universal Pictures in the United States and Canada on November 17, 2000. Then on November 23, 2000 it was released in Germany and one week later on November 30 it was released in Argentina, Australia, Malaysia and Netherlands. Later on December 1, 2000 the film received widespread release in The United Kingdom, Denmark, Spain, Finland, Greece, Ireland, Israel, Mexico, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Sweden, Uruguay and South Africa. Throughout December the film would also be released in France, Croatia, Chile, Hungary, Brazil, Japan, South Korea, Russia as well as others.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas was later re-released in Germany on November 15, 2001.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas premiered on television on ABC on November 25, 2004, and aired there until 2014 (with the exception of 2009). From 2010 to 2014, it was paired with the animated television special, airing annually as part of ABC Family's 25 Days of Christmas, which later became Freeform's event. During its airings, additional deleted scenes were featured that were not part of the original theatrical, VHS, or DVD releases. These included extended scenes such as Cindy's dad maxing out his credit card on gifts, Cindy inquiring about the Grinch before school, Lou visiting Cindy after she stayed late at school, and extended Grinch scenes in his cave and at the Christmas party. Other added content involved Martha May and Betty Lou competing in the Christmas Lights Contest in which it was won by Martha May, the Grinch trying on different outfits, and various moments showing the Whos preparing for Christmas.
Since 2015, How the Grinch Stole Christmas has aired on NBC on Christmas night, typically following the animated television special. However, it did not air in 2022 due to an NFL game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Arizona Cardinals. In 2020, it aired on FX to promote the television premiere of the 2018 animated film of The Grinch.
In Summer 2000, a trailer for How the Grinch Stole Christmas debuted in theaters, attached to screenings of Mission: Impossible 2. This was part of an agreement between Paramount Pictures and Universal Pictures, in which Paramount agreed to show the Grinch trailer in exchange for Universal screening a Paramount trailer in front of Nutty Professor II: The Klumps. A second trailer debuted on October 6, 2000, along with the release of Meet the Parents.
Simultaneously, Toys "R" Us launched a massive promotional campaign for the film, transforming their stores into "Whobilation Headquarters" with one of the most elaborate visual merchandising displays in the company's history. Stores featured floor-to-ceiling window graphics of the film's characters, and in some locations, 8-foot 3D Grinch-themed characters adorned the entrances. Wendy's also joined the promotion, offering kids meal toys featuring the Grinch. Additional promotional partners included Kellogg's, Nabisco, Hershey's, Visa, Coca-Cola and United States Postal Service.
To further coincide with the film's release, Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal's Islands of Adventure introduced Grinchmas, a holiday event that has since become an annual tradition at the theme parks.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas was released on VHS and DVD on November 20, 2001. In its first week of release, it sold a combined total of 8+1⁄2 million home video units, including three million DVDs and four million VHS copies, making it the best-selling holiday home video title at that time. The film became one of only four titles—alongside Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, Shrek and The Mummy Returns—to sell more than two million DVD copies during their opening weeks. It also achieved the distinction of being the second-highest opening week home video sales for any live-action film, following Titanic.
In December 2001, Variety reported that the film was the second-biggest selling home video release of the year, with 16.9 million copies sold and $296 million in revenue. A Blu-ray/DVD combo pack was released on October 13, 2009, followed by a digitally remastered Blu-ray release on October 13, 2015. The film was also remastered in 4K and released on Ultra HD Blu-ray on October 17, 2017.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas grossed $260 million domestically and $85.1 million in other territories, resulting in a worldwide gross of $345.1 million, making it the sixth-highest grossing film of 2000.
In the United States, the film debuted at #1 on its opening day, earning $15.6 million. Over the weekend, it grossed $55.1 million, with an average of $17,615 from 3,127 theaters. At the time of its release, it held the sixth-highest three-day opening weekend of any film, trailing behind Toy Story 2, X-Men, Mission: Impossible 2, Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace and The Lost World: Jurassic Park. Additionally, it surpassed Batman Forever to secure the largest opening weekend for a Jim Carrey film and set a new record for Ron Howard's highest-grossing opening weekend, overtaking Ransom (1996). The film became the first non-Disney film to top the Thanksgiving weekend box office since Mrs. Doubtfire in 1993. It held the record for the highest opening weekend for a Christmas-themed film for 18 years, until the 2018 animated version of The Grinch surpassed it with $67.6 million.
In its second weekend, the film grossed $52.1 million, dropping just 5.1%, setting a record for the highest-grossing second weekend for any film at that time, surpassing The Phantom Menace. It remained at the top of the box office for four weekends, until it was overtaken by What Women Want and Dude, Where's My Car? in mid-December. It continued to draw holiday crowds, outperforming another family film, The Emperor's New Groove. By then, it had surpassed Mission: Impossible 2 to become the top-grossing film of the year. The film ended its theatrical run on March 1, 2001, with a final domestic gross of $260,044,825. Box Office Mojo estimates that the film sold over 48.1 million tickets in North America.
On Rotten Tomatoes, How the Grinch Stole Christmas holds an approval rating of 49% based on 144 reviews with an average rating of 5.6/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Jim Carrey shines as the Grinch. Unfortunately, it's not enough to save this movie. You'd be better off watching the TV cartoon." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 46 out of 100 based on 29 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A−" on an A+ to F scale.
Roger Ebert gave the film two out of four stars, describing it as "a dank, eerie, weird movie about a sour creature" and noting that the production design lacked the festive brightness that the material required. Ebert remarked that Carrey "works as hard as an actor has ever worked in a movie, to small avail", but noted that adults might appreciate Carrey's effort "in an intellectual sort of way."
Paul Clinton of CNN highlighted Carrey's dominance in the film, stating that "Carrey was born to play this role" and adding that "if he's not in the scene, there is no scene". Similarly, Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly commented on the Grinch's "mischievously divided" personality and praised how Carrey's performance transitions from chaotic to heartfelt, concluding that Carrey "carreys the movie" [sic] by skillfully balancing his wild antics with a genuine emotional turn.
Peter Stack of the San Francisco Chronicle said, "Nobody could play the Grinch better than Jim Carrey, whose rubbery antics and maniacal sense of mischief are so well suited to How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Dr. Seuss himself might have turned to Carrey as a model for the classic curmudgeon had the actor been around in 1957." However, he wondered why Carrey "made himself sound like Sean Connery" and warned that the character's intensity may frighten small children. James Berardinelli of ReelViews wrote that Carrey's "off-the-wall performance is reminiscent of what he accomplished in The Mask, except that here he never allows the special effects to upstage him. Carrey's Grinch is a combination of Seuss's creation and Carrey's personality, with a voice that sounds far more like a weird amalgamation of Sean Connery and Jim Backus (Bond meets Magoo!) than it does Karloff." He concluded that Carrey "brings animation to the live action, and, surrounded by glittering, fantastical sets and computer-spun special effects, Carrey enables Ron Howard's version of the classic story to come across as more of a welcome endeavor than a pointless re-tread."
Other reviews were more mixed. Stephanie Zacharek of Salon criticized the film, writing that "Carrey pulls off an admirable impersonation of an animated figure ... It's fine as mimicry goes – but mimicry isn't the best playground for comic genius." While acknowledging a few "terrific ad-libs," she felt Carrey's jokes were "nothing more than a desperate effort to inject some offbeat humor into an otherwise numbingly unhip, nonsensical and just plain dull story."
Todd McCarthy of Variety echoed some of these sentiments, noting that Carrey "tries out all sorts of intonations, vocal pitches, and delivery styles" in his performance, at times reminding viewers of James Cagney and Humphrey Bogart. However, McCarthy felt that while Carrey's antics hit the mark at times, they also seemed "arbitrary and scattershot." He further commented that Carrey's "free-flowing tirades, full of catch-all allusions and references, are pitched for adult appreciation" and were likely to "sail right over the heads of pre-teens."
In December 2024, despite the widow's disapproval and prohibition over producing live-action adaptations of Seuss' works in the future, Carrey stated that he was open to reprising his role as the Grinch in a new film on the condition that he could portray The Grinch through motion capture technology, citing his "extremely excruciating" experience with makeup in the original film.