The Polk Theater had a free screening of How the Grinch Stole Christmas with free hot chocolate and coffee. It’s in my top five Christmas films and it was the first time my daughter was able to see it on the big screen. Even though it has to add a lot to the source material to make it a feature, I’ve always enjoyed it. It’s crazy to think it’s been sixteen years since the film came out, but it’s still really enjoyable. How the Grinch Stole Christmas gets the Must See rating from me.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas is a family favorite
Based on the Dr. Seuss book, Cindy Lou Who (Taylor Momsen) looks to understand the real meaning of Christmas buried underneath the presents and sales. She looks to include the alienated Grinch, but he is apprehensive of the Who’s due to their history. After feeling slighted, the Grinch seeks revenge by stealing Christmas from them.
Jim Carrey’s so funny as the Grinch. I really love the moment he becomes Ron Howard and directs the dog as Rudolph. Carrey is basically just doing his normal shtick dressed in a hairy green suit, but that has never been a problem for me. In fact, his version of the Grinch song is my favorite version of the song. Not the one with Busta Rhymes, but just Jim Carrey really getting into the words. When Cindy shows up to tell him about this award and he tries to scare her is still one of my favorite moments. The dance and chanting “danger,” still cracks me up every time I see it.
The story arc that is added to make the film feature length has such a positive message. Cindy wants to love Christmas like everyone else, but she sees the way they celebrate as off. She’s able to see past the commercialism and knows something is missing. This, of course, ties in with the lesson the Grinch learns in the book and animated short. That Christmas is more than presents and his stealing them won’t stop Christmas from coming. It’s a message that often gets lost in the real world, but one I try to remember every year. It’s easy to get hung up on gift giving, but ultimately I enjoy spending time with my wife and daughter. Seeing this movie yearly is a part of that process.
Final thoughts
If you’re like my family this movie gets regular rotation during the holiday season. It’s a film that seems to keep the lesson from the original story mixed with lots of extra comedy. This film also brought us a great soundtrack to throw in during the holidays in-between watches. If you skipped on this film for some reason, now’s a great time to give it a watch.
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