How the Case Stole Christmas (2000)
Christmas 2023 came and went, and there wasn’t anything we or any Grinch could do to stop it. And as the holidays come to a close, we thought it would be fitting to close out our season with an episode all about one of our holiday favorites: Ron Howard’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas! We’ve talked about this movie a couple times before, but we’ve never given it the whole episode treatment that it so rightfully deserves.
Dr. Suess is one of the most famous children’s authors of all time. His wacky plotlines, made-up words, and iconic illustrations made his books into bestsellers. It would be hard to find a kindergarten classroom without any reference to his work, whether it’s the ever popular Green Eggs and Ham, or the challenging Fox in Sox. Suess’ work was known to illustrate difficult topics in a simplistic way, a skill he perfected while working as a political cartoonist. He addressed racism in The Sneetches, environmentalism in The Lorax, and war in The Butter Battle Book. But possibly Suess’ most celebrated creation is the Grinch, a lonely outcast who watches the Whos of Whoville from his isolated mountain, despising Christmas.
Due to the story’s popularity, it seems only natural that a film based on How the Grinch Stole Christmas was inevitable. Dr. Suess was reluctant to turn any of his books into full-length films, but at the urging of longtime friend Tex Avery, he did agree to help produce the animated special of the same name. When Dr. Suess passed away in 1991, his widow acquired the rights to his stories. She was willing to let studios purchase the rights, with a few stipulations of course. Just 9 years later, The Grinch would make his unforgettable big screen debut.
So, strap on your antlers and let’s make our way down Mount Crumpit! It’s time to learn How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
Summary:
On the outskirts of Whoville, a creature known as the Grinch has been living in Mount Krumpit with his only friend and pet dog, Max. The Grinch has put himself in exile, due to his hatred of Christmas and all things merry. He devises a plot to steal Christmas by dressing up as Santa and taking everything from the Whos and dumping off the mountain. However, there is one Who in Whoville, Cindy Lou Who, that believes there is good in the Grinch. This is the year that she discovers if Christmas means a little bit more than gifts.
Making of
In the mid-1960s, when Christmas TV specials were at their peak (see Rudolph, Mr. Magoo, etc), animator Tex Avery directed How the Grinch Stole Christmas, a direct adaptation of the 1957 book by Theodor Suess Geisel (Dr. Suess). The program had very few changes from the book, the most notable being the color of the titular character, who was originally white with red eyes.
Avery and Suess had worked together in the past on wartime propaganda, and the animator was able to convince the author to write this special.
Suess said that he took inspiration from himself to create the character after he looked in the mirror on the day after Christmas and noticed how unhappy he looked. He hoped the story would help him rediscover something about Christmas that he had lost.
Suess wrote the lyrics to the now famous song “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch,” which was performed by Thurl Ravenscroft. The special was a massive success, and launched The Grinch to icon status.
For years after the initial program, The Grinch popped up in other made-for-TV movies like Halloween is Grinch Night and The Grinch Grinches the Cat in the Hat. But it wasn’t until 2000 that the first full-length film adaptation of a Dr. Suess book hit theaters.
Producer Brian Grazer, co-founder of the production company Imagine, really pushed for a full-length film centered around The Grinch. When it came time to decide on a director, the name Tim Burton was tossed around. Burton reportedly met with producers and had a darker vision for the film, but a scheduling conflict kept him from directing the movie. Of course, the other founder of Imagine, Ron Howard, would ultimately be the one to direct the film.
Howard had a very clear vision of what the film would be. He wanted it to be an adaptation of the original book AND an adaptation of the 1966 TV special. He also wanted the film to seem as much like a live-action cartoon than anything else. He even brought on animators to help storyboard, which added a lot of great visual gags to the film.
Much of the final vision of the film is owed to Don Peterman, the cinematographer. Peterman had worked with Ron Howard before, and they both wanted the film to have bold colors and an off-kilter vibe. The camerawork in the movie is quite aggressive, as the camera is constantly moving throughout the story. Don Peterman was the cinematographer for Men in Black and Flashdance as well as other films.
Filming occurred on eleven different sound stages in Universal studios. It took about 5 months to film the movie, during which Jim Carrey wore the Grinch costume 95 times.
The screenplay was written by the writer/producer duo of Peter S Seaman and Jeffrey Price. The pair also wrote Who Framed Roger Rabbit and Last Holiday.
Production designer Michael Corenblith did a lot of research about seussian architecture before designing the sets for How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
He discovered that Dr. Suess was a fan of the designs of architect Antoni Gaudi, and that his work had the same whimsical nature of Suess’ illustrations. So the buildings in Whoville are modeled after Gaudi’s work. Corenblith’s sets also didn’t have any right angles.
Every piece of the production was run through a “suess-a-meter,” meaning that all of it had to reflect the ideal image of a Dr. Suess story. This included the clouds and the trees.
Set decorator Meredith Boswell was nominated alongside Michael Corenblith for her work making the sets come to life with lots of color and imagination.
Property master Emily Ferry said that many of the objects in Whoville were created specifically for the movie from Bakelite and Celluloid. Some props were pieces found at thrift stores that had been taken apart to create something new.
Creating Whoville was a daunting task, and production considered using CGI to create most of it. But instead, they went with a mixture of practical and visual effects.
Digital Domain created the visual effects in the film, including the opening shot with 40,000 CGI trees.
Around the physical sets were blue screens so that digital matte paintings could be composited into the backdrop later on. There were over 600 special effects used in the film. In some shots, there were CG characters added to fill the space. One scene included 200 computer generated Whos with no live people.
The most important part of making Whoville into a real place was, of course, the Whos themselves! The sound stages were packed with actors that all had to attend special classes to learn how to be a Who. Circ Du Soleil performers appeared in the film to perform acrobatic stunts much like the ones that the Whos performed in the 1966 cartoon.
The make-up and prosthetics worn by the Whoville actors was created by the legendary special-effects make-up artist Rick Baker, who found it a challenge to design the look of the Whos. Even Dr. Suess himself wasn’t quite sure if the Whos were insects, animals, or humans. Baker did a lot of testing until he perfected the image of the Whos, humanoid creatures with some exaggerated features, like large ears and rounded noses.
Rick Baker knew that he didn’t want to put any actor through something that he hasn’t experienced himself. So, he tried the Grinch make-up on himself before putting it on Jim Carrey.
To start the make-up process, the skin was cleaned. Then, a protective coating was applied to preserve the skin. Appliances were then glued on with a medical adhesive, with each piece being glued on separately. Then, a special make-up type paint was used to make the skin the same color as the appliance. The artists used layers of color to make the final skintone appear more real. After that, the hair was applied.
Each of the Who characters had a foam rubber nose, except Cindy Lou, and some had fake ears and dentures.
Hairdresser Gail Ryan gave the Whos their over-the-top hair-dos. She drew up the designs for the wigs ahead of time.
Designer Rita Ryack was nominated for an Oscar for her costume designs in How the Grinch Stole Christmas. She also had a background in animation, which translated well to the wild and wacky clothing seen in the film, like the incredible eggnog hats that Cindy Lou Who’s family wears.
When Audrey Geisel agreed to let the filmmakers adapt her late husband’s book, she had some stipulations about the title character. She insisted on a big name, and she wanted to personally meet the actor before they were cast in the part.
While actors like Jack Nicholson and Eddie Murphy were briefly considered for the part, director Ron Howard always had Jim Carrey in mind.
Audrey met with Carrey while he was filming Man in the Moon, a biopic about comedian Andy Kaufman. Jim Carrey was deep in character as Andy, but he was able to pull off a convincing audition for Audrey, and she agreed to let him play the part.
Jim Carrey was a huge star in 2000, having starred in several hit films in the 90s. He not only brought star power and legitimacy to the role, he also contributed much of his own jokes.
Carrey sat through 8.5 hours of make-up and costume to transform into the green creature we see on screen. He likened the experience to being buried alive in prosthetics and yak hair. In an interview with Graham Norton, Jim Carrey revealed that he was incredibly uncomfortable and learned special techniques on how to withstand torture.
Carrey smoked as much as possible on set to help cope with the pain. He had to use a long cigarette holder so that his body suit wouldn’t catch fire.
Taylor Momsen was only eight years old when she played Cindy Lou Who. She had a good working relationship with Jim Carrey, as he also had a young daughter at the time and was great with kids. There wasn’t anything that Jim Carrey or the Grinch could do to scare Taylor, just like in the film.
Momsen went on to play Jenny Humpfreys in Gossip Girl, but she later left acting to start a music career. Her experience recording Where Are You Christmas for How the Grinch Stole Christmas was her first experience in a studio.
Christine Baranski played Martha May Whovier, the love interest for both the Grinch and the Whoville mayor.
She’s a prolific TV and film actor who has appeared on shows like The Good Wife, and The Big Bang Theory. She also appeared in Chicago and Mama Mia.
Jeffrey Tambor played Mayor Augustus May Who
Tambor is probably best known for playing George Bluth Sr. on Arrested Development.
The assistant to the self-centered and antagonistic Mayor was played by Ron Howard’s brother!
Josh Ryan Evans played the young version of the Grinch.
Evans was 18 at the time and was a terrific young actor that is most well known for being on the soap opera Passions. He unfortunately passed away in 2002 from complications caused by a congenital heart condition.
Former SNL comedian Molly Shannon played Betty Lou Who, Cindy Lou Who’s mother.
Just one year before How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Molly appeared in Superstar as the lead role. She’s also done a lot of voice work recently, including the show Bob's Burgers, where she plays Millie, Louise’s creepy frenemy.
Broadway actor Bill Irwin played Lou Lou Who, Cindy’s father.
Irwin is known for playing Mr. Noodle, a character that appears in the Elmo’s World segments of Sesame Street. He’s also had roles in Interstellar as well as Lady in the Water.
Acclaimed actor Anthony Hopkins narrated How the Grinch Stole Christmas. His voice has a similar tone to Boris Karloff, who narrated the original 1966 special, which gave the film a familiar feel.
Hopkins is an Oscar-winning actor known for roles in The Silence of the Lambs, and Westworld, as well as many more.
Music
Oscar-winning composer James Horner had the difficult task of balancing Jim Carrey’s hilarity with an emotive score. The stage where the score was recorded was close to the size of a basketball court. Horner’s crew decorated the stage with a beautiful tree with presents underneath. This is something Horner would do for his other movies, too. The team also decorated the stage when Horner composed the score for “The Perfect Storm” with ships and plastic diving figures.
Typically it took Horner about 6 weeks to write a film score. He would do this with pen and paper at a desk. When asked about it he said "I don't use a computer in writing at all. I'm sort of old-fashioned about it."
The sound of the Who’s instruments was very important to the story. In the original, the Grinch names off a list of fantastical music devices that the Whos use to make “noise noise noise!” Horner and his team created new instruments made of objects like plastic hoses to create the odd sounds that a Whoville band would have.
Lyricist Will Jennings, who also penned the lyrics for Titanic’s My Heart Will Go On, co-wrote Where Are You Christmas with James Horner and Mariah Carey. Some sources say that Mariah Carey was supposed to sing a longer version of the song to play on the soundtrack and during the film’s credits, but that her now-ex-husband worked at Sony and wouldn’t allow her to sing on a soundtrack for a competing studio. Mariah Carey’s official statement has always been that she didn’t have time to record the song. Taylor Momsen as Cindy Lou Who sings the song in the film, while country music artist Faith Hill sings the version playing in the credits.
Alongside the theatrical score, the soundtrack for the film included several songs written and recorded by popular artists of the day. Some of them appear in the film, like Christmas is Going to the Dogs by Eels. But some of the songs didn’t make it into the final cut of the movie, like Grinch 2000 performed by Busta Rhymes and Jim Carrey. If you’ve never heard it, you absolutely need to check it out, as well as the other songs on the soundtrack.
Reception
Upon its release, How The Grinch Stole Christmas did not do well critically. The film maintains a 49% on Rotten Tomatoes and two out of five stars from Roger Ebert. In his review he disliked the overall dark look of the film calling the red of the Santa suit even a grungy red. His opinion was that it was not much fun and he guessed that children would be confused and dislike the film. Other critics felt that the film was simply too adult. The two things that critics seemed to love were Jim Carrey’s performance, and James Horner’s score.
However, audiences seemed to share a different opinion. With a budget of roughly $123,000,000, the film made a worldwide gross of $346,524,444 during its theatrical run.
The film did win some awards, though. Rick Baker and Gail Rowell-Ryan won an Oscar, a BAFTA, a Saturn Award, and a Hollywood Make-up and Hair Stylist Guild Award for best hair and make-up! Rita Ryack won a Satellite Award and a Costume Designers Guild Award for best costume design. James Horner won an ASCAP Film and Television Music Award as well as a Saturn Award for the film’s score. But most importantly, Jim Carrey and How the Grinch Stole Christmas both took home Nickelodeon Kids Choice Award blimps for favorite actor and favorite movie, respectively.
Fun Facts
The film was a family affair as members of both Ron Howard and Brian Grazer appeared briefly in the film! Grazer’s brother is the yodeler and Howard’s father, wife, and daughter appear near the end of the film.
The film was mostly done in sequence!
In order to better understand what Jim Carrey was going through, Ron Howard sat through the entire make-up and costume process for one day of filming. Jim Carrey was reportedly upset when he saw Howard because he assumed it was a stunt double that looked nothing like him.
In one scene, the Grinch pulls away a tablecloth covered in dishes. He was supposed to make a big mess, but Jim Carrey pulled the cloth quickly enough that nothing on the table moved. Because of this, Jim Carrey came back to the table and knocked all the glasses over with his hands. This take is in the movie!
A shelter dog named Kelly is credited as playing Max, but six different dogs played the Grinch’s canine companion. The other dogs’ names were Chip, Topsy, Stella, Zelda, and Bo. Each dog had a special trick, like scooting along the ground. The dogs also had to wear fake floppy ears to appear like Max.
James (Jim) Ritz is the one who gets the Grinch breath in the face at the beginning. He is a dear friend of Ron Howard’s and was a writer for Happy Days.
At the London Premiere, Queen Elizabeth II herself appeared! The premiere was also a benefit for the Cinema and Television Benevolent Fund. It is now currently the Film and TV Charity.
Over twenty years later, How the Grinch Stole Christmas is just as popular–if not more–than it was upon its release. According to fan ratings and audience scores, people seem pretty divided on whether or not this is a good movie. We all know that nothing will ever top the original 1966 special, but this film never really tried to replace anything. Instead, it gave audiences something completely different and unexpected.
This version of Dr. Suess’ story is strange and visually darker than the original. It’s filled with references and jokes that might fly over a child’s head, but will definitely entertain adults. Jim Carrey brings out the relatability of the character, delivering incredibly quotable lines that remind us that there’s a little Grinch in all of us.
So, let us all wish you a Merry Grinchmas and a Happy Who Year!