Hello everyone! I promise this isn’t a preview of the typical content I plan to share on this blog, but I needed something to prime the pump, so please enjoy while more tech content makes it through the pipeline.
Dr. Seuss's book, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, is a cornerstone of both children's literature and Christmas lore. The book was originally published in 1957, but has since then spawned three different movies, each with their own interpretation of the original story. In this essay, I will walk you through a comparative analysis of the three different interpretations. I hope in the end I will convince you that the 2018 film, The Grinch by Illumination, is the superior Grinch adaptation.
My daughter Amelia has been a huge Grinch fan since she first read an abbreviated board-book version of the story. I have since then had ample interaction with that adaptation, the original picture-book version, and several different movie interpretations. I have also since then formed some strong opinions on the merits of each adaptation; specifically how each tackles the Grinch's backstory and the resolution of the conflict in the main plot. Excluded from this analysis is any consideration of how well any of the movies are executed upon as movies. That's a job best left up to the critics and reasonable persons may disagree on this point.
At a high level, all three movies follow the same basic structure. We learn of a people called the Whos, who live in Whoville. Christmas is culturally a very important holiday for them and great effort is expended in celebrating it. We are also introduced to a green, hairy creature called the Grinch who lives on Mount Crumpet, just north of Whoville. The Grinch does not like Christmas and despises the festivities. He resolves to stop Christmas from happening by donning a Santa Claus outfit and stealing all the gifts and decorations while the Whos sleep. On Christmas morning, as he is about to destroy his loot by pushing it off his mountain, he becomes aware of the Whos singing (and celebrating) nonetheless. Christmas comes all the same. This causes the Grinch to have a change of heart, understand the true meaning of Christmas, and return to Whoville to join in the festivities.
Diving in, the first movie adaptation was a 1966 direct-to-television adaptation of the book by CBS. This adaptation is very true to the original source material, both in terms of the animation style and plot (with only some minor, inconsequential deviations and room made for some musical numbers). For that reason, it also serves as a good baseline for my analysis. [1]
Like the book, the 1966 movie provides scant details on the origins of the Grinch. All that we know is he lives on Mount Crumpet, he hates the Whos, and most of all he hates Christmas. The narrator admits the reasons for this are unknown, and only suggests that most likely reason might be because "his heart is two sizes too small." The movie makes no effort to explain further. The two movie adaptations that followed were clearly not satisfied to leave it at that.
The 2000 film How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Universal Pictures does lead with the fact that the Grinch's heart is incorrectly sized, but the movie establishes a much more complex backstory for the character. The Grinch arrived in Whoville as an orphan. He was adopted and lovingly cared for by two women. However, in school is repeatedly bullied for his different appearance. While attempting to use Christmas to win the affections of his young love interest, further bullying by his classmates pushes him over the edge. He declares his hatred for Christmas and runs away from town to live as a recluse on Mount Crumpet, where he has been presumably living up to the present day.
Arguably the 2000 version provides the most consistent backstory for the Grinch (with the caveat that no adaptation offers an explanation for where the Grinch, adult or baby, really came from). The backstory explains both his disdain for the Whos, his loathing of the Christmas season, and his feelings toward presents.
The 2018 adaptation, The Grinch, by Illumination takes a similar approach as the 2000 version, with a slightly lighter touch. References are made to the Grinch living in an orphanage, feeling alone, and being left out of the Christmas activities. (He actually appears to be the only child in a very large orphanage, which is both confusing and sad.) No further details are provided on when or how he made it to his mountain retreat; and as for why, we're left to assume he never felt welcome in Who society.
The movies differ more in their depiction of the present day. The original 1966 version is again scant on details. We never actually see Who society outside of the Grinch's night time escapades and his eventual reconciliation with them at the end. The Grinch has some visions of how they celebrate the holiday, but it is not a very holistic view, and it isn't clear if this is reality or how he imagines it. What we do see are brief snapshots of festivities; children opening gifts, eating a feast, and lastly (and the least tolerated by the Grinch) singing carols are a group. They sing, and sing, and sing, and the more the Grinch thinks about it, the more he resolves to stop the whole thing. Lastly, it isn't clear how the Whos see the Grinch, or if they are even aware of him, until the end.
The 2000 film elaborates significantly on Whoville in the present day. The Who culture (at least as it pertains to Christmas) is deeply materialistic. Anticipation of Christmas revolves around shopping and decorating, with a significant flavor of competitions between Who families. The Whos are anxious about purchasing the right gifts, and how their outward appearances are perceived by other Whos.
In the 2000 film, we also see the relationship between the Grinch and the present-day Whos. He is generally feared and reviled by the Whos. Teenagers dare each other to visit his cave (where he is more than happy to play up his own infamy). He visits Whoville in disguise, and when he is recognized by a young girl, she reacts in fear. He does have a mailbox at the Whoville post office, but Whos remark with disdain that there are never any Christmas cards coming and going. When little Cindy Lou Who suggests that the Grinch be made the Holiday Cheermeister (because he most of all is in need of cheer), she knows it is a drastic act and it is not one without controversy. (The Grinch ultimately agrees to fulfill this role, and is briefly won over by the celebrations, but is ultimately reminded of past grievances, which is what motivates him to "steal" Christmas in this film.)
The 2018 film has a very different take; one that is much more optimistic. In the 2018 Whoville, we still see a Whoville that is infatuated with the Christmas season, and all the decorations and gifts it brings. It does, perhaps, at times even suffer from glimmers of the same tendency toward excess (e.g. the tree must be ten times bigger than last year). However, on the whole, the movie depicts a town which is much more balanced. The Whos are kind and cooperative. There is no competition. There is no one attempting to out do their neighbors.
As in the 2000 film, in the 2018 film the Grinch is shown interacting with the Whos. However, in the more recent film, the Whos do not appear to be afraid of the Grinch. He is greeted warmly and invited to participate in the festivities; it is only by his own and continual choice that he is excluded. The 2018 film goes so far as to depict a Who, living on the outskirts of town, that considers the Grinch to be his best friend (although the feeling does not appear to be mutual.)
To summarize, in the 2000 film, (regardless of who is to blame) there is mutual animosity between the Grinch and the citizens of Whoville, while in the 2018 film, the animosity is only in the Grinch's head.
Up to this point, both movies still present a coherent view (though one more negative and one more positive). The difference between the Grinch and Whoville interactions in the two later films, however, is crucial when evaluating how the story resolves in each.
This brings us to the main plot. For reasons which vary slightly between the films, the Grinch resolves to "steal" Christmas. In every movie, he dresses as Santa, sneaks into town at night, and takes all the gifts and decorations.
The 1966 and 2000 versions have the Grinch about to destroy his loot, when he hears the Whos singing. He realizes that Christmas came without "ribbons, tags, packages, boxes, or bags" and that therefore Christmas must mean something a little bit more. Upon this revelation, his heart grows three times in size, and he returns to Whoville with everything he stole. He is forgiven and joins in the festivities.
My main objection to the two early versions (and the gripe that motivated me to write this essay) is that his revelation is a complete non sequitur. At no point in either of the early two versions does it hint at the fact that the Grinch was upset or bitter because he thought Christmas was a purely materialistic holiday. Even in the 2000 film, where the Grinch is vocally critical of the materialistic nature of Who society, it was hardly his reason for becoming a recluse in the first place (which has more to do with how he was treated by his peers), so it isn't clear why this is the revelation that softens his heart.
The 2018 version of the film, however, provides a much more satisfying version of the ending, and it is preceded by an element that is unique to this film.
In the two earlier films, as in the book, the Grinch's efforts to steal Christmas are almost foiled when he is interrupted by a young Who, little Cindy Lou Who (who in the book and first movie, is no more than two, but is a bit older in the later two films). She asks why Santa is stealing the tree and he explains he is taking it back to his workshop to repair it.
In the more recent film, the pair have a more in depth interaction, where Cindy asks the Grinch (who she again believes to be Santa) if he can offer some reprieve to her overworked mother. Cindy also explains how happy and at peace she feels when the Whos all sing together on Christmas morning.
"Everyone should be happy, right?...I wish you could celebrate with us tomorrow. We all get together and sing. It's so beautiful that if you close your eyes and listen, all of your sadness just goes away."
This has no immediate impact on the Grinch's plot, but plants a seed for later.
In the 2018 film, the Grinch isn't swayed because he realizes stealing the gifts had no effect. His heart grows because he finally lets go of the animosity which lived inside himself.
As in the previous films, he climbs to the top of Mount Crumpet to dispose of the gifts, he hears the Whos singing. He looks through a spyglass and sees little Cindy singing with the rest of the Whos. However, it isn't some realization as to the meaning of Christmas that sways him. Rather, it is his decision in that moment to take a leap of faith in the little Who's advice:
As he watched the small girl, he thought he might melt.
If he did what she did, would he feel what she felt?
The luscious sound swelled, reaching up to the skies.
And the Grinch heard with his heart, and it tripled in size. [2]
As in the other films, he returns the gifts. But in this film, rather than immediately joining in the holiday celebrations, he meekly returns back to his lair. The final resolution comes when Cindy herself explains he has been forgiven and extends the invitation for him to celebrate with them, further confirming there was never really excluded.
In this version the materialism of the Whos and the attack upon it was tangential. The Grinch saw, despite his efforts to ruin the material aspects of Christmas, the Whos were still happy. His salvation came not from recognizing the true spirit of Christmas, but accepting an invitation to a moment of vulnerability. The Grinch experiences that which has been there and available to him all along.
This is a much better ending. In this latest film by Illumination, we are finally given a Grinch story with both a consistent back story and an ending that is satisfying both in the traditional sense, and also in how it reconciles with the conflict introduced earlier in the story.
In conclusion, the 2018 film The Grinch by Illumination is the only retelling of the traditional Grinchian lore that offers a consistent, intact plot, and a satisfactory ending. The original story, and 1966 movie adaptation, while no doubt classics, are riddled with inconsistencies. Both the 2000 and 2018 films get credit for providing credible backstories which at least provide a hint of character motivation. But it is only the 2018 film, over 50 years later, which finally gives us the fleshed out Grinch and Whoville universe that we have deserved all this time.
[1] It's also worth saying that if your personal criteria for "best" is "true to the original source," you can stop reading here because there is absolutely no contest on that point and I won't try to convince you otherwise.
[2] I've avoided remarking on the aesthetics of these films, but this is by far my favorite part of any Grinch film. I also appreciate Illumination's commitment in the latest film to writing new content in the Seussian style.