That’s the main plot problem with the movie. The book is all about how these nice people got ready for Christmas, and the Grinch, (just to be a spiteful bastard and avoid the needless suffering he would no doubt have to endure by listening to their singing and joyful celebration), attempts to stop their Christmas by stealing their nice decorations and presents. Then, very simply, the Whos join hands and rejoyce anyway, since the holiday as never about presents and such to them (as the Grinch had wrongly assumed), but about being together, etc. Grinch realizes this, has an epiphiny, brings back the stuff, and they have a nice holiday (which they would have had regardless of his change of heart. HE is the character that changes, not the Whos.)
In the movie, the Who’s are greedy, commercialized people all caught up in buying and decorating (for competition, not spirit) and the Grinch has to show THEM the evil of their ways. He already knows that commercial Christmas is bogus- he has all their garbage and sees the evidence of it all the time. To me, that plot change twists the entire story away from it’s original concept too far.
Also, the fact that there is all this Grinch merchandise out just in time for Christmas makes me sick. Dr. Suess must be rolling over in his grave for his story to be interpreted so poorly (or rewritten so poorly) AND is being used to make some corporate entity rich. That’s just wrong.
And Visa connected with The Grinch? WTF?
(Imagine if the same was done for “The Lorax”? Only as a promo after the film, they could give away little plastic Lorax characters perched atop a piece of a protected variety of tree and covered with genuine spotted owl feathers.)
OMG! I haven’t seen that commercial and I hope I don’t! I entirely agree with you and Zette. And supposedly Mrs. Suess has total control of all Suessdom, so she must be the one to have let it happen!
I liked it. Saw it with my two girls (age 6 and 8) and they liked it, too. I laughed out loud quite a bit because of the subtle sarcasms. I would have preferred something less hokey for why the Grinch’s heart was 2 sizes too small, but overall I thought it was a pretty amusing story.
It reminded me a bit of Toy Story because there are 2 levels: one for kids and one for adults. (Okay, 3 levels, since I didn’t get the keys in the fishbowl reference.) Though TS and TS2 are better.
Lessee…I don’t think the film ends like that. I’m pretty sure the Whos sung without presents, the Grinch gave his little speech, THEN he gave the presents back. Just like in the book/cartoon.
And Visa doesn’t actually say Dr. Seuss’ name in the commercial, and that saying is near the beginning. (Notice they use “the holidays” instead of “Christmas” in the Visa ad. Is this the TV Political Correctness Police?)
I don’t care how the movie ends, that wasn’t my point. The commercial does say “just in case Dr. Suess was wrong”, and it was the tagline. The fact that you saw a commercial that wasn’t the one I’m talking about doesn’t mean I’m wrong.
Besides the Visa ad, there are the twenty to thirty dollar ads they were advertising in the paper the other day. Some very nasty people are trying to use a story about how Christmas shouldn’t be about money to make a lot of money at Christmas. Maybe you don’t see anything wrong with that.
Do you mean the original? I was going to jump in and say that it was narrated by Anthony Hopkins (who did an excellent job, by the way), but I see where you’re coming from now. My mistake.
The entire time though, Ray and I found quite a few simularities between The Grinch movie and Edward Scissorhands. My other friend even thought it was directed by Tim Burton until we set him straight.
This movie is not only a classic, but iconic. The kids don’t even understand the adult humor. I would know because I have watched this movie as a kid and also an adult. I honestly think your slut shaming of the Grinch is uncalled for. Just because you don’t enjoy sexual humor doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be in the movie. Dr. Seuss LOVED sexual humor and that is reflected throughout his various works, especially in Green Eggs and Ham. You are not the moral police. Thank you and good day.
The poster you’re addressing hasn’t been here since February, and you’re attacking opinions espoused literally 17 years ago. You apparently just joined us to share that? Xkcd was right.
Yes. In all honesty I just made an account this morning for the sole purpose of replying to something from 17 years ago. I was three years old in 2000.
I apologize for not being able to quote you in this post. I do not understand how this site works as it is not very user friendly.
I’m going to have to respectfully disagree with you Anyorangejuice. The Grinch was a very poorly made film from an innocent book made by a beloved children’s writer Theodor Seuss Geisel. There are overt themes of bestiality, kleptomania, alcoholism, unholy & premarital relations. This movie is one that should NOT be shown to children or it will lead them down a dark, dark path. I will pray for you Anyorangejuice…
