Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas (also known as The Grinch) is a 2000 live-action film from Universal Pictures and Imagine Entertainment, based on the 1957 book by Dr. Seuss. Because the film is based on a children's picture book, many additions had to be made to the storyline to bring it up to feature-length. Directed by Ron Howard, produced by Brian Grazer, and starring Jim Carrey in the title role, it is the first Dr. Seuss story made into a live-action film. The movie received mixed critical reaction but spent four weeks as the #1 film in the U.S., eventually earning $260 million at the US box office. The film airs on ABC Family un-cut with deleted scenes that partially didn't make it on to the DVD release.The Whos of Whoville love Christmas more than any other holiday, but the Grinch, a hairy, green creature living just north of Whoville, hates Christmas.
The Grinch lives with just his dog, Max, in a cave on Mt. Crumpit. He is haunted by unpleasant memories associated with the Christmas season, hence his having nothing to do with it. The Grinch is a childhood sweetheart of Martha May Whovier, but the mayor of Whoville, Augustus Maywho, has always been in competition with the Grinch for Martha's affections.
As a baby, the Grinch was brought up with a love for Christmas. When he was eight years old, he made an angel ornament as a gift for Martha. He was also worried Martha would dislike his facial hair. He shaves, but ends up cutting himself in several places. At school the next day, he is ridiculed and even the teacher can't help but laugh. This is what drives him into a deep hatred of Christmas.
Cindy Lou Who is a young Who who feels the true meaning of Christmas is lost, as she is overwhelmed by all of the commercial and materialistic commotion. She is fascinated with the Grinch and wants nothing more than to get him into the Christmas spirit again. She convinces the Grinch to participate in the Whos' Christmas festivities, tempting him with the fact that Martha May will attend, but Maywho publicly humiliates the Grinch by giving him an electric razor and proposing to Martha May. Furiously haunted by the past, the Grinch becomes angry, calling the Whos' Christmas stupid and saying the holiday is about nothing but greed. He returns to Mt. Crumpit and the Whos commence with a Grinchless Christmas.
On Christmas Eve, the Grinch plans to ruin the Whos' Christmas by means of burglary. To masquerade as Santa Claus, he fashions a rocket powered sleigh and a red and white hat and coat, using Max as his reindeer. He steals all of the Whos' Christmas presents and decorations. When he stumbles into Cindy Lou Who, she tells him (thinking he's Santa) to not forget the Grinch, as she thinks he's sweet. The Grinch is at first touched, but quickly refocuses on his plot. Once all of the houses are robbed, he has Max pull the sleigh up to the top of Mt. Crumpit, where he plans to dispose of all of the presents.
The Whos are at first miserable over what has happened, blaming Cindy Lou, but Cindy Lou's father convinces them that Christmas isn't all about gifts after all, and that they still have the Christmas Spirit - the one thing that doesn't come from a store. They sing at the arrival of Christmas, and the Grinch hears them echoing over the mountain. He is convinced that Christmas is something that can't be stolen, and his heart swells and he feels Christmas spirit at last. He realizes his stolen load is about to tumble off the mountain peak. At first he is unable to muster the strength to pull it back, but when he sees that Cindy Lou has climbed onto the sleigh, his worry for her saftey gives him the superhuman strength to lift the sleigh clear off the ground. He and Cindy Lou then bring the presents back to Whoville. The Grinch is accepted back into society and he himself carves the roast beast at Christmas dinner.
