Synopsis

The Grinch, a bitter green recluse living above Whoville, despises the town's noisy Christmas celebrations. Determined to stop the holiday, he disguises himself as Santa Claus and steals the Whos' decorations, gifts, and feast. But Cindy Lou Who's kindness and the Whos' response to his theft force the Grinch to reconsider what Christmas truly means.

Factoids & Trivia

• The film's full title is How the Grinch Stole Christmas, although it is commonly called The Grinch. It was released in the United States on November 17, 2000.

• It was the first live-action feature film based on one of Dr. Seuss' books.

• Rick Baker and Gail Ryan won the Academy Award for Makeup for transforming Jim Carrey into the Grinch and creating the film's various Who looks.

• The Grinch makeup was especially demanding. The regular application reportedly took about two hours, followed by roughly an hour to remove it. Carrey later described the experience as extremely difficult.

• The scene in which the Grinch directs Max before beginning the Christmas theft originated with Carrey parodying the filmmaking style of the production's director. The improvised joke was kept in the finished film.

• Audrey Geisel, Dr. Seuss' widow and the representative responsible for protecting his literary legacy, reportedly supported Carrey as the choice for the title role.

• The film earned about $350 million worldwide against an estimated $123 million budget, making it one of the most commercially successful holiday films of its era.