The Grinch (DVD 2001)

Most of us have grown up watching the half-hour animated version of the "Grinch" every year at Christmas time. The makers of this feature-length live-action version of the story starring Jim Carrey as the tiny-hearted villain were hoping that Grinch fans everywhere would want to see how it played out on the big screen. The box office numbers suggest they got exactly what they were looking for.

If you're not familiar with the story, you may just be a Grinch yourself. Briefly, it's about the Christmas-crazed town of Whoville and the attempts of their chief outcast-the mean, green, smelly, furry, garbage-collecting Mr. Grinch-to foil their Christmas spirit once and for all. His plans are thwarted, in turn, by the efforts of the unbearably cute Cindy Lou Who to coax the Grinch out of his mountain hideout and include him in the town's Christmas celebrations. Yes, it's a kid's movie. But it's attracting a large teen audience, mostly because of its star.

Carrey, unrecognizable in his Grinch costume, has described in interviews the agony of wearing the outfit. To resemble the character from Dr. Seuss' book, Carrey was squeezed into a suit covered with green yak fur from head to toe. He spent hours every day getting green make-up applied to his face and huge yellow contacts inserted in his eyes. The result is an amazing transformation.

As always, Carrey's manic energy and wild improvisation fill the screen. His Grinch sounds like a cross between Sean Connery and Carrey's version of the Joker from the Batman movie. But he also succeeds in capturing the spirit of the cartoon Grinch we all know and loved to hate. He plays the Grinch all the way over the top and back again-exactly as he should.

The real stars of "The Grinch," though, are the sets and props and make-up artists. The whole movie is an optical spectacle. Every prop, every head of hair, every toy-even the mountains and clouds-curl into crazy, pointy shapes. The bright colors, holiday trappings, snow, and narrow streets of the set make Whoville look like a cross between a ski resort and a life-size Candy Land game.

All the adults in Whoville have strangely turned up and bulbous noses to accompany their wildly shaped hair. For special events, they dress up in dinnerware, including full cups and saucers. They drive little convertibles and compete to see who can add the most Christmas lights to their little houses. (Not to be missed-the machine-gun Christmas-light applicator.)

There's not a lot of plot or meaningful acting going on in "The Grinch." It's more like a big, splashy, colorful Broadway musical (and don't be surprised when it shows up on a stage near you). But it's good fun, with a few big laughs worth talking about afterward.

The message isn't bad, either. Cindy Lou finally helps everyone realize that Christmas isn't just about presents and food and decorations. It's about loving and accepting people. Of course, Christians know that it's also about celebrating the birth of our Savior. We tend to make a big deal out of that.

But "The Grinch" really isn't about the message as much as it's about the fun. And making millions selling Grinch dolls to wrap and put under Christmas trees so we can all remember to love and accept each other. I can feel my heart growing just thinking about it.

By this time next year, your little brothers and sisters will be begging mom and dad to let them watch the Grinch video just one more time. And, chances are,you will.