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THE GRINCH (PG)

Plot Summary: Adapted from a Dr. Seuss’ classic How the Grinch Stole Christmas, the Grinch--a fantasy Scrooge-like character--plots to steal Christmas from the eternally cheerful Whos of Whoville.

Reason for the Rating: Some crude humor.

Having eagerly watched How the Grinch Stole Christmas in its popular animated style every holiday season since childhood, I knew that this movie had rather large shoes to fill. True, Jim Carrey seems to be the likely choice to play the villain/hero, Grinch, with his acrobatic facial contortions and his vast array of voices. Nevertheless, I was a little nervous to see how much Hollywood would, or would not, corrupt this classic Christmas tale.

My first impression as the film began to roll was how much the set mirrored Dr. Seuss! It was as if his storybook came to life on the screen. And much to my delight, I discovered the plot to be about as close to the original as possible—with the exception of the parts added to make the film a feature length.

What I liked most about THE GRINCH were the underlying moral messages. I felt that the film emphasized two important rules for both children and adults alike to ponder this Christmas season—generosity and acceptance.

The conscience of the movie is little Cindy Lou Who (played with sweet innocence by Taylor Momsen). Cindy Lou is disillusioned about the materialism of Christmas as she watches her townspeople in a not-so-congenial frenzy over the gifts and gala. Little Cindy also has a heart of compassion for the mean Grinch who had been ridiculed and ostracized by his Whoville peers as a child (hence the roots of his aggressive bitterness).

Becoming the heroine of the story, Cindy Lou Who single-handedly convinces the town to repent of their greediness and their treatment of the Grinch. Eventually her brave stance brings reconciliation and generosity to all of Whoville.

Of course, no review of THE GRINCH can forget to mention the humor of the movie. Jim Carrey—a little tamer than his usual tendency toward crude—is perfect for the part, and extremely funny (especially in one scene where he’s trying hard—and failing—to scare a giggling Cindy Lou). But sorry, movie fans, no outtakes at the end.

FamilyFans.com Recommends: A holiday classic sure to make you laugh and even feel sorry for that large green beast. A great treat for the whole family.

After the Show…If members of your family choose to view this movie, use these questions to spark discussion about it afterward:

-- Was it fair for Whoville to treat the Grinch the way they did? Do you know anyone who is treated unfairly because of how they look or behave? Explain your answers.

-- What lessons did Whoville learn about Christmas? Why are those lessons important?

--What is the true meaning of Christmas? Why do you suppose the makers of this movie chose to leave out completely Christ’s involvement in the true meaning of Christmas?

--Stephanie Wodtke

MovieFact: Jim Carrey reported that the green contact lenses he had to wear for his Grinch costume were so painful, it was "like knives in my eyes." To help him deal with the discomfort, Carrey enlisted the help of a navy SEAL who taught him pain endurance techniques.

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Note: All movie-related graphics in this column are standard publicity/promotional shots and are owned by their respective movie studios.