One common complaint among many religious folk out there during the holiday season is how many of the so-called "Holiday Specials" fail to put any focus on what Christmas is all about - the birth of Jesus Christ. While that may be true, there are some specials that very subtly get across the point of what Christmas isn't. How The Grinch Stole Christmas is one of those specials.

Now, I'm not talking about the more recent live version of the Dr. Seuss classic. The best Grinch, in my opinion, is the original cartoon classic first seen on television way back in 1966.

The town of Whoville does Christmas in a big way. There are decorations galore. Tons of presents are under the tree. Everyone feasts like there's no tomorrow (and no calories). To top it off, everyone gathers together and sings.

As you might expect, all of this festivity causes quite a racket. There's a guy living up on a mountain overlooking the town who calls himself The Grinch. It's just him and his dog, Max, who seems unusually happy for living with this grumpy dude.

Now, The Grinch knows Christmas is coming, and he's gnashing his teeth at the thought of all that darn cheer. He gets it into his head that if he dresses up like Santa and takes all of the presents, decorations, and food down in Whoville and sends it off a cliff, he can stop Christmas from coming. He's basically going to go down there on Christmas Eve and clean everyone out.

Max thinks they are about to have fun, despite the fact that he's now got some sawed-off antlers attached to his head and is trying not to get run over by the Grinch's sled. All is going fine and the Grinch is clearing them out, until a tot by the name of Cindy Lou Who wakes up. Now, the Grinch is dressed like Santa and he has to answer her question:

Cindy Lou Who: Santie Claus, why? Why are you taking our Christmas tree, why?
Grinch: Why my sweet little tot ...there's a light on this tree that won't light on one side. So I'm taking it home to my work shop, my dear. I'll fix it up there, then I'll bring it back here.

It's only when he is up on the hill, about to push the sled over that it hits him. He hears all the Whos down in Whoville gathered together singing, despite the fact that they woke up to no present, no decorations, no food, even no logs for their fires! Christmas doesn't come from a store!

There's a good lesson here on what Christmas is about and it's presented in a way that's not heavy-handed and hitting people over the head with a message.

In fact, there are many ways those of us who celebrate Christmas can also learn from the story presented here. While people complain about hearing wishes of "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas" in department stores, will that stop Christmas from coming? No. The hotel I work at chooses not to decorate for Christmas (and man we have some awesome pines and spruces outside to decorate too), will that stop Christmas from coming? No. Just like the Whos down in Whoville, Christmas comes whether the decorations are up or not; whether people wish us "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Holidays".

The music is really good. Albert Hague (some of you might remember him from the television show Fame!) is the composer. From the background to the songs they are perfect. You're a Mean One Mister Grinch is hysterical and if you've never really listened to the lyrics you really should pay more attention. It is a pretty nasty song as they describe just how truly awful the Grinch is, but in a way that will have you singing along.

Humor is often at the expense of the Grinch's long-suffering pet dog, Max. His tail gets fed through a sewing machine and the sequence as they head down to Whoville while he's acting as a reindeer for the Grinch's sleigh is guaranteed to bring a smile to the Grinchiest amongst us. The way the Grinch pulls him down to talk to him as he's pondering just why the Whos down in Whoville are singing after he's taken all of their Christmas stuff is also pretty funny and memorable.

The classic animation is beautiful. The restoration for DVD is excellent as the lines are crisp and the movements of the characters very smooth. The colors are bright and vivid. This is particularly nice in the scenes with the decorations as they are rich with color. Sometimes the older style of animation doesn't get the credit it deserves in this age of computer generated animation, but watching the remaster of this classic is guaranteed to give you a new appreciation of what they once did so well by hand.

The narrator is Boris Karloff and he also voices the Grinch. His voice is excellent for both with the deep, gravelly tones. Directed by Chuck Jones, famous for those Warner Brothers cartoons many of us grew up loving, How The Grinch Stole Christmas has a familiar feel to it, although it doesn't quite encompass that style of storytelling and animation. Jones and "Dr. Seuss" - Theodor Geisel - had actually been friends and worked together since World War II.

This is a Christmas classic, and for good reason. There are a lot of us who should remember that Christmas doesn't come from a store, whether it's because we get caught up in the commercialization of the season, or we're so worried that someone wishing us "Happy Holidays" will have an impact on our Christmas.


SPECIAL FEATURES:

• Trivia
• Pencil Tests
• Who's Who in Whoville
• Song Selections
• Commentary with June Foray (Cindy Lou Who) and Phil Roman (animator)
• TNT's How the Grinch Stole Christmas Special Edition - the late Phil Hartman hosts this TNT Special
• Songs in the Key of Grinch Interviews


My Top Christmas Films:
http://www.epinions.com/content_4893876356

Other Christmas fare:

A Charlie Brown Christmas ~ A Christmas Carol ~ Christmas with the Simpsons ~ Elf ~ Home Alone ~ It's Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown ~ Joyeux Noel (Merry Christmas) ~ National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation ~ Nightmare Before Christmas ~ The Polar Express ~ Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer ~ Scrooged ~ The Simpsons: Christmas 2



© 2006 Patti Aliventi

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD