When tasked with finding a Christmas movie to watch with my sister on the night of Christmas Eve, The Grinch (2018) was the first thing that came to mind. The film brought back memories of the many laughs I let out while viewing it thanks to its light hearted and fun nature. However, when I rewatched the film the night before Christmas, I was left feeling mildly disappointed.
The movie was perfect for me as a kid because it lacked nuance. One of the most memorable things about our main character in all the Grinch movies is his unapologetic cruelty and bitterness. This allows for the moment when his heart triples in size to stand out more to viewers. However,in the animated film, the Grinch is portrayed as a more quirky and misunderstood character. He is never actively cruel towards others. This is demonstrated through how the Grinch treats his dog, Max, in the different versions of the film. In the Jim Carrey movie, we see his version of the Grinch being manipulative and verbally abusive to his dog, actively being unkind towards him. However, in Benedict Cumberbatch’s version, the Grinch views Max as his best friend, always considering his feelings and treating him gently. While the 2018 version of their relationship is more wholesome, it ultimately takes away from the story’s message. His nastiness towards Max shows the viewers his empty heart, and it allows us to feel and understand his moral change near the end of the film when he learns that Christmas is not about material things. This message is diluted in the newer version, as throughout the whole film we see the Grinch as an individual capable of kindness, someone who is good deep down, almost relatable in a sense. Therefore, his heart “tripling in size” feels misplaced, because the viewers think of him as misunderstood, not incredibly cruel and in need of serious redemption.
However, there were some aspects of the animated version that I did enjoy, like the soundtrack and special animated details. And despite the lack of substance, some themes in the film remained prominent, like isolation and the inability to deal with trauma, which both played into the idea that hurt people hurt people. Additionally, the character of Cindy-Lou emphasizes the importance of empathy, and how sometimes all we need to improve ourselves is someone reaching out.
