The Grinch: Every Easter Egg in Jim Carrey’s Christmas Movie
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How the Grinch Stole Christmas is a Christmas classic, but many viewers missed some of the film’s many Easter eggs and cameos on first viewing. Published in 2000, How the Grinch Stole Christmas was a big-budget live-action adaptation of the classic Christmas story of the same name by Dr. Seuss Starring Jim Carrey in the title role, the film saw director Ron Howard draw from both the original book and the 1966 adaptation by animation icon Chuck Jones in his account of the changing opinion of the anti-villain anti-Christmas.
Like many of Ron Howard’s films, How the Grinch Stole Christmas is a family film that has not only stood the test of time, but can also withstand repeated viewings. The film is full of Easter eggs and clever nods to the original book, the director’s real life, and the rest of Dr. Seuss, many of which will be missed by all but the most eagle-eyed viewers. first viewing Fortunately, the holiday season is a perfect excuse to revisit this classic and run through many How the Grinch Stole Christmas Easter eggs, clever jokes and subtle details sprinkled throughout its running time.
Whoville is a family town
Although the film is not as full of cameos as modern children’s films Spongebobdirector Ron Howard appears as Who during one of the How the Grinch Stole Christmas‘ many crowd scenes. Although he’s uncredited in the small role, he gets a line of dialogue himself, playing a concerned Whoville cop who screams as the Grinch grabs the mayor’s razor and begins his anarchic rampage through town . Meanwhile, the director’s daughter (and future Jurassic World star) Bryce Dallas Howard plays a shocked Who, while his brother Clint (a cult movie staple) plays Whobris. Howard has appeared in Christmas movies before, albeit to few viewers How the Grinch Stole Christmas he is likely to remember his role in the bloody horror Silent Night Deadly Night: Initiation. In addition to featuring Ron Howard’s family in cameos, How the Grinch Stole Christmas it is also dedicated to Howard’s beloved mother, who died shortly before the release and who “loved Christmas more,” according to the film’s epitaph.
The direction of the Grinch is a parody of Howard
During filming, skilled impressionist Jim Carrey amused himself one afternoon by taking Howard’s hat and doing an impromptu impersonation of the famous director. Howard himself was so amused that he threw in a scene of the Grinch directing his bewildered dog Max on how to be a reindeer, with Carrey’s gestures in the scene based on Howard’s real-life directing style . Interestingly, Tom Hanks is also able to do a pretty solid impersonation of the director he has worked with in rejected, and both his and Carrey’s versions of Howard share a handful of recognizable traits. While Howard may not be the most recognizable to the public, it’s clear that his quirks make Ron Howard stand out as a regular workplace gag on movie sets.
The Tablecloth
The scene where Carrey sets aside a tablecloth, successfully holds everything on the table in the process, and then throws everything on the floor, regardless of whether it’s written. Instead, like the iconic ending of Camp Sleepaway was created by chance, this classic How the Grinch Stole Christmas moment was improvised. The script simply called for Carrey’s Grinch to pull back the tablecloth and send him all balanced to the floor. No one, including Carrey himself, expected the actor to pull off the tablecloth shot, prompting Carrey’s quick improvisation as he swept it all to the floor.
The statues of Whoville
There are a couple of strange and inexplicable statues that appear in the Jim Carrey film that are subtle references to other Seuss works. The clock tower features an inexplicable statue of an elephant, but it’s not just any elephant – Seuss fans will recognize it as Horton, Seuss’ main character. Horton Hears A Whowhich later received an animated adaptation in 2008 from Blue Sky, the studio behind it The ice age. Meanwhile, the opening scene with the annual Cheer-mister nomination sees Howard’s camera pan to a strange statue sitting in the center of Whoville’s town square: a strange animal with its antlers twisted in a circle. This is another of the creations of Dr. Seuss, although another noticeably darker one. The statue is one of the titular “Thinks” of the iconic illustrations of Oh the thoughts you can thinkone of the many Seuss stories that have yet to receive a film adaptation.
Green Eggs and Ham
For a clearer reference to the famous work of Dr. Seuss Green Eggs and Ham, viewers need look no further than Cindy Lou Who’s dinner plate. In the final scenes of How the Grinch Stole Christmasthe adorable boy played by future gossip girl Star Taylor Momsen serves Max his serving of green eggs and ham, a dish that gives its title to one of Dr. Seuss Interestingly, Netflix has adapted Green Eggs and Ham (very, very loose), with its lively television Green Eggs and Ham series that debuts a year after Benedict Cumberbatch starred in an also animated Grinch movie in 2018. The Grinch.
The Key Party
Around the time of How the Grinch Stole ChristmasReleased in 2000, it was becoming an increasingly popular practice for filmmakers to place themselves in children’s films for adults to entertain them. A style first developed on television by icons like WB animaniacs, rugratsi Tiny Toon Adventuresthis process of seeing what adult jokes the creators could sneak past the censors was popularized in film by both Pixar and Dreamworks.
However, the practice proved controversial for the creators of How the Grinch Stole Christmas, who were warned by the studio to keep their additions of subversive humor to a minimum. Carrey and Howard obliged, self-censoring and cutting out any jokes and ad-libs they thought might be risqué, only to find out later that the studio inserted some punchlines without their approval. Carrey later admitted that he wished he could fight them in it. Several moments, such as flashbacks to the Grinch story, feature weird, out-of-place grown-up jokes that feel more appropriate for Ace Ventura or the mask than a Jim Carrey film for young audiences. When the Grinch’s parents miss their arrival, it’s not just because they’re throwing a holiday party. Judging by the unexpected close-up of keys being tossed in a bowl, they’re having a swinger’s party. It’s an odd touch, and given how often studios soften dark original scripts, it’s ironic that the producers added exactly the kind of awkward, raunchy joke that Carrey and Howard were warned not to add. How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
Grinch 2000’s biggest Easter egg is his legacy
While other live-action adaptations of Dr. Seuss (such as The cat in the hat) have failed, How the Grinch Stole Christmas has stood the test of time as a Christmas cult classic. While the 2018 animated film, The Grinch, is definitely better, Jim Carrey’s Grinch movie has enough humor for adults and kids to keep audiences of all ages invested. The proof is in the pudding when it comes to the box office numbers of Ron Howard’s film. How the Grinch Stole Christmas earned $345.8 million at the worldwide box office, making it a very profitable holiday film. Carrey’s performance as the grumpy grunt was a highlight of the film, and while not critically acclaimed, the film has maintained its status as a Christmas staple. It is true that this particular adaptation of the beloved tale of Dr. Seuss has exceeded all expectations and cemented itself with other holiday classics such as Christmas holidays, A Christmas storyand the many adaptations of A Christmas. So, the biggest Easter egg How the Grinch Stole Christmas is its lasting impact on the holiday season.
