“How the Grinch Stole Christmas!” is a Christmas classic that everyone loves. It originally was a book published in 1957 but was later made into a movie that aired in 1966. Then a live-action remake starring Jim Carrey was released in 2000.
No matter how old you are, this movie will put Christmas and the holiday season into a new perspective. I will admit, when I first saw this movie as a kid, the main point behind the movie went over my head. I did not get the theme or learn what I should have learned from it. Yes, part of the reason that it went over my head was that I was young, the other reason was that I, like the Whos, believed that Christmas was all about the presents. Throughout the movie, there are a handful of very important life lessons that everyone could be reminded of.
Don’t Judge Others Without Getting to Know Them
This important life lesson was taught by Cindy Lou Who. Though everyone in the town talked bad about Mr. Grinch, she did not make any assumptions about him. She made her own opinion of him based off of her interactions with him. If it was not for Cindy taking the time to get to know Mr. Grinch or realizing that there was a reason behind his hatred of Christmas, his heart would not have grown, and no one would know why he hated Christmas.
Words Can Hurt More Than Actions
This lesson was explained during a flashback and also required some reading between the lines. While in school, the Grinch has a crush on Martha May Whovier but his classmate, (Mayor) Augustus Maywho, also had a crush on her. Augustus was not going to watch the Grinch take the girl he liked, so he made nasty comments about the way the Grinch looked which lead to the Grinch trying to change his appearance. This didn’t end well and the next day in class Augustus, and the rest of the class made fun of the Grinch for his appearance and his gift for Martha. This is what led to the Grinch hating all of the Whos and Christmas. Augustus’ words along with everyone else’s in the class hurt the Grinch and affected him for most of his life
Christmas Is Not About Material Things
Another very important lesson taught by Cindy Lou Who. From the beginning of the movie, Cindy questions why they spend so much money and worry so much about buying gifts. She also wonders why her mom competes with the neighbors over the lights. She realizes from the beginning that all of that stuff isn’t what Christmas is about. On Christmas morning, after the Grinch stole everything, Cindy’s dad finally realizes what she had been trying to tell him all along, that Christmas shouldn’t be about the gifts you get or give but instead, it should be about the Christmas spirit and spending time with the important people in your life.
Everyone Deserves a Little Love
Though the Grinch was not the easiest person to love, if it wasn’t for Cindy taking the time to get to know the Grinch or loving him, he never would have changed. He never would have realized the true meaning of Christmas, and his heart never would have grown. Though he wasn’t the easiest person to love or wasn’t the most attractive person in Whoville, he still deserved and needed to be loved.
There are definitely more life lessons hidden throughout the movie, but these are some of the more prominent ones. I am a big fan of the 2000 Jim Carrey version, myself, but I always try to watch this movie every year. It doesn’t hurt to be reminded that gifts are not everything or to be reminded of the true meaning of Christmas. I highly suggest that no matter how old you are, take the time to watch at least one of the versions of this classic movie this year.