What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that this imaginative version of Dr. Seuss' beloved classic may be too intense and scary for the youngest or most sensitive kids. Ominous music accompanies the Grinch and his cartoon trouble making in multiple scenes. Jim Carrey, behind a rubbery green face, is the master of cackles and distorted facial expressions. A heroic little girl is in danger more than once. Kids who understand the difference between the real and the fantastical will delight in the chaotic, very funny mayhem. So will grown-ups. There are a few moments of crude humor along the way (i.e., the Grinch sticks his butt out and says, "Pucker up and kiss it," and several males ogle a buxom woman).
- Families can talk about how this live-action movie differs from the beloved animated version made for TV. Which do you like better? Which seems truer to the original Dr. Seuss book?
- Families can also talk about why it's so easy to forget the simple pleasures of the winter holidays, and how damaging it can be to peoples' feelings to tease them about being different.
- The Grinch often does things that he thinks will make him feel better, but they don't seems to work or help help him forget his loneliness. Why doesn't being bad feel as good as you might think it will?