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Essential Christmas · 2000

How the Grinch Stole Christmas

88/100Festive FactorWhy it scores 88 ↓
UK certificate Parental Guidance105 min
Comedy · Family

Ron Howard's take is louder and ruder than the book it comes from, and stretching a slim story to feature…

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Plan this film night ↓Can the kids watch? ↓
Explore this film 11 sections

The CineClaus Christmas score

Festive Factor

Christmas, right to its heart.

Two paper elves inspect a miniature room with uneven stockings, a glowing fireplace, wrapped parcels and a round snowy window. A red bauble hangs above the model.

A little magic in the making.

Five ingredients make the Festive Factor.
Open an ingredient to find out more.

Christmas in the storyIt can't exist without Christmas.30/30

What we ask: Take Christmas out. Does the plot survive? Worth up to 30 of the 100 points.

A world dressed for ChristmasVisibly Christmas for effectively all of it.20/20

What we ask: How much of the running time is visibly Christmas? Worth up to 20 of the 100 points.

The little seasonal details8 of the 10 kinds of Christmas icon we count turn up on screen.12/15

What we ask: How many kinds of Christmas icon turn up on screen: trees, lights, snow, carols and the rest? Worth up to 15 of the 100 points.

A Christmas heartHow far the ending rests on goodwill, family and belief: entirely.20/20

What we ask: Does the ending depend on what Christmas means: goodwill, family, redemption, belief? Worth up to 20 of the 100 points.

A returning traditionA December regular (25,000+).6/15

What we ask: Is it actually watched at Christmas in the UK? Worth up to 15 of the 100 points.

72/100

Cosiness Rating Rating

Mostly warm in tone. Mild threat. A happy ending.

How we score →
What do these scores mean?

Festive Factor measures how Christmassy a film is. Five ingredients add up to 100: story (30), setting (20), seasonal details (15), emotional heart (20) and returning tradition (15).

Cosiness is a separate score for warmth of tone, sense of safety, visual comfort, a reassuring ending and how easily you can settle into it.

How the Festive Factor works →
Your next film night

Where to watch

United KingdomChecked

Apple TV

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Sky Store

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How the Grinch Stole Christmas · Rental and purchase cost extra, separately from membership.

Christmas on telly? Unconfirmed: no 2026 UK Christmas TV schedule is published yet, and past ITV airings have not been checked against a primary listing. No broadcast date is confirmed here; a past tradition isn’t tonight’s TV listing.

As an Amazon Associate, Cine Claus earns from qualifying purchases. Buying through a link helps pay for the site - it never changes a score.

Streaming changes constantly and we cannot promise it is still right - check the service before you settle in. Streaming availability information provided by Streaming Availability API by Movie of the Night (opens in a new tab). Sky and Rakuten TV data by JustWatch.

The story

About How the Grinch Stole Christmas

A furry green recluse lives in a mountain cave above a town that treats Christmas as a competitive shopping spree, and he loathes every bit of it. When a curious little girl starts asking why he became so bitter and tries to bring him into the festivities, the invitation goes badly wrong, so on Christmas Eve he disguises himself as Father Christmas and strips the town of its presents, decorations and dinners. What the townspeople do on Christmas morning instead forces him to think again.

The CineClaus verdict

Ron Howard's take is louder and ruder than the book it comes from, and stretching a slim story to feature length shows in a baggy middle. What holds it together is Jim Carrey under Rick Baker's Oscar-winning make-up, a performance so physical and so oddly sad that the snide early stretch earns its turnaround.

The town's shopping frenzy is played as satire, so parents get jokes of their own. A proper Christmas film, just a noisy one. Choose it over the later animated version for children old enough to enjoy a grump who is genuinely a bit frightening.

The family desk

Can the kids watch?

PG

Our take: six-year-olds and up should cope with this PG, though the snarling lead and a few frights can unsettle the very youngest, and much of the rude humour sails over small heads.

Content advice & accessibility
Our age guidance
Editorial, separate from the official PG certificate, and never looser than it.

Other versions of this story

Other versions of How the Grinch Stole Christmas

One story · 3 screen versions

  • 1957

    Another version

    How the Grinch Stole Christmas!

    1957

    Adapted from the 1957 picture book.

    Not in our catalogue yet
  • 1966

    Another version

    How the Grinch Stole Christmas

    1966

    Explore film : How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966)
  • 2000

    You’re here

    How the Grinch Stole Christmas

    2000

    You’re on this film’s page
The people behind the film

Cast and crew

The faces in front of the camera, and the people who brought the story to life.

Main cast

In billing order
Close-up photograph of a smiling man with short dark brown hair, wearing a dark jacket, at an evening event with purple lights behind him.Jim Carreyas Grinch
A blonde woman performing on stage in a black leather jacket, holding a microphone, her hair flung upward and lit in purple.Taylor Momsenas Little Cindy Lou-Who
Close photograph of a smiling bald man in tortoiseshell glasses, a dark jacket and a blue striped shirt, standing in front of a press backdrop.Jeffrey Tamboras Augustus May-Who
Close portrait of a smiling woman with a layered blonde bob, bright red lipstick and gold hoop earrings against a purple background.Christine Baranskias Martha May Who-vier
Close-up portrait of a smiling older man with swept grey hair, wearing a white open-collared shirt and dark jacket against a warm beige background.Bill Irwinas Lou Lou Who
Close photograph of a woman with shoulder-length auburn hair and a purple top, seated near a microphone against a plain grey background.Molly Shannonas Betty Lou Who
Head and shoulders photograph of a smiling older man with a full grey beard and tufts of grey hair, in a pale grey T-shirt against a light blue backdrop.Clint Howardas Whobris
Josh Ryan Evansas 8-Year-Old Grinch

Behind the camera

Directed by
Ron Howard
Original score
A smiling bearded man with tousled hair, wearing a light blue striped shirt under a green jacket, indoors.James Horner
Writing & production credits
Writers
Jeffrey Price
Peter S. Seaman
Producers
Brian Grazer
Ron Howard
Photo credits

Portraits via Wikimedia Commons, each under its own licence, approved for this page by a person. Sources and full photographer credits:

Jim Carrey · Ian Smith from London, England · Source image (opens in a new tab) · CC BY-SA 2.0 (opens in a new tab).

Taylor Momsen · RElaistpics · Source image (opens in a new tab) · CC BY-SA 4.0 (opens in a new tab).

Jeffrey Tambor · Red Carpet Report on Mingle Media TV · Source image (opens in a new tab) · CC BY-SA 2.0 (opens in a new tab).

Christine Baranski · iDominick · Source image (opens in a new tab) · CC BY 2.0 (opens in a new tab).

Bill Irwin · PhilipRomano · Source image (opens in a new tab) · CC BY-SA 4.0 (opens in a new tab).

Molly Shannon · Gage Skidmore · Source image (opens in a new tab) · CC BY-SA 3.0 (opens in a new tab).

Clint Howard · Super Festivals from Ft. Lauderdale, USA · Source image (opens in a new tab) · CC BY 2.0 (opens in a new tab).

Ron Howard · Jay Dixit · Source image (opens in a new tab) · CC BY-SA 4.0 (opens in a new tab).

James Horner · StarCards · Source image (opens in a new tab) · Public domain.

Keep the Christmas feeling

Music & soundtrack

That tune you recognised. That score you loved. Take a little of the film into the rest of your Christmas.

Every track on the soundtrack album, in album order.

Behind the music. James Horner composed the score.

About this music list

These are the songs and soundtrack we hold for the film, not a complete cue sheet, and they give no scene timings. Album track lists and durations come from MusicBrainz. Spotify and Apple Music links open the matched recordings; links marked Search open a search on that service. Album covers are each release's own, from the Cover Art Archive, credited under the cover.

Wikidata (composer) ↗ (opens in a new tab) Wikidata (soundtrack album) ↗ (opens in a new tab) MusicBrainz ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Step into the story

Filming locations

The real places behind How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Choose one to explore.

Find it on the mapUniversal Studios Hollywood

© OpenStreetMap contributors (opens in a new tab)

Open larger map ↗ (OpenStreetMap, opens in a new tab)

Map shows the selected place. Drag to explore; use + and − to zoom.

Photo credits & location sources

These are photographs of the places, not film stills. Dates vary; photographs do not show current conditions or guarantee access.

Universal Studios Hollywood · Ellie308 · Source image (opens in a new tab) · CC BY-SA 4.0 (opens in a new tab) · The Studio Tour archive (opens in a new tab)

Map pins mark the place, not a camera position or a route. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), including any pin positions read from OpenStreetMap.

A little more How the Grinch Stole Christmas

Film facts &
behind the scenes

For the fans who stay after the credits.

On set

The backlot village outlived the film by twenty years

The outdoor village was reused for the park's own seasonal event and shown on the Studio Tour until 2017. It was demolished in spring 2020 while the park was shut during the pandemic.

Read the story

Source: Inside Universal ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Movie magic

Rick Baker's makeup won the Oscar

Jim Carrey's full-face prosthetics were designed by Rick Baker, and the film won the Academy Award for Best Makeup. Baker has said that putting the makeup on took roughly two and a half hours each day.

Read the story

Source: The Studio Tour archive ↗ (opens in a new tab)

And at a glance

Releases and certificates
: In cinemas (US).
: In cinemas.
Awards
Won: Academy Awards 2001, Makeup.
Nominated: Academy Awards 2001, Art Direction.
Nominated: Academy Awards 2001, Costume Design.
Sources & a note on these facts

Each production story is linked to its source, in our own words. Ending details stay behind a spoiler reveal.

Gifts for film lovers · How the Grinch Stole Christmas

Something for the How the Grinch Stole Christmas fan

Little gifts for someone whose Christmas always includes How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

As an Amazon Associate, Cine Claus earns from qualifying purchases. Buying through a link helps pay for the site - it never changes a score.

For the fan who watches it every Christmas.Sold by the linked retailer

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Collections, stories & Christmas memories

Elsewhere on CineClaus

More places to find How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and a few good reasons to keep exploring.

In this collection

Best family Christmas films

How the Grinch Stole Christmas is in this collection

Explore the collection
Stay for another story.All collections · The Christmas Edit