25th Anniversary of “How The Grinch Stole Christmas” Film!

Welcome to a SPECIAL EDITION of the Piece Of Advice Newsletter!

Good morning! Today is the 25th anniversary of the “How The Grinch Stole Christmas” film and to celebrate we are taking a look into its history! Two of the film’s production designers; Michael Corenblith and Lauren Polizzi, were nice enough to answer a few questions for me along with one of the film’s makeup artist’s Craig Reardon!

Twenty-five years ago, “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas” exploded onto the big screen in a whirlwind of green fur, off-kilter architecture, and Jim Carrey’s unhinged brilliance. Directed by Ron Howard and released on November 17, 2000, the live-action adaptation of the beloved Seuss classic faced a rocky road before filming even began. Audrey Geisel, Dr. Seuss’s widow and the fiercely protective gatekeeper of his legacy, demanded a record-setting deal before granting the rights; $5 million upfront and a hefty percentage of the profits. Carrey, still deep in character as Andy Kaufman at the time, and Howard met with her personally to win her over. Their pitch worked, setting in motion one of the most visually ambitious holiday films ever made.

At the heart of the movie’s unique look was production designer Michael Corenblith, whose work transformed Seuss’s surreal illustrations into a full-scale, functional Whoville. Drawing from a wide range of inspirations, including the visual depth of “Citizen Kane” and quirky 20th-century architecture, Corenblith led a massive team across eleven soundstages to construct the whimsical town and the towering Mount Crumpit. From swirling candy-cane streets to tilted rooftops, every inch of Whoville was designed to allow Howard to shoot in any direction without breaking the fantasy. The result was a world that felt both cartoonish and tactile; a key reason the film still holds up visually a quarter-century later.

Upon its release, the movie was met with mixed critical reviews but overwhelming audience support. It debuted with a massive $55.8 million opening weekend and ultimately raked in over $345 million worldwide. Jim Carrey’s transformative (and often improvised) performance earned praise for its commitment and manic energy, while the film won an Academy Award for Best Makeup and received nominations for Best Costume Design and Best Art Direction. Corenblith’s work in particular was recognized as one of the standout elements of the production, helping elevate the film from a simple adaptation to a visual event.

Today, “The Grinch” is a holiday staple, quoted endlessly and replayed every December across homes, theaters, and streaming platforms. Moments like the Holiday Cheermeister sequence and Carrey’s famously ad-libbed “I’m booked!” remain fan favorites, while rumors of a four-hour “Cheermeister Cut” continue to spark excitement online. More than just a holiday film, the 2000 Grinch is a testament to creative ambition; powered by a passionate team, a hesitant blessing from the Seuss estate, and the design genius of Michael Corenblith, who brought a classic book to life in ways no one had seen before.

Michael Corenblith:

Giancarlo: What does “How The Grinch Stole Christmas” mean to you?

Michael Corenblith: I agree with the viewpoint that Cindy-Lou Who brings to the film, as she sees the frantic materialism and competitive decorating as something to be questioned. It is not till after these have been stolen by the Grinch, that the true meaning of Christmas can be revealed.

Giancarlo: How does it feel to hear and see people love and embrace a film you were a huge part of?

Michael Corenblith: It was a great privilege to take the minimalistic  drawings that Seuss used to illustrate the text and extrapolate this into a complete world, that is now the “standard” way of depicting the story.

Giancarlo: What was your favorite thing or place you designed for the film?

Michael Corenblith: The town square of Whoville was the centerpiece, and using Seuss’s early work gave me license to bring in many different styles. There was no illustration of the Grinch’s cave, so I used the spiral of the Guggenheim Museum in New York but turned it upside down.

Lauren Polizzi:

Giancarlo: How does it feel to be a part of such a beloved Christmas film like “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”?

Lauren Polizzi: Well, it feels great, of course! But it’s funny, as I grew up with the animated GRINCH story, when I watch the Jim Carrey version it doesn’t quite hit home the same way. And it’s not that I don’t like it, it just doesn’t hold the same tradition for me. It resonates differently. Likely because I was there in the creation of it. I can watch it and remember standing in a certain place while a scene was being filmed, so it takes me out of the story when I watch it. Working in film will do that. It can be hard to watch something you worked on and separate yourself from the experience of having been there during filming. All that said, I’m very happy that everyone else enjoys it!  That’s always nice to hear. And my website page about THE GRINCH gets very busy as Christmas rolls near. I assume people are looking for - Grinch-y Christmas decorating ideas? Whatever it is, it’s gratifying to see there’s still so much interest in the film, and that I had a hand in it.

Giancarlo: Do you have a particular and personal favorite aspect about the film?

Lauren Polizzi: As usual, it’s the people I worked with that stand out the most. And working with Ron Howard was certainly a pleasure! He’s just like you’d imagine him to be - thoughtful, intelligent, considerate, low-key, kind, and a good leader. We also had a great Art Department, led by Production Designer Michael Corenblith, and he included us all in developing the look of the film. We had copies of just about all of Seuss’s books to refer to in terms of what colors to use and, well, define what makes a house or tree or person “Seuss-y”? That was both the fun part, and the tricky part. It’d be easy to veer off course, and into another realm; it all had to ring true to Seuss’s originals. We worked closely with Props, Set Decoration, VFX, and others to achieve the cohesive look that was needed. Everything for the film was either created from scratch, or “Seuss-ified” after purchase by our talented Construction, Property, and SPFX fabricators. Nothing “off-the-shelf" was used. Even the trees!

Giancarlo: Were you already a fan of the Grinch character/book?

Lauren Polizzi: Yes, indeed! I was very much a fan of the animated Christmas story, and of Seuss’s books growing up. HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS was a holiday favorite of mine right along with A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS and RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER. I watched those shows every year growing up.

Giancarlo: Any particular favorite story from working on the film?

Lauren Polizzi: There’s lots of stories. Too many to count! But one story does come to mind. We were notified that Jim Carrey “runs hot” (especially in that costume), so all the soundstages needed to be cooled to the point of seeing your breath when he was working. That takes more than just the normal AC system on stage, so additional AC units needed to be brought in. And they’re not small: 8x10x4 feet as I recall, and Whoville needed the most. We had to build more scenery at points around the perimeter of Whoville to mask them. And then off of those came multiples of long, colorful tubes to distribute the cool air into particular places.  These snaked all over the set and would often blend-in a little too well with the Seuss-y architecture. You had to have keen eye to pick them out on one of the video monitors, and then race to move them out of the shot. This became even more tricky when there were 3-6 cameras filming at the same time! I’m sure one or two made it into the film somewhere... Ah, good memories, good times.

Craig Reardon:

Giancarlo: What was it like working on “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”?

Craig Reardon: Well, in a way it was like a childhood dream come true! I was a big fan of the books of Dr. Seuss when I was a little boy. My mom gave me a copy of "Happy Birthday to You!" when it was newly published, somewhere around 1960 | think. It was Dr. Seuss's first book in color. He was just as good with color as he was with drawing and painting for black and white reproduction as in his earlier books. I think "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" was written earlier, though. Not much earlier, but it was largely in black and white. He had the great talent of economy in his drawing style and in his text. If anything I believe the movie stretched his little story a little too far. But the fact that you enjoyed it so much even with the elaborations added by other writers for the screenplay shows how durable Dr. Seuss's basic idea was. I loved the sets, which I thought did a great job capturing the look and feel of Dr. Seuss's wonderful and imaginative fantasy cities, towns, and villages. The Whos in Whoville were very cute but simple creatures in the book and if I remember rightly they were very sparsely attired, whereas the wardrobe and costume people went all out with the outfits worn by the Who villagers for the movie. The makeup work that we all did was not too far removed from Dr. Seuss's Who's, but luoeani sometimes felt that they all looked a bit like mice! Cute mice, but less like Dr. Seuss's Whos. But I thought that the realization of the Grinch himself was a very effective one and evoked the Dr. Seuss Grinch without copying it slavishly. That was the work of Rick Baker. I met Rick in 1969 when we were both teenagers. As interested in makeup as I was then, Rick was twice as keen on it. He was laser focused and very skilled already. All he wanted to do was to become the best makeup man in the world!

He did, too. When I met him he still lived at home with his parents, same as me. So I saw every step of his progress to the point where he became one of the most sought after makeup and costume specialists in the world by the movie industry. Rick and his staff put together a tremendous effort for this movie. All the special Who features had to be made in advance and in great quantity, so that there would be enough of them to supply the small army of makeup artists every morning for several weeks... adding up to months. There were also beautiful wigs and hairpieces prepared that were applied to the actors. An entire sound stage —the big buildings where they shoot movies indoors—was devoted to the makeup and hair people for "[How] the Grinch...". Rather than filming on it, they'd set up rows and rows of work tables with lights so that we could make up the dozens and dozens of performers in the morning there. We showed up every morning quite early and got straight to work to get all the actors and a lot of stunt people and dancers ready to be Whos for the shooting day. They would then go to wardrobe to get on their costumes. We would all then trek from the makeup and hair stage to the soundstage where they were shooting the movie that particular day. The stage which contained the big Who village was one of the very largest on the Universal Studios lot. Almost as big was the stage where they filmed the mountain where the Grinch lived, called Mount Crumpet I believe in the movie. (It had no name in the original book). And there were also sets of smaller stages for smaller environments and scenes. Up high on the lot they also built a portion of exterior (meaning, outdoor) sets for the film. I didn't personally work on that set because the characters I was assigned had no scenes there. I was basically assigned one of the "old biddies", the old lady Whos. They were both played by much younger women than they appear to be in the movie. I did the fat one and another makeup man did the skinny one. We all would also make up various people as Whos who did not have speaking parts, but would wander about in the big scenes as nondescript villagers. We all went to the stage to look after our own Whos, in case they may need repairs.

Makeups are not like buildings or automobiles, built to last! They don't just disintegrate, but they can become loose in places or otherwise require adjustments on the fly. So we all made sure that our assigned characters remained looking fresh and believable, even after the actors had had lunch.

Giancarlo: What does it mean to you to see and hear how beloved the “Grinch” film has become?

Craig Reardon: Well, it means a great deal. When I was young my favorite movies included the beautiful 1939 MGM version of "The Wizard of Oz". It was so well done that people, including young people, still enjoy it to this day. 86 years after it was made! It was made in a process called Technicolor, which gave the movie a gorgeous look. Today movies and TV shows are made with digital camera equipment, and it is capable of capturing beautiful imagery, no question. But in the 1930s color movies were very rare to see. I wasn't around yet then, myself! But my parents were, and they told me so. By the time I was a young boy many movies were made in color so the novelty of color had worn thinner, but also later color processes used for movies didn't always expend the care and craftsmanship of Technicolor. It was unique. I think however that the makers of "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" definitely tried to emphasize color as an element of fantasy and beauty. The huge cast of players for "The Wizard of Oz" was nearly matched by the number of players in "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" almost 60 years later, and the effort put in by ma the costume, hair and makeup departments were somewhat | ent comparable. So it was a VERY big show to do in the year 1999, when we worked on it, unusual even for movies made then.

Giancarlo: Are you completely satisfied with how the film turned out?

Craig Reardon: Well, as someone who simply worked on it and had no hand in planning it or setting it up, I will say that I think it's very well made, and with a one-of-a-kind performer like Jim Carrey playing the Grinch, they could hardly have done better. Carrey is capable of turning himself into a living cartoon character, and in Rick's makeup and costume he made the Grinch leap out of the book and onto the movie screen, little doubt about it. It was a lot of fun to watch him from the sidelines while his scenes were being filmed.

Piece Of Advice:

Giancarlo: What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

Michael Corenblith: It’s a Latin proverb that says: “If there’s no wind, row.” To me this has meant facing adversity through perseverance and working toward your goal despite challenges. The way to improve your circumstances is by taking action and responsibility.

Lauren Polizzi: I received two pieces of wonderful advice, and they're both about being interviewed for a job. "Know that the interviewer brought you in for a reason - they chose to meet you. And they did so hoping that you might be the one they want to hire. So they're starting with a positive attitude towards you". And, as importantly, "When you meet them (the interviewer), this may be the best you ever see them - that they're on their best behavior". This stuck with me when I was interviewed by the rudest producer l'd ever met. I knew immediately I didn't want the job - who'd want to deal with this guy every day? I could also tell by the look on his associate producer's face that he was embarrassed by this guy. I learned later that they hired and fired several designers on that show. I clearly dodged a bullet. All that said, I have worked with a couple people who have worked with a couple people who were great in the interview, and miserable in the office. But it's good advice, nonetheless!

Craig Reardon: I've actually received a lot of good advice over the years. Bear in mind that I'm 72 years old! But once I was young like you. I think I was insecure as a young person and in order to feel more secure I developed the habit of looking to myself. Now, as an old man, I wish I had tried harder to appreciate, in the sense of understand and apply, some of the advice I got. Therefore my best advice to you is to remain open to all kinds of input you may receive. You don't-in my opinion — have to follow it! But you should give it a trial in your own life, I think, or in lieu of that some consideration. Sometimes advice sounds like criticism, to a young person. Especially a shy or modest person. Such a person -and I was such a person.-is trying to become more brave, more independent, more secure. In the act of doing that he (or she for that matter, for all know) may be apt to block out what people have to say, simply out of that residual shyness or insecurity that he is trying to overcome! If so, things he might want to consider and might benefit from are apt to be ignored.

So rather than attempt to recall what I may have considered good advice either at the time or in hindsight, I would rather turn it into a piece of advice from me to you. Yes, pursue your own identity and you will ultimately derive confidence from your little successes and convictions. That is a worthy pursuit. However, remain open-always, and for your entire life-to any advice you're apt to be offered. Other people have had experience in areas you may not have had, or have other ideas that never occurred to you, and that experience and those ideas may be things that will impress and guide and help you. So don't be afraid of it, and never resent it, if it's offered in good faith.

Thank you for tuning in! We’ll catch you with another fun one soon!

-Giancarlo