EFL Movie Study Guide for:
The Grinch
from www.krigline.com www.krigline.com.cn
Story
Although the mean,
green Grinch lives far above Whoville, hating the Whos and their crazy
Christmas celebrations, little Cindy-Lou Who reaches out to welcome this
misunderstood creature. However, when the Grinch (dressed like Santa)
succeeds in stealing Christmas, EVERYONE learns a valuable lesson! (2000;
Oscar for makeup; Jim Carrey, Ron Howard [Dir]; Universal Pictures;
comedy, holiday classic; PG; 105 min)
Setting:
A make-believe land
inside a snowflake; the Grinch lives on Mt. Crumpit above the city of
Whoville, the home of the Whos.
Note 1:
Based on a story
by Dr. Seuss, who’s children’s books have been loved by American kids for
generations. The characters in the film resemble Seuss’ drawings. References
are also made to “rhyme” because Seuss's books were written in rhyme;
Seuss even made up many words so that they would rhyme with another
sentence. The movie (like Seuss’s books) uses “made up words” (I’ve marked
some on this page with an asterisk [*]. These non-words often sound like
real words or rhyme with real words, so keep this in mind if you can’t find
some of the words in a dictionary! Examples: who-venile delinquents
(juvenile delinquents); who-manity (humanity); boing-bounders (some kind of
toy)
Note 2:
To show us, in a funny way, that the Grinch is a terrible “whatever he is,”
the Grinch often distorts English idiomatic sayings. Examples: “We did our
best worst.” “That stench is terrible fantastic.” Likewise,
the song “You’re a mean one, Mr. Grinch” portrays him as a terrible monster.
The song has several phrases that non-native speakers might not understand,
but many Americans think this song is very funny (it also reminds us of the
classic “Grinch” cartoon we saw every year on TV while growing up)
Note 3:
The subtitles include a lot of terms for sounds, such as types of
laughter or the noises a dog makes. Here are some of them: barking, baying,
belching, blubbering, cackling, chuckling, fussing, gagging, gasping,
giggling, groaning, growling, grunting, moaning, panting, squealing,
whimpering, whining, whirring
People and proper nouns:
The Whos: the race of “people/creatures” who live in Whoville, and who love
Christmas
The Grinch: a green misfit “Who” who hates Christmas
Mt. Crumpit: where the Grinch lives (in a cave)
Whoville: the city where all the Whos live
Mayor Augustus May-Who: the political leader of Whoville
Lou Who (Dad): the postmaster
Cindy Lou Who: Lou’s daughter—who is searching for the meaning of Christmas
Martha-May Whovier: the “pretty lady” who the mayor wants to marry
Max: The Grinch’s dog
Nouns/verbs (vocabulary):
avarice: greed; the intense desire to get more and more money or expensive
things (negative term)
beard: facial hair under a man’s chin and from ear to ear (a moustache is
under one’s nose)
carols: a type of Christmas song
carolers: a group of people who go around singing Christmas songs (i.e.,
carols), often at shopping malls or door-to-door in a neighborhood,
hospital, etc.
caroling: to go out with a group of people to sing Christmas songs
commercialism: (negative) an overemphasis on making money instead of
selling quality products or focusing on the deeper meaning of
a holiday, birthday, etc.
crocodile: a large, dangerous reptile
with strong jaws, feared because it seems to come from nowhere and very
suddenly drowns its victims
to crush (1): a way to destroy something; you crush a drink can by squeezing
it and making it flat
a crush (2) “have a crush on sb”: to feel like you are in love (especially
as teenagers or children) and not sure that you want the other person to
know (See dialog 12)
to cuff sb: (AmE) to restrain a suspected criminal by putting metal rings
(called handcuffs) on his wrists
echo: repeated sound, like when you talk in a cave and your voice comes back
saying the same thing
fragile: easy to break
garbage: trash, rubbish; things people throw away because they don’t want
them or because they are broken
garbage dump: the place where a city puts collected trash
idiot: an offensive term to insult someone’s intelligence
jubilation: a season of joy and celebration (here, the Whos invent a holiday
called the Christmas Whobilation)
a judge: in a contest, the one who decides who or what is the best
to judge: to decide or form an opinion about sth/sb, based on facts or
objective information
jury duty: a period of time when you have to give your time to help a court
decide if sb has committed a crime (this is a responsibility for US
citizens, who are called to serve at random; most people don’t mind the idea
of helping, but it means that they will be away from their job, and
sometimes even away from their families for an unknown period of time)
to loathe: to hate very much
mangled: badly damaged, esp by crushing or twisting, such as in a car
accident
maniacal (laughing maniacally) : an offensive term meaning “like a mad/crazy
person”
mistletoe: a small green plant; at Christmas parties you are supposed to
kiss whoever is standing under this decoration (See dialog 17)
narrator: one who tells a story, or explains what you see during a movie or
documentary
to nominate: to officially offer someone’s name in hope that he/she will win
a contest, election, promotion, etc. (Mayor: “Do I hear a nomination for
Holiday Cheermeister*?” Cindy: “I nominate the Grinch!”)
panting: when sb. is out of breath, like after a race or exercise
sedative: a medicine that makes you sleepy, esp. if you are in pain
to shed: reference to when an animal loses its fur/hair in the spring (see
dialog 12)
razor: a device used to cut hair (on the face, head, legs, etc.)
a recluse: sb who chooses to live alone, away from society (usually a
negative term)
reindeer: a large, fast, four-footed animal that lives in cold areas; magic
reindeer are said to pull Santa’s sleigh on Christmas Eve
reprisals: strong consequences, esp. where someone returns evil for evil
(“It’s funny that Cindy didn’t rat on us; she must be afraid of reprisals.”)
rhyme: [vti] to end with the same sound, or to put words together that end
with the same sound
to scooch over: (AmE, informal) to move to one side so sb can also sit in
the same seat
snout: a long nose, esp. on some animals (like pigs)
squeeze: to press or force something into a small space (or into a smaller
form)
superfluous: excessive, wasteful, redundant and unnecessary (“Isn’t all of
this gift-buying a bit superfluous?” See dialog 5)
vacuum / vacuuming sound: a machine that cleans rugs by sucking up the dirt
/ the noise made by such a machine
Phrases/sayings
“Better check the outgoing.” : I had better listen to the outgoing greeting
that people hear when they call my phone number and connect to my answering
machine.
“Blast!”: a term used to show that you are annoyed or angry about sth or sb
“Give me a break!” : “This is unbelievable!” (used when something has
bothered you for a long time, or when something bad comes back that you
thought was gone)
“He got a pink slip”: (AmE) he got a notice saying that he lost his job (BrE:
“He was made redundant”)
“the most spectacular lights” : a reference to formal and informal
competition to decorate one’s house for Christmas
“That’s a good one!”: when positive, it means you liked someone’s
joke; when negative it is sarcastic, and means you don’t believe what
someone is saying
“What’s the deal?” : (rhetorical question) “I don’t understand how this
could happen!”
Sentences/dialogs from the movie:
(see below the “discussion” section)
Discussion:
1. Tell your partner why you think the Grinch was so mean, and why he hated
Christmas so much.
2. What do you think of Cindy Lou? If you didn’t know the end of the story,
would you have said she was foolish to go visit the Grinch, or brave, or
naive, or something else? Tell your partner why you think she did what she
did.
3. Most Whos thought Cindy should leave the Grinch alone, but she went
anyway. Tell your partner about a time when you (or a friend) did something
“against popular advice.” Did the situation turn out good or bad?
4. We saw a lot of people (or Whos) change during this story. See if you can
tell your partner about the changes in these Whos: the Grinch, Dad, Martha,
Mom (Betty, and her lights), the people of Whoville
5. In China, many people think of “Christmas” as a “new” or “western”
holiday; to them it is just a chance to get together with friends, have a
party, go to a bar, etc. Some people in the west think of Christmas as a
children’s holiday, or as a time when they need to buy or give a lot of
presents. Traditionally, Christmas is a religious holiday to celebrate God’s
“greatest gift” to the world: the miraculous birth of His son, Jesus Christ.
After seeing this film, what do you think “Christmas is all about”?
(For more information about Christmas, see these Christmas pages on our
website: the traditional Christmas story,
who is Santa (圣诞老人)?,
candy canes,
Christmas Perspectives (poem), and the pre-Christmas Advent season.
Also look for Christmas wallpaper
here. You'll also find movie study guides on this website for some
great holiday films: A
Snoopy/Charlie Brown Christmas, Last Holiday,
White Christmas, The
Grinch, Christmas Carol,
It's
a Wonderful Life)
Sentences/dialogs from the movie:
(there are more at also see http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0170016/quotes)
1. Narrator: Inside a snowflake like the one on your sleeve, there
happened a story you must see to believe.
2. Dad (Lou Lou Who): Let's see, we've got a muncle* for your uncle, a
fant* for your aunt and a fandpa* for your Cousin Leon. So we just need--
[he notices that his daughter is missing] Cindy Lou? Honey?
Cindy Lou [looking between about 10 presents she is carrying]: Dad?
Doesn’t this seem like a bit much?
Dad: This is what Christmas is all about! Can’t you feel it?
[We see a lot of crazy shoppers and decorators]
Narrator: Yes, every Who down in Whoville liked Christmas a lot, but
the Grinch, who lived just north of Whoville, did not.
3. [Stu and his friends are climbing Mt Crumpit]
Stu Lou Who: Drew, I'll race you! Last one to the top’s a stinky old
Grinch.
Sophie: You guys, where are we? I think we should go back.
Stu: What? You're scared of The Grinch!
Sophie: No!
Drew Lou Who [trying to scare his girlfriend]: They say he lives up
here in a big cave. And he only comes down when he’s hungry for the taste
of…Who flesh!
Junie: Oh, Drew!
Stu: You're scared of the Grinch! You're scared of The Grinch!
Sophie: Are not!
Stu: Are to! You're scared of...
[they come to the door, Stu and Drew look scared]
Junie: Come on, touch it. Touch the door! Do it for me, Stu.
[Stu giggles nervously, and reaches for the door when a monster comes
out]
4. Narrator: The Grinch hated Christmas, the whole Christmas season.
Now please, don’t ask why. No one quite knows the reason.
It could be that his head wasn’t screwed on just right;
It could be, perhaps, that his shoes were too tight.
But I think that the most likely reason of all
May have been that his heart was two sizes too small.
5. Dad: Nothing beats Christmas, right?
Cindy: I guess.
Dad: You guess?
Cindy: It’s just that I look around at you and Mom and everyone
getting all kerbobbled.* Doesn’t this seem superfluous?
6. [after Lou’s sons say they had seen the Grinch]
Mayor May-Who: Lou, please tell me that your boys were not up on Mount
Crumpit, provoking the one creature within a billion bilometers* of here who
hates Christmas!
Dad [holding his sons’ mouths shut]: No sir, the boys didn’t see any
Grinch. I think they were up on the mountain playing with matches, or
defacing public property, or…
Mayor: Oh, well that's a relief. [then in a loud voice] All right, you
heard the man: there’s no Grinch problem here.
[Later, in the post office]
Cindy: But Dad, I just don’t understand something. Why won’t anyone
talk about the Grinch?
Dad: You kids and the Grinch! You see, Cindy, the Grinch is a Who who
always—Actually, not a Who; he’s more of a—
Cindy: A what?
Dad: Exactly, honey. And he’s a What who doesn’t like Christmas.
7. The Grinch [messing with peoples mail]: It’ll take them years to sort
this out. This is his and now it’s yours, and this hers and now it’s his!
And for the rest of you… Jury duty! Jury duty! Jury duty! Blackmail.
Pink slip. Chain letter. Eviction notice. Jury duty—
8. [Cindy meets the Grinch for the first time, in the back of the post
office where her dad works]
Cindy: You're the... the...
The Grinch [mimicking Cindy]: The... the... THE GRINCH!
[Cindy falls into a machine; Max bites the Grinch’s butt because he
isn’t going to help her]
The Grinch: Oh! Bleeding hearts of the world unite! [he reluctantly
reaches into the machine to save Cindy, and then takes his mask out of
Cindy’s hand] Give me that! Don't you know you're not suppose to take things
that don't belong to you? What's the matter with you, you some kind of wild
animal? Huh?
Cindy: Thanks for saving me.
The Grinch [screeching to a stop, with his fingers squeaking on the
glass door]: Saving you? Is that what you think I was doing? Wrong-o. I
merely noticed that you were improperly packaged, my dear. [grabs wrapping
paper and starts wrapping Cindy up] Hold still! [to his dog, Max] Max, pick
out a bow. [to Cindy] Can I use your finger for a second?
9. Dad [picking up the phone]: Hello? Is my Subzero Chillibrator* (i.e.,
refrigerator) running? I suppose.
The Grinch: Well then you better go catch it! [he laughs wildly, and
says to Max] Ah, that’s a good one! That is rich! Let’s go home. [they climb
into a “garbage tube” marked “Dump it to Crumpit,” which dumps them
up near their home on the Mt Crumpit; as they arrive, so does more trash]
Uck! What's that stench? It's fantastic. [the bag says “Hazardous waste”]
Max! Grab a bag. We’ll come back for the rest. Of course, when I say “we” I
mean “you.” It’s amazing what these Whos just throw away. Oh well. One man's
toxic sludge is another man's potpourri. [Max barks] I don't know, it's some
kind of soup.
10. The Grinch: Those Whos are hard to frazzle, Max. But, we did our worst,
and that's all that matters. At least I scared the bejeebles* out of that
little girl at the post office. She’ll be scarred for life, if we’re lucky.
11. The Grinch [talking to his telephone]: Any calls?
Grinch's Answering Machine: You have no messages.
The Grinch: Odd. Better check the outgoing.
[The Grinch listens to the message he put on the machine]: If you
utter so much as one syllable, I'll hunt you down and gut you like a fish!
If you'd like to fax me, press the star key.
The Grinch: Hmm. Hmm. I tell you Max, I don't know why I ever leave
this place. I've got all the company I need right here. [indicates himself,
then shouts] Hello!
Echo: Hello, hello, hello...?
The Grinch: How are you?
Echo: How are you... how are you... how are you...?
The Grinch: I asked you first.
Echo: I asked you first... first... first...
The Grinch: Oh, that's really mature, saying exactly what I
say.
Echo: ...Saying exactly what I say... what I say... what I say...
The Grinch: I'm an idiot!
Echo: You're an idiot... an idiot... in idiot...!
The Grinch [whispering]: All right, fine! I'm not talking to you
anymore. In fact, I'm going to whisper! So that by the time my voice
reverberates off the walls, and gets back to me, I won't be able to hear it.
Echo [after a pause]: You're an idiot... an idiot... an idiot!
The Grinch [eating a glass bottle]: Am I just eating because I'm
bored?
12. [Cindy is talking to Whos about the Grinch’s childhood]
Mayor May-Who: If the truth be told, he liked Martha. Martha was my
girlfriend…. He had hair (a beard). Not pleasant. He shed. Not
right.
Martha May Whovier: Did I have a crush on the Grinch? Of course
not.
Cindy: I didn't ask you that.
13. [in a flash back to childhood, we see that the Grinch made a gift for
Martha and tried to shave, but he cut his face with the razor. Then
the other children—led by the future mayor—laughed at him, so he started
destroying the classroom.]
The child Grinch [holding a Christmas tree over his head]: I hate
Christmas!
Mayor May-Who [remembering that day]: The anger.
Shoe-shiner: The fury.
Martha: The muscles… It was a horrible day, when they were so cruel to
him. And, I could hardly bear it. And that was the last time we ever saw
him. The very, last time.
Narrator: So, whatever the reason, his heart of his shoes,
He stood outside his cave, hating the Whos.
The Grinch: [hating the Whos “alphabetically” by looking at a phone
index] Hate, hate, hate. Hate, hate, hate. Double Hate. Loathe
entirely!
14. The Grinch [when he finds himself singing Christmas songs]: Blast
this Christmas music. It's joyful and triumphant. Must drown them out! It’s
not working…
15. Cindy: Mr. Grinch, I came to invite you to be Holiday Cheermeister.
The Grinch: Uh, “Holiday Whoobie-whaty*”?
Cindy: Cheermeister.
The Grinch [laughing loudly]: That’s a good one!
Cindy: I know you hate Christmas, but what if it’s all just a
misunderstanding? I mean, I myself am having some Yuletide doubts. But maybe
if you can reunite with the Whos and be a part of Christmas…
The Grinch [angry]: Grow up!
Cindy: …then maybe it’ll be all right for me, too! Please. You have to
accept the award.
The Grinch: Award? You never mentioned an award!
Cindy: Yeah, with a trophy and everything!
The Grinch: And I won?
Cindy: You won!
The Grinch: That means there were losers. A town full of losers! I
like it! Was anyone emotionally shattered?
Cindy: Well, the Mayor wasn’t happy... [smiling] Martha May will be
there!
The Grinch: Oh, she will? And she’ll see me: a winner.
Cindy: So, will you come?
The Grinch: Oh, all right.
16. The Grinch: The nerve of those Whos. Inviting me down there on such
short notice. Even if I wanted to go my schedule wouldn't allow it. Four
o'clock, wallow in self pity; 4:30, stare into the abyss; 5:00, solve world
hunger, tell no one. 5:30, jazzercize. 6:30, dinner with me. I can't cancel
that again. 7:00, wrestle with my self-loathing. I'm booked! [i.e.,
I have no spare time] Of course, if I bump the loathing to 9 I could
still be done in time to lay in bed, stare at the ceiling and slip slowly
into madness. But what would I wear?
17. Mayor May-Who [asking Martha to marry him]: And now I have a little
something for the love of my life. Martha May, please become Mrs. Augustus
May-Who. If you agree to be my wife, along with a lifetime supply of
happiness, you’ll also receive this: It’s a new car! Generously provided by
the taxpayers of Whoville. What do you say, Martha?
Martha: Ah… These gifts are quite dazzling…
The Grinch: Of course they are. That's what it's all about, isn't it?
That's what it's always been about. Gifts, gifts... gifts, gifts,
gifts, gifts, gifts. You wanna know what happens to your gifts? They all
come to me. In your garbage. You see what I'm saying? In your
garbage. I could hang myself with all the bad Christmas neckties I found
at the dump. And the avarice... The avarice never ends! "I want golf
clubs. I want diamonds. I want a pony so I can ride it twice, get bored and
sell it to make glue." Look, I don't wanna make waves, but this whole
Christmas season is… stupid, stupid, stupid! There is, however, one
teeny-tiny Christmas tradition I find quite meaningful. [he takes some
mistletoe from Martha’s gift] Mistletoe! Now, pucker up and kiss it,
Whoville! [he puts mistletoe up to his butt, thereby inviting the Whos to
“kiss his behind”; then he shaves the Mayor’s head and destroys the town’s
Christmas tree] Oh, the Whomanity*! [then he starts to leave; a taxi refuses
to pick him up] It's because I'm green isn't it? [so, he stops a tiny car]
Evening, folks. Mind if I squeeze in? [starts to sit on the car] You
might want to scooch over. [the Whos run away] You did the right
thing.
18. Narrator [talking about what would happen the next morning]:
Then Whos young and old would sit down to a feast,
And they will feast, and they will feast.
The Grinch (continuing the narrator’s poem):
And they'll feast, feast, feast, feast.
They'll eat their Who-Pudding and rare Who roast beast.
But there's something I just cannot stand in least...
Oh no. I'm speaking in rhyme! Aah! Blast you Whos!
Narrator: And the more the Grinch thought of what Christmas would
bring,
the more the Grinch thought—
The Grinch: I must stop this whole thing.
Why, for year after year I’ve put up with it now!
I must stop the Christmas from coming... but how? [he gasps
because he’s speaking in rhyme again] I mean - in what way? Aah! [he goes
inside and finds Max dancing] Are you having a holly, jolly Christmas?
Wrong-o! [he throws Max out the door, which leads to the idea of dressing
like Santa (also called “Saint Nick”) and going down to “steal” Christmas]
19. Narrator [when the Grinch discovers that he “forgot about the
reindeer”]:
Did that stop the old Grinch? No! The Grinch simply said,
“If I can’t find a reindeer, I’ll make one instead!”
So he called his dog, Max, then he took some red thread,
And tied a big horn on top of his head.
20. The Grinch [pretending to be his director, Ron Howard]: All right,
you're a reindeer. Here's your motivation: Your name is Rudolph,
you're a freak with a red nose, and no one likes you. Then, one day, Santa
picks you and you save Christmas. No, forget that part. We'll improvise...
just keep it kind of loosey-goosey. You HATE Christmas! You're gonna steal
it. Saving Christmas is a lousy ending, way too commercial. ACTION! [Max
knocks the red nose off] BRILLIANT! You reject your own nose because it
represents the glitter of commercialism. Why didn't I think of that?
Cut, print, check the gate, moving on.
21. The Grinch: We’re going to die! I'm going to throw up, and then I'm
going to die! Mommy, tell it to stop! [The Grinch laughs hysterically and
the machine comes under control.] Ha! I almost lost my cool there.
22. Cindy: Santa Claus? What are you doing with our tree?
Narrator: But, you know, that old Grinch, was so smart and so slick,
He thought up a lie, and he thought it up quick.
The Grinch: Why, my sweet little tot
Narrator: The fake Santa Clause lied
The Grinch: There’s a light on this tree that won’t light on one side.
So I’m taking it home to my workshop, my dear.
I’ll fix it up there, and I’ll bring it back here.
Cindy: Santa, what's Christmas really about?
The Grinch: [bursts through the Christmas tree] Vengeance! [calmly] I
mean... presents, I suppose.
Cindy: I was afraid of that.
Narrator: And his fib [lie] fooled the child.
Then he patted her head, and he got her a drink, and he sent her
to bed.
Cindy: Santa, don't forget the Grinch. I know he's mean and hairy and
smelly. His hands might be cold and clammy. But I think he's actually kind
of... sweet.
The Grinch: Sweet?... You think he's sweet?
Cindy [nodding to agree, then heading to bed]: Merry Christmas, Santa.
Narrator: And when Cindy Lou went up with her cup…
The Grinch [talking to himself]: Nice kid. Bad judge of
character.
Narrator: He went to the chimney and stuffed the tree up.
23. Mayor [after everyone sees that the Grinch stole their presents;
sarcastically]: Cindy, I hope you’re very proud of what you’ve done.
Dad: If she isn’t, I am. I'm glad he took our presents…. You can't
hurt Christmas, Mr. Mayor, because it isn't about the-the gifts or the
contest or the fancy lights. That's what Cindy's been trying to tell
everyone... and me.
Mayor: What is wrong with you? This is a child.
Dad: She’s my child. And she happens to be right, by the way. I don't
need anything more for Christmas than this right here: my family. Merry
Christmas, everybody!
Mayor: Oh, give me a break!
24. [The Grinch expected everyone to cry, but instead the Whos started
singing, “and it was very merry”; so the Grinch is puzzled]
The Grinch: It came without ribbons. It came without tags.
It came without packages, boxes, or bags.
Narrator:
And he puzzled and puzzled, till his puzzler was sore
Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before.
The Grinch: Maybe Christmas doesn't come from a store.
Maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.
[Then the Grinch has a “heart attack”; i.e., his tiny heart starts
to grow]
Max. Help me... I'm feeling! What’s happening to me? I’m
all toasty inside, [he wipes away a tear] and I’m leaking. [Max starts
barking.] Oh, no, the sleigh, the presents, they'll be destroyed, and I
care! What is the deal?
25. Cindy: We're gonna crash!
The Grinch: Now you listen to me, young lady! Even if we're horribly
mangled, there'll be no sad faces on Christmas.
26. Officer Wholihan: All right! What do we have here?
The Grinch: You got me officer! I did it! I am the Grinch that stole
Christmas... and I'm sorry. [long silence] Aren't you going to cuff
me? Put me in a choke hold? Blind me with pepper spray?
Mayor: You heard him, Officer. He admitted it. I'd go with the pepper
spray.
Officer Wholihan: Yes, I heard him all right. He said he was sorry.
Cindy: Merry Christmas, Mr. Grinch. [she kisses the Grinch on the
cheek] Your cheek’s so...
The Grinch: I know. Hairy?
Cindy: No.
The Grinch: Greasy? Stinky? Do I have a zit?
Cindy: No. Warm!
* this is not really an English word (see Note 2)
this looks like an interesting resource:
http://www.filmeducation.org/filmlib/Grinch.pdf
(For more information about Christmas, see these Christmas pages on our
website: the traditional Christmas story,
who is Santa (圣诞老人)?,
candy canes,
Christmas Perspectives (poem), and the pre-Christmas Advent season.
Also look for Christmas wallpaper
here. You'll also find movie study guides on this website for some
great holiday films: A
Snoopy/Charlie Brown Christmas, Last Holiday,
White Christmas, The
Grinch, Christmas Carol,
It's
a Wonderful Life)
