How the Grinch Stole Christmas Full Movie Stream Film Description: Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas (known as The Grinch for promotional purposes), is a 2000 American live-action film from Universal Pictures and Imagine Entertainment, based on the 1957 book of the same name by Dr. Seuss. Because the film is based on a children's picture book, many additions had to be made to the storyline to bring it up to feature-length, including some information about the backstory of the title character. Most of the rhymes used in the book were used in the film, though some were slightly changed, and new rhymes were put in as well. Directed by Ron Howard, produced by Howard and Brian Grazer, and starring Jim Carrey, it is the first Dr. Seuss story made into a feature film. The film received mixed reviews from critics, but spent four weeks as the #1 film in the United States.