Hi! It’s Annie!
December means that it is officially Christmas time (though that doesn’t mean I wasn’t celebrating before) and I can officially celebrate with my favorite Christmas movie. If you read my last post you might have caught a reference to this movie. I don’t know exactly what it is about this live action adaptation of the classic Dr. Seuss book, but it’s probably a mix of the wholesomeness and the comedy that makes this film so amazing. You also have to give credit to all of those actors in the fake noses that were probably nightmares to breathe in. But one of the things I love most about this movie, besides Jim Carrey as the Grinch, are all the loveable Whos down in Whoville. This is one of the only adaptations that give so many of them personalities besides Cindy Lou Who. So I thought I’d compile a list of my favorite Whos in this movie. Obviously I am not going to include Mayor Augustus May Who because he’s a jerk. All right! Let’s get on with the list!
7. Officer Wholihan
The chief of police in Whoville admittedly doesn’t do much. I mean, there’s not really any crime in Whoville. Until the Grinch shows up, that is. But he’s shown to be a pretty forgiving and merry man despite his job being extremely boring. When the Mayor orders him to arrest the Grinch after the Grinch brings back all the presents he’s stolen, Officer Wholihan refuses. The Grinch bringing back all the presents and apologizing is enough for him. He’s a pretty cool guy if you ask me.
6. Clarnella and Rose Who
Are they still living? In a pretty progressive move on the movie’s part, the Grinch actually has two adoptive mothers. We have no idea about the nature of their relationship as it is never confirmed or really mentioned, but I think it’s safe to assume they are a couple. These two are only ever seen together, but we know that they are both extremely kindhearted. When the Grinch quite literally lands on their doorstep as a baby, they take him in almost instantly. Though they are startled when they discover that their new child would rather eat plates than cookies, they still do their best to raise him. They are delighted when he finally shows passion for something as a child, though they don’t know what it is, and absolutely support him smashing their personal objects to make something for his crush. When the Grinch comes back to accept his award, they welcome him with open arms. Though he isn’t exactly excited to see them, it is clear that they missed their son. Though I do seriously question them not climbing up Mt. Crumpet to at least check to see if he was ok. So maybe they weren’t the best parents, but at least they tried. Could have tried a little harder though.
5. Stu and Drew Lou Who
Cindy Lou Who’s older brothers are absolutely pure chaos and I love it. From the looks of it, Whoville could do with some chaos. Stu and Drew make the very ill-advised decision to climb up Mt. Crumpet with their girlfriends at the beginning of this movie and then draw the ire of the town by mentioning the Grinch. But really, anyone who makes the Mayor angry is a winner in my book. Stu and Drew are a bit bumbling, but at least they don’t seem as brainwashed as the rest of the town is. Though they really need to stop doing stupid stuff to impress their girlfriends. I can’t imagine the Grinch appreciated their antics much either.
4. Martha May Whovier
Martha May starts out kind of like the Grinch does in her own way. She is well-liked by the town, but she isn’t really a likeable person. Betty Lou Who is definitely poorer than Martha May, but still tries her best every year to win the Christmas Lights competition. Not only does Martha May eventually wrongfully win because of the Mayor’s interest in her, she brags about her lights to Betty while she’s decorating her house. Martha May doesn’t really realize she’s on the wrong path until the Grinch comes back and the Mayor asks her to marry him. When she realizes that she likes the gifts the Mayor has given her but doesn’t actually like the Mayor, she begins to value the other Whos around her more. She eventually helps stop the Grinch’s out of control sleigh, makes up with Betty, and declares her love for the Grinch. The idea of a love interest for the Grinch admittedly sounds absolutely ridiculous; but this movie somehow makes it work.
3. Betty Lou Who
Betty can sometimes neglect her children, but she strikes me as someone who’s going through a mid-life crisis. She knows she’s good at certain things, but she just can’t win no matter what she does. You really feel sorry for her, especially because she’s trying so hard. She, like many of the Whos in Whoville, doesn’t necessarily have her priorities straight when it comes to valuing material things over other Whos. But at the end of the movie she is the first to jump to try to stop the out of control sleigh once she notices that Cindy is on it. Really, the Lou Who’s are a really wholesome family, and they’re all there for each other when it matters most.
2. Lou Lou Who
Lou is the best Dad. He’s really sweet from the beginning and steps up to protect his family from the ire of the Mayor when he can. Though he’s originally a bit cowardly and soft-spoken, he becomes one of the bravest characters in the film. When the Mayor attacks Cindy after the presents go missing on Christmas day, Lou immediately refutes him and claims that he’s proud of his daughter. He even states that he’s glad the presents are gone. He gets it! He later flings himself in front of the sleigh to stop it, which is quite possibly the most dangerous thing he could have done in that situation. You just can’t help but love him. Also, if you meet him at Universal Studios for Grinchmas he’s just as sweet. On a day when I wasn’t feeling super well, he came over and warmed my hands in his gloves and talked about Christmas cookies with me to distract me. A true wholesome Dad.
1. Cindy Lou Who
Obviously. No other person could take this slot. Cindy is adorable and understands the true meaning of Christmas, and really morality in general, better than the other Whos in Whoville. The other Whos are so scared of the Grinch that they become terrified without him having to do anything. The Grinch jumped around screaming “Danger!” over and over in front of her and she stood there and laughed. A true badass. When everyone else gives up on the Grinch, she doesn’t. Her ability to see the good in other people is admirable. She definitely gets some of that wholesomeness from her Dad.
The Whos in general are adorable. I’ve always loved their design, but I do have to admit I gained a new appreciation for their characters after attending Grinchmas at Universal Studios Hollywood. Stu and Drew go around on stilts and will crack jokes to you all day if you stand around that long to talk to them. Lou is, once again, just as wholesome as he is in the movie. If you haven’t seen anything of these characters, I would look up a couple videos. The Whos never fail to make anyone smile. Though The Grinch is definitely the star and stand out of his own movie, as he should be, don’t make the mistake of overlooking the Whos.
See you across the pond!
Sincerely, Annie
Oreos & Peanut Butter 