10 Bonkers Theories Roger Ebert Had About Famous Movies

8. The Grinch Was Too Mean

What Ebert Said

"The balance is off. There should be more scenes establishing sympathy for the Grinch, fewer scenes establishing his meanness, more scenes to make the townspeople seem interesting, a jollier production design and a brighter look overall."

Yep, you read that right: the GRINCH is too mean. The actual Grinch.

He clearly just wasn't a fan of the film generally...

"I am not a mind-reader and cannot be sure, but I think a lot of children are going to look at this movie with perplexity and distaste. It's just not much fun."

The Reality

Of course it's fun, but that's a more subjective observation - the set is delightful and the colour scheme is brilliantly jolly. It's like he watched another film. The idea that a film about The Grinch painting him in too mean a light is just lunacy.

This is a film starring the most notorious meanie in cultural history (aside from perhaps Ebenezer Scrooge), and the whole narrative is based around Christmas spirit and love breaking that down, despite how improbable that would initially seem.

The whole point is that he's mean, that empathy has to be earned and the main character arc requires the exact balance The Grinch finds in the story.