Ron Howard’s Boldest Directing Gamble Came in a Holiday Classic
Ron Howard, known for his versatile directing, only broke his usual style once—on How the Grinch Stole Christmas—using wide, distorting lenses and dynamic camera moves, a technique he never revisited.
When you see a movie promoted as “A Ron Howard Film, ” it ’s tough to pin down exactly what that means. Unlike directors like Quentin Tarantino, whose films are packed with sharp dialogue and explosive action, or Guillermo del Toro, who blends horror and fantasy, Howard’s work doesn’t carry a signature style. He’s directed dozens of movies over five decades, won two Oscars, and yet, his films don’t have a distinct visual or narrative stamp. Howard himself has acknowledged this, crediting his adaptability for his long-lasting career. He’s managed to move between genres and budgets with ease, but that same flexibility means most people would have a hard time picking his movies out of a lineup.
While most directors of his stature have at least one recognizable hallmark, Howard’s approach is more understated. He’s the 13th highest-grossing director ever, but his films rarely stand out for their style. That said, there was one time he decided to break his own mold, though it’s debatable whether anyone noticed.
Breaking the Mold for a Whimsical Tale
If you’re trying to guess which project saw Howard toss aside his usual playbook, you might think of the space drama Apollo 13, the fantasy adventure Willow, or maybe the intense Frost/Nixon. But the answer is actually the family favorite How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Howard once explained,
“One of the things I did with this film was adopt a style I had never used, and I’ve never used it since.”
He reunited with cinematographer Don Peterman, who had worked with him on Splash and Cocoon, and who was also known for his work on Addams Family Values and Flashdance.
For this holiday comedy, Howard chose to shoot with wide, distorting 14mm lenses, a sharp departure from his usual visual approach. He also ditched static shots in favor of a camera that was almost always in motion, following Jim Carrey ’s energetic performance as the Grinch. The result was a series of wild close-ups and dynamic camera moves that matched the film’s zany tone.
A One-Time Experiment
Despite the dramatic shift in technique, most viewers probably didn’t realize Howard had changed things up. Unlike directors whose stylistic shifts are instantly recognizable, Howard’s experiment flew under the radar. Still, he took a creative risk, and more than 25 years later, he’s admitted he never tried that approach again.
Howard’s willingness to step outside his comfort zone, even if just once, shows a side of him that’s rarely seen. While his films may not be known for a particular style, his adaptability and openness to new ideas have kept him at the top of his game for decades.