Elf Synopsis: After discovering he is a human, a man raised as an elf at the North Pole decides to travel to New York City to locate his real father.
When an orphan inadvertently ends up in Santa Claus’s toy bag, he is named Buddy and adopted by Papa Elf (Bob Newhart). Buddy (Will Ferrell) is raised as an elf at the North Pole, but once he reaches adulthood, it becomes apparent that he should be told of his true origins. His real father, Walter Hobbs (James Caan), lives in New York City and is on the naughty list. Buddy decides it’s time to leave the North Pole and travels to New York to find his father.
Very few actors could pull off the role of Buddy without becoming overly obnoxious and unbearable. I remember reading that Jim Carrey had been attached to the project during its inception in 1993, but I’m so thankful that casting never came to fruition, especially after the horrendous job he did as the Grinch.
Don’t get me wrong, I think Carrey is a fantastic actor, but with some roles, he completely overshoots what’s necessary at the moment, especially in comedies. Admittedly, Will Ferrell has this problem at times too, but he plays Buddy with just the right amount of innocence and vulnerability that he’s both hilarious and sweet, with the occasional cringe-worthy moment needed to remind us that he was raised by elves and Santa Claus, and spending a week in New York amongst fellow humans isn’t going to wipe out all that frothy Christmas cheer completely.
Ferrell and Caan play wonderfully off one another. While gruff and emotionally unavailable to just about everyone in his life, Walter also seems to be the only one who understands just how unsettling and weird it is that Buddy thinks he’s an elf. But that also makes his realization that family is more important than a bottom line that much more satisfying.
Regarding romance, I felt like Ferrell and Zooey Deschanel, as Jovie, had some pretty great chemistry. Having spent so many years watching Deschanel as quirky and bubbly Jessica Day on New Girl, it’s always a blast to go back to Elf and see her as a blonde, somewhat cynical retail worker who is charmed and brought out of her shell by Buddy. Their scenes are adorable, from the moment Buddy sees her decorating a Christmas tree (“It’s just nice to meet another human who shares my affinity for elf culture.”) to the Central Park escape where Jovie’s singalong of Santa Claus is Coming to Town helps fuel New York City’s Christmas spirit to help Santa’s sleigh fly.
The other supporting characters, namely Bob Newhart and Ed Asner (as Santa), are perfectly cast, and this movie has no weak link regarding the acting. In fact, it’s hard for me to find any significant flaws in this film at all. It really has everything – comedy, romance, nostalgia, and a pitch-perfect Let’s save Christmas! ending that admittedly gets me choked up every time I watch it.
Elf is the pinnacle “fish out of water” holiday movie. Fueled by Ferrell’s ability to capture a childlike wonder without coming across as ridiculously creepy, Elf has just the right amount of humor and heart to earn its place as a Christmas classic. Released sixteen years ago, it continues to be a must-watch every holiday season, and I honestly don’t see that changing even twenty years from now.
Watched: 12/15/2019
Notable Song: Santa Claus is Coming to Town
