ELF (Everyone Loves this Film

E.L.F. (Everyone loves this film)

By Harry Falk

From the opening scene of Elf it is clear that the instant-classic film is unprecedented, timeless, and a mustwatch not just for those celebrating Christmas this holiday season, but anyone looking to unwind and enjoy one hour and thirty-seven minutes of laughs. The movie, directed by John Favreau and starring Will Ferrell, is a rare film that exceeds expectations in nearly every way possible. The cast, the world-building, and heartwarming-yet-not-cliché story are just a few of the pieces that are put together to create a modern holiday classic that can be revered by audiences of all ages. The film begins as Bob Newhart’s Papa Elf sets the stage of the North Pole. We learn of how Ferrell’s Buddy the Elf came to be a human living among the elves at Santa’s workshop. Everyone knows he is a human except, of course, Buddy himself, which is made all the more comical by the fact that the 6 '3 actor is outrageously taller than everyone else. The story begins when the main character finds out he is a human and embarks on a journey to New York City to reunite with his biological father. Throughout his voyage, he finds acceptance, love, and a place in the world tailor-fitted to his talents and experiences. film carries a charming feel that separates it from the loads of generic Christmas movies that have bored audiences for decades. This is due to the fact that Elf is a ridiculous idea for a movie, but it recognizes and embraces the ridiculousness. When Buddy the Elf is on his trek to New York, for instance, the filmmakers don’t try to make us believe that walking from the North Pole to NYC is possible. Instead, they opt to embrace the insanity. Buddy doesn’t pass through the Northern-Canadian territory of Nunavut to reach New York; he hops on an iceberg that carries him from the North Pole to the Seven Layers of the Candy Cane Forest. He doesn’t swim in the cold waters of the Northern Atlantic, he passes through the Sea of SwirlyTwirly Gumdrops. He doesn’t walk through the Lincoln Tunnel… well actually he does, but this is just an example of the movie’s charming humor as Buddy is just as awed by the Lincoln tunnel as he is by the other magical lands he traverses. Where a cheesy Hallmark movie would have attempted to make the viewer believe that the main character finished this unfathomable hike, Elf creates a whimsical setting to match the story.

Elf is a movie meant to appeal to our childish side and be lighthearted, and this is a playful example of how it succeeds in that regard.

While the film isn’t meant to be taken seriously, the star-studded cast still plays their roles perfectly and adheres to the tone of the film. The Godfather’s James Caan plays the role of Buddy the Elf’s father, Walter Hobbs. Throughout the movie he is the prototypical workaholic boss who is too attached to making money to spend time with his children. While Caan isn’t the one cracking jokes, the movie finds a way to work him into the humor. Walter’s hard, tough personality is contrasted with Ferrell’s lighthearted nature to create some pretty funny scenes. For instance, Hobbs has absolutely no idea what to do when the clueless Buddy gifts him a piece of Christmas lingerie labeled “for that special someone” (Favreau). Mary Steenburgen’s role as Emily Hobbs, Walter’s wife and Buddy’s step-mom, is also executed to perfection. Who in their right mind would believe that anyone, no matter how loving, would gladly welcome their husband’s bornout-of-wedlock, deranged son into their home and into their family? Well, Steenburgen gives as close to a believable performance as possible. When Buddy enters the Hobbs’ life, Emily holds no reservations on whether he should be accepted to the family or not. She realizes that he is quite the odd character, but she convinces us that Emily is so loving and caring that she is excited to welcome a new member of the family. One small yet notable scene in this regard is when Buddy cooks her spaghetti for breakfast. As he adds syrup to her plate, she is weirded-out yet accepts it and allows it to continue.

Elf is characterized by loads of other smaller roles played by stellar performers: Edward Asner as Santa Clause, Zooey Deschanel as Buddy’s love interest Jovie, and Daniel Tay’s Michael Hobbs; as well as a host of other cameos such as Favreau as a doctor and Peter Dinklage as famed children’s author. Not a single character sticks out as worse than any of the others, and while a few lines may be cheesy, every single one is delivered with the best-fitting intonations and care, which keeps the viewers focused on the story.

Lastly, Elf is chalk-full of warmhearted humor that can be appreciated by people of all ages. Most of the humor can be attributed to Will Ferrell, but David Berenbaum’s writing is also the cause for quite a few laughs. Much of the humor attributed to Berenbaum is derived from the very premise of the story itself. The idea of a man who was raised as an elf and is just learning to assimilate into human American culture is already quite amusing. Some of the best laughs here are: Buddy’s first ride on an escalator (where he does the full splits while going up), when Buddy is offered passion fruit spray cologne and mistakes it for something meant to be eaten, and when the audience learns that elves put candy on everything, and Buddy subsequently puts maple syrup on his spaghetti. Perhaps the most famous, and the funniest, scene in the movie comes from Will Ferrell’s hiddencamera-show-esque acting in the streets of New York City. As Buddy first arrives in The Big Apple, he goes around doing all the things a regular person’s common sense would not allow them to do. In the scene, he successfully: eats chewed gum off the street, goes round and round in a revolving door, and, best of all, approaches a man on the street dressed in a red track suit and mistakes him for Santa. The scene by itself should be legendary enough in cinema history, but it becomes even more hilarious when you find out that none of these were scripted. Will Ferrell actually ate real, chewed gum off of the street. He actually ran around a revolving door in front of real people. And the “Santa” he ran into on the street? He was not a paid actor and Ferrell actually approached a man in New York City and called him Santa Clause. Elf’s humor is what likely attracts the most people to the movie, and it is the reason many of them come back time and time again to rewatch the timeless classic.

Whether you’ll be celebrating Christmas or not this holiday season, you still must watch this movie. The comedy, the cast, and the tone of the film, among many other things, are all reasons in and of themselves to give it a try. It’s the perfect watch for family night, date night, or a night by yourself. No matter why you watch the film, or who you watch the film with, you will be touched by Elf’s charm, amused by Elf’s comedy, and encapsulated by Elf’s perfect Christmas setting. This is why, 20 years later, Elf still holds the title of the greatest Christmas movie of all time.