“The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear.”
What Elf Means to Us
I don’t actually watch a lot of holiday films. In fact, this year we had a list going of “Top Five Holiday Movies From the Last 3 Years” and I didn’t even bother, ’cause I knew hadn’t seen any of them. I mean, I’ll sit down to some old Rankin & Bass classics, or if Miracle on 34th Street (either version) is playing I’ll stop channel surfing for a bit, but in general I’m a Scrooge about these sorts of things. I dunno why. And yet somehow, Elf overwhelms my inner-Grinch every time. It’s one of my wife’s favorite holiday films, and so we end up watching it every year and I complain about it every time. I’m secretly looking forward to it, though. I love the goofiness, the way Will Ferrell just goes at it, full tilt, with no sarcasm, or self-awareness. Just a tornado of syrup, snowballs and love. I love James Caan’s curmodgeonly Walter, the perfect foil to the wonderful wackiness. I love Miles Finch, and Michael and Jovie and Santa. I love when Santa’s sleigh finally gets enough Christmas cheer to take flight. It’s stupid, and it’s sickly sweet, and it’s emotionally manipulative, and I don’t care. Elf is a modern masterpiece of holiday cinema, and it makes me heart grow 3 sizes every damn time.
–Bob Cram
Last week, I read an article that stated that there hadn’t been a new “Christmas classic” since 2003 when we were treated to the one-two punch of Elf and Love Actually. Sure, The Polar Express came out in 2004 but I know that it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. I can think of a handful of other Christmas films released in the last decade that I enjoy, but I’d be hard-pressed to classify them as a classic that will be watched for decades to come.
So, what makes Elf so damn rewatchable? Is it Will Ferrell’s comedic, yet surprisingly emotional, performance as Buddy the Elf? Or maybe it’s that underneath the more fantastical Christmas elements, there is a real storyline about a father meeting a son he never knew he had. Movies about humans losing the Christmas spirit always seem to resonate with audiences (Miracle on 34th Street, The Santa Clause, etc.), and Elf has that working in its favor.
I’m probably not going to come up with a solid answer, but I’ll tell you why I keep coming back to Elf every year around Christmas. It’s funny. A human raised as an elf learning to be a human is a great premise. It’s got a dash of romance. Ferrell and Zooey Deschanel are a great pairing. James Caan. I mean, the man is a legend. However, the best thing Elf has going for it is its inexplicable warm Christmas feeling. I can’t explain it but when Elf is on it just begins to feel like Christmas. It doesn’t matter if there’s no snow outside or the decorations aren’t hung. If Elf is playing on my TV, well, then I know that the Christmas season has truly begun.
–Marmaduke Karlston
The Christmas Classic That Almost Wasn’t
It’s difficult to imagine Elf as anything other than a wildly fun, cheerful Christmas classic. But back in 1993, when the script began making the rounds in Hollywood, it was a much darker film with a much darker version of Buddy. Thankfully, the script landed in the hands of director Jon Favreau, whose rewrites turned Elf into the PG-lite masterpiece it is today. The gritter version may have worked better with the actor initially wanted for the role of Buddy – Jim Carrey – but the fates aligned again, and the studio relented with Favreau’s wishes, and Will Ferrell nabbed the role of the childlike human/elf stuck between two worlds.
If you’ve seen the Elf episode of The Movies That Made Us on Netflix, you’ll already know the hard work it took to make Elf. There were copyright issues with Rankin/Bass, from which Favreau took direct inspiration and the studio reportedly wanted a newer, more adult-based comedy, including replacing the ending with something less magical and more humorous. But Favreau stood firm and believed in this family film about the spirit of Christmas and now, 20 years later, we have a new Christmas classic on our hands.
Buddy’s Journey
What makes Elf so remarkable is the pitch-perfect performance from Will Ferrell. He’s capable of projecting a childlike naivety in such a way that’s endearing rather than creepy, which is a testament to Ferrell’s acting skills given the characters he’s played in the past. Buddy is a fish out of water, trading in the cozy, festive North Pole, where he’s surrounded by Santa Claus, his adopted father Papa Elf and plenty of friends, for New York City, the land of crappy coffee, taxis that will run you over rather than stop for you, and his miserly biological father, Walter Hobbs.
Like the audience, Buddy has to adapt to the real world. But unlike us, Buddy is unaffected by its cynicism. He is relentlessly spreading Christmas cheer, which lands him the affection of pretty Gimbles’s employee, Jovie, and admiration from his younger brother, Michael. He brings joy wherever he goes, and the only person who seems immune to it is Walter – and Miles Finch, of course, but I digress…
I love how Favreau shapes Buddy’s journey. Buddy is shown to be a rather mediocre toy maker, but he can still pack dozens of snowballs in seconds, and it only takes him a few hours to transform Gimbes’s toy section into a winter wonderland, complete with a Lego replica of New York City. Buddy can’t seem to meet his quota on building Etch-a-Sketchs, but he can use one to draw a perfect rendering of the Mona Lisa. He may be a human, but he has plenty of elf qualities that make him something more than human.
At the end of the film, after being told to get lost by Walter, Buddy doesn’t know where he belongs, but it’s clear to us he belongs in both worlds, where he can contribute in very different ways.
Father & Sons
“I thought maybe we could make ginger bread houses, and eat cookie dough, and go ice skating, and maybe even hold hands.”
At its heart, Elf is about the relationship between father and son, not only because of Buddy’s new but strained relationship with Walter, but Michael’s relationship with Walter as well. Walter is not portrayed as the loving, doting father of Michael, a man who is only struggling with the realization of having a grown adult son who believes himself to be an Elf. He’s a workaholic, gruff, and neglectful. As Michael tells Buddy, who is still under the impression that Walter is the best dad in the world: “All he cares about is money. He doesn’t care about you, or me, or anybody.”
Buddy may have just arrived to get to know Walter, but Walter raised Michael, and Michael is painfully aware of Walter’s shortcomings as a father. Even Michael’s mother, Emily, sees how little Walter has been there for his son. Buddy may have stepped in as Michael’s big brother, but Michael finally has someone in his life he can talk to and actually have fun with.
If you look at the structure of Elf, Buddy’s character arc never really changes. He stays the same person from beginning to end, if a bit more knowledgeable about the real world. But he is still Buddy, optimistic and naive and ready to jump in and save Christmas despite his own doubts of belonging. It’s actually Walter who grows as a person, finally choosing his sons over money and skepticism, and in the end, helps Buddy and Santa save Christmas. A far cry from the misery executive who repossessed children’s books from a nun and accused Buddy of wanting money.
As much as I adore everything about Elf, it’s Walter’s journey that touches me the most, embracing his family and putting his demanding job in the rearview. James Caan was the perfect actor for the role of Walter. He’s truly an intimidating figure – which everyone on the set would be quick to confirm – but he still manages to portray the reluctant vulnerability so needed to make Walter a redeemable character. Just like with the character of Buddy, it’s impossible to imagine anyone else in the role of Buddy’s biological father.
Legacy
“Bye Buddy, hope you find your dad!”
If you really think about it, out of the dozens upon dozens of holiday flicks thrown at us every year, how many actually become a bonafide classic? The kind of Christmas movie you find yourself constantly quoting, the kind that you introduce your children to and make watching a tradition? Very few, I would bet. Christmas movies can be as cookie-cutter as, say, romantic comedies, but every now and then, one comes along that strikes a chord with the audience and strikes that bit of Christmas magic needed for longevity.
In 2003, Elf was a critical and commercial success. Twenty years later, that success still resonates every holiday season. I believe Favreau’s decision to use practical effects rather than CGI has kept Elf from feeling dated. The story itself is timeless and Ferrell’s performance continues to be both hilarious and endearing. There’s really something to be said about watching a crowd of New Yorkers come together to spread enough Christmas cheer to get Santa’s sleigh flying again, especially in the kind of world we live in today. For just a few moments, the true meaning of Christmas is felt, and I believe that’s why people continue to come back to Elf every year and will continue to do so.
What are your thoughts on Elf? Is it overrated or a Christmas classic? Start the conversation in the comments below!
