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Elf (2003)
Buddy was a baby in an orphanage who stowed away in Santa's sack and ended up at the North Pole.
Later, as an adult human who happened to be raised by elves, Santa allows him to go to New York
City to find his birth father, Walter Hobbs. Hobbs, on Santa's naughty list for being a heartless
jerk, had no idea that Buddy was even born. Buddy, meanwhile, experiences the delights of New York
City (and human culture) as only an elf can. When Walter's relationship with Buddy interferes with
his job, he is forced to reevaluate his priorities. Starring Will Ferrell, James Caan and directed by Jon Favreau.
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Exclusive Review By: Jeff Westover
Elf (2003) -- 2 out of 4 Stars
Buddy the Elf just doesn't feel that he fits in at the North Pole. He's bigger than everyone else and when it comes to doing
what elves do Buddy just seems to be all thumbs. And there is a reason for this, of course. Buddy is not actually an elf -- he's
just a regular, run-of-the-mill human being who has by chance ended up at the North Pole raised under the care of a surrogate father.
Elf is the story of Buddy's quest to find out who he really is and just how he can reconcile his human future with his elf past.
That's the premise of 2003's hit holiday feature, Elf, starring Will Farrell as Buddy, Bob Newhart as his North Pole Dad, Ed Asner
as Santa and James Caan as Buddy's grumpy, intolerant biological Dad living in the wilds of New York City.
To those who have somehow escaped seeing this new-fangled Christmas classic it would be easy to assume that this has all the
elements of a great holiday comedy in the vein of "A Christmas Story" or "Christmas Vacation".
But don't hang your Christmas star on it. This isn't a quasi-look back in time as was A Christmas Story and it has little of
the brilliant buffoonery we love about Clark Griswold. This is Will Ferrell. That means mixing spaghetti with maple syrup,
spinning through a revolving door until he pukes, and plenty of other humor centered on gastric bodily functions.
Elf has a fun spirit and it tries at times to honor the best of large and small screen Christmas classics. The entire North Pole
set looks stripped away straight from the classic Rankin Bass holiday specials of the 60s and 70s. Buddy's attempts to "be normal",
complete with song and dance, are reminiscent of the great mini-music video vignettes from 1990's "Home Alone". But where it pays
homage to past classics it falls short of establishing itself as must-see Christmas viewing.
Elf is loosely written and seems to only crescendo on sight-gags. A message that the world cannot have enough Christmas spirit is
lamely woven into the story of Buddy's incompatibility with his human heritage. As much as we want to see Buddy reconcile with his
father and somehow stay special in the eyes of Santa we feel little to no satisfaction that the writers make that happen. By the time
all is said and done, we are left asking ourselves why Buddy would want to be with either one of them.
If you cannot entirely stomach Ferrell's enthusiasm for playing an elf perhaps you can enjoy Newhart's characteristically dry delivery.
Newhart is brilliantly cast and Caan capably demonstrates his Type-A character. But Ed Asner lacks the twinkle in his eye a Santa should
have and Zoey DeSchanel, who plays Buddy's love interest, pouts nearly the whole time.
Elf is going to survive as a television feature and may be dubbed a Christmas classic due to repeat holiday DVD sales season after
season. But will it enjoy cult status, complete with memorized and mimicked movie quotes both online and off? Will it be recalled
season after season as one of the best? Don't bet on it. Unlike Christmas Vacation, this comedy has just one memorable character -- and
that's dubious at best. Unlike the early 1990s remake of Miracle on 34th Street this attempt at Christmas classic status has a weak
message that doesn't resonate. And unlike the truly great ones, such as It's a Wonderful Life or The Bishop's Wife, it lacks a realistic
Christmas feel.
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