‘Elf’ Is Bonkers
And we wouldn’t have it any other way.
Not enough Christmas movies include claymation narwhals. Fortunately, to fill that void, we have Elf—a Christmas classic from the director of Iron Man!
Jon Favreau directed Elf a few years before he would go on to kick-start the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It wasn’t his first movie, but it was his first big hit. We might never have gotten to Avengers: Endgame without Elf as a stepping-stone. It may sound improbable, but no more so than anything that happens in this movie about an overgrown elf entering the real world for the first time.
Elf stars Will Ferrell as a man-child raised by elves. As a baby, Buddy crawled right into Santa’s bag while the jolly old fellow was distracted by cookies. Santa unwittingly brought the baby back to the North Pole but evidently couldn’t be bothered to return the lad.
Ed Asner dons the red suit this time. Given Santa’s track record in certain holiday specials, the grumpy boss of The Mary Tyler Moore Show represents a notable improvement in disposition.
This North Pole is big enough for two TV legends, as Bob Newhart plays Papa Elf, the dry but kind old elf who raises Buddy. The local population also includes various claymation critters as well as a snowman with facial hair. The whole setting is nonchalantly silly, and it apparently exists in the same universe as the Keebler elves (who also don’t get enough attention in Christmas movies).
Not being a real elf, Buddy has trouble fitting in at the North Pole, quite literally in some respects. So, he must leave his home and venture to New York City to meet his biological father, Walter (James Caan, because what Christmas movie would be complete without a Godfather actor?).
Buddy looks like a grown-up, but he has never actually grown up. He’s like if Peter Pan were much taller and nicer. By contrast, Walter is 100% adult, and he works for the most heartless company ever to publish children’s books. Walter is the sort who prioritizes work ahead of family and would never think of playing in the snow, eating sugar plums, or popping into a chalk pavement picture. His arc parallels that of Mr. Banks from Mary Poppins, even if Walter’s eventual redemption seems more abrupt.
Buddy’s severe case of arrested development and extreme ignorance about the world are not impediments to finding love—not in a Christmas movie! Naturally, he falls for one of the first human women he meets. Unnaturally, she also falls for him by the end.
Zooey Deschanel plays the love interest, Jovie, and this time, she’s not the quirky one. Her character is rather cynical at first, the sort who’s in dire need of some genuine Christmas cheer, not the artificial Christmas cheer on display at her department store job.
Then again, given that she develops an attraction for a man-child who dresses as an elf, perhaps her quirkiness is merely in the closet for most of the runtime. I really want to know what motivates this woman. There could be a whole other movie exploring her interior life.
Elf falls apart if you think about it too much, or even a little. And yet it’s still a delight. Forgiveness comes more easily during Christmas. But that’s not all that’s going on.
Buddy’s story follows a classic hero’s journey structure, which glues everything together nicely. Plus, the movie demonstrates abundant creativity throughout, from the matter-of-fact inclusion of claymation to the fantasy technology that powers Santa’s sleigh.
Even more important, though, is how Buddy exudes pure innocence and kindness. He may have the mentality of a child, but he represents the best qualities of childhood. This man-child doesn’t have a mean bone in his body; he just wants to love and be loved.
His kindness and joy are infectious. The character could so easily have become annoying—and he does indeed come close at times—but it’s hard to dislike someone who’s so sincerely nice and benign. Even when he gives in to his own impulses, he’s often thinking of others too.
He devours a ton of sugar, but he also prepares a sugar-fueled breakfast for everyone else. He stays up all night getting the store ready for a visit from Santa Claus, because that’s how much he loves and admires Santa. He goes to great lengths to meet his father, operating under the assumption that his father would want to meet him too.
Buddy personifies the Christmas spirit. He feels endless joy, and he perceives no limits to how far that joy can spread. He’s an ideal protagonist for a feel-good holiday movie.
And being friends with a claymation narwhal doesn't hurt.
Posts of Christmas Past
During the previous two holiday seasons, I revisited these gems:
