Elf (2003)
Raised by elves, Buddy comes to New York to find his dad — who is on the naughty list.
A baby crawls into Santa's bag, grows up at the North Pole, and returns to Manhattan as a full-size elf to meet Walter Hobbs, a children's-book executive who needs Christmas more than anyone. Will Ferrell's total commitment made this an instant classic; the department-store and snowball scenes are already folklore.
Jon Favreau insisted on doing the North Pole the old way: forced-perspective sets, stop-motion animals in the Rankin/Bass style, and scale tricks instead of green screens, so the movie feels handmade rather than rendered. Will Ferrell plays Buddy with total sincerity — the joke is never that Buddy is stupid, it is that New York has forgotten how to believe in anything. The film became a generational touchstone, then a Broadway musical and an animated special. Ferrell reportedly turned down a fortune for a sequel, which may be why the original stays untouched and perfect.
From the Film
The Facts
- Year
- 2003
- Director
- Jon Favreau
- Runtime
- 97 minutes
- Genres
- Comedy, Family, Fantasy
Cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Will Ferrell | Buddy Hobbs |
| James Caan | Walter Hobbs |
| Zooey Deschanel | Jovie |
| Mary Steenburgen | Emily Hobbs |
| Ed Asner | Santa Claus |
| Bob Newhart | Papa Elf |
| Daniel Tay | Michael Hobbs |
Good to know: A major critical and commercial success grossing over $230 million worldwide, it inspired the Broadway musical Elf: The Musical and is often listed among the best Christmas films of all time.
Where to watch Elf
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