The Christmas holiday classic movie Elf is a spectacular comedy suitable for the entire family to watch together, even if it is far from the holiday season. Will Farrell stars as Buddy, the human who was adopted and raised in the North Pole as an elf alongside Santa Claus and his little helpers. Buddy soon senses that he always seemed unfit for the duties of elf. Unable to meet the quota for the number of toys made year after year and being unusually tall to be labeled an elf are reasons for Buddy’s distress. These are just some of the comical ironies that were cast into the script.
When Buddy was coming of age Papa Elf decided that it was the right time to tell Buddy of his true origins. Papa Elf, who raised Buddy as if he were his own son, informed Buddy that his true father is a man named Walter Hobbs who works in a magical place called New York City in the Empire State Building. Buddy also finds out from Santa that his father’s name is on the naughty list. This clearly disappoints Buddy, but Santa and his cheerful helpers convince Buddy and lift his mood saying “Maybe all he needs is a little Christmas spirit!”.
Upon arriving in the Big Apple, Buddy has a difficult time adjusting to the rules of the hustle and bustle of the city life. He finds out that Walter Hobbs is oblivious to the fact that he has another son and calls security on him in his office. Buddy finds solace by picking up a job at Gimbel’s, a huge Christmas mall. Here is where he meets and falls for a woman named Jovie. He senses that Jovie loathes her job and tries to befriend her, even flashing his nimble skills that he picked at the North Pole to liven up the workplace.
Buddy’s character seems to be casted perfectly by Will Farrell. His outgoing, friendly, and willful nature makes the character really come to life. Buddy’s naiveté requires a certain comedic timing. What truly makes this movie funny is how unaware Buddy is of his environment and the people whom he interacts with. To him, he is simply being himself. Others, however, may question his manner and sanity. One of my favorite scenes is when Buddy, Walter, and his family are having a spaghetti dinner. After asking for someone to pass the maple syrup, he continues to casually chug an entire two-liter bottle of Coca-Cola and lets out the longest, loudest burp right there at the dinner table. There is another scene which also happens to involve eating spaghetti. Buddy decides to enhance his plain, old spaghetti by adding sweets including pop tarts, candy corn, gum drops, and of course who could forget the special ingredient, maple syrup.
The plot is gradual and nothing out the ordinary. Buddy takes on the hero’s journey, venturing far from his comfort zone and adapting to a new environment. He inspires the Christmas spirit in others in order to save Christmas by bringing cheer to New Yorkers on Christmas Eve in order to get Santa’s sleigh up and running, or in this case, flying again when it landed in middle of Central Park (the sleigh is fueled by Christmas spirit). Buddy successfully manages to inspire the Christmas spirit back into the hearts of Jovie, Walter, and his step-brother, Michael. Buddy’s energy, although annoying at first, can prove to be extremely magnetic.
The movie could have improved its cinematography. The city should have been depicted in a more effective way. Just the thought of watching Buddy attempting to ride the train alongside fellow commuters is gratifying. The scene has the potential to instill plenty of genuine laughs. The subway system is very much a part of the New York experience and should have been incorporated into the film. Think of how hilarious it would be to see the reactions of daily commuters. People would give him weird stares and Buddy would be minding his own business, trying to figure out how to navigate through the MTA system. It would also be funny to see Buddy acting as if he were a tourist taking pictures of in the city and sending a postcard to his elvish friends back at the North Pole. Sadly, we do not see the likes of any elves until the end of the movie when Buddy and Jovie pay a visit to Papa Elf to introduce him to their newborn child.
Although there were a few scenes that should have been replaced by others that would have enhanced the liveliness of the movie, Elf is still a decent movie. It is watchable the entire way through and has quite a few memorable quotes and jokes. The acting is casted well to match each character and the mood the director is trying to depict. Buddy the Elf, his strange addiction to add maple syrup to everything he eats, and his hilarious shenanigans continue to be a favorite during my holiday season.
