Okay, this wraps up the Christmas movie trilogy, and caps off the first 90 movies. Tomorrow begins the Top 10!!
But we're going out with a bang, as this has become an instant classic since it came out in 2003.
Elf.
The story of an orphan who gets inadvertently picked up by Santa and taken back to the North Pole. There he is raised by an elf and grows up thinking he is one...just a really big one. Naturally, the truth comes out, and then Buddy finds out that his real father is on...
The Naughty List.
I know, that's terrible!
So he embarks on a trip to New York City to try and get his dad off the list, and maybe, just maybe, provide a Christmas miracle or two.
Directed by Jon Favreau (Iron Man!), this movie just hits the ground running and never stops. It's funny, sweet, sentimental and touching, all rolled up into one perfectly paced movie.
Will Ferrell plays Buddy the Elf to perfection. His enthusiasm and gusto for all things Christmas is infectious, as he truly looks at the world with the eyes of a child...trapped in a 6' man frame. :)
James Caan is the naughty father, who has been taking shortcuts at work, and just becoming a bit of a grump. He's not bad, per se, just very beleaguered. Then to find out he has a 30 year old elf for a son...that sorta pushes him over the edge.
Zooey Deschanel plays Jovie, the object of Buddy's affection. She even gets to belt out a tune or two along the way.
Bob Newhart also is great in his role as Buddy's adopted father/narrator.
I would be remiss if I didn't mention Ed Asner as Santa. Not the first name you would think of to play St. Nick, but he pulls it off remarkably well. His is a bit of a jaded Santa, who has watched with weariness as the world has begun to quit believing in him. This suits Asner's built in gruffness to perfection.
This or Christmas Vacation is usually the movie that kicks off the holiday movie viewing frenzy that runs from Thanksgiving until Christmas. Elf usually gets several spins in the DVD player... it just never gets old.
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