ELF (2003) — Zany movie with a warm holiday heart has become a Christmas classic.

Directed by Jon Favreau, the film stars Will Ferrell, Zooey Deschanel, Mary Steenburgen, Daniel Tay, Peter Dinklage, and the late Bob Newhart, along with the late Ed Asner and the late James Caan.
The story follows Buddy (Will Ferrell), a human who was accidentally transported to the North Pole as a toddler and raised to adulthood among Santa’s elves. Being a giant man, he never fits in despite his elfish enthusiasm, so the adult Buddy travels to New York, in full elf regalia, in search of his real father.
As it happens, this turns out to be the kind but curmudgeonly Walter Hobbs (a terrific James Caan), a cynical businessman who (gasp) is on Santa’s “naughty list.” After a DNA test proves Buddy really is his son, Walter reluctantly attempts to start a relationship with the childlike Buddy. Mayhem, slapstick comedy, irony and ultimately, heartwarming Christmas Cheer ensues.
Caan plays the perfect foil for Ferrell’s Buddy. The gruff persona masking a heart of gold is something we have seen many times before, from It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) to Grinch (1966) to Scrooge (1984) – but we never tire of it. This story also typifies the classic “fish out of water” tale, and is one of the best such examples.
Will Ferrell demonstrates the full range of his genius as not only a comedian but as a method actor. He maintains character and transforms into the loveable Buddy the Elf, even filming real-life reactions from people on the streets as he makes his way merrily about town.
Perhaps the only character more immersive for Ferrell is his Ron Burgundy persona from Anchorman (2004), a character so real that he (the fictional Ron Burgundy) even had his own podcast.
This film was also an early turn for a blonde Zooey Deschanel who plays Jovie, an unenthusiastic but kindhearted worker at Gimbels with a big singing voice and even bigger heart. Jovie gets swept off her feet by Buddy’s earnest and pure approach to wooing her.
The lovely Mary Steenburgen is also wonderful as Emily Hobbs, Walter’s wife and Buddy’s stepmother. A young Daniel Tay is also great as Michael Hobbs, Walter and Emily’s son and Buddy’s younger-half-brother, who follows the Miracle on 34th Street (1947) pattern of the cynical but sweet kid who learns to believe.
The film also features a hilarious turn by a pre-Game of Thrones Peter Dinklage as Miles Finch, a best-selling children’s book author who attacks Buddy for (mistakenly) calling him an elf. It was a portents of the future genius we would see in his portrayal of the beloved Tyrion Lannister for which Dinklage took home a record four Primetime Emmy Awards.
This wonderful ensemble cast is rounded out by the legendary Bob Newhart who is pitch-perfect as Papa Elf, Buddy’s adoptive father. And the great Ed Asner, who is a bit of a grouch himself as a beleaguered Santa Claus.
Asner’s Santa longs for the days when his sleigh was powered by Christmas Cheer alone, and he bemoans the relentless pursuit by the dreaded Central Park Rangers who Santa put on the naughty list once and they never forgave him.
Santa is bolstered by Buddy’s unwavering faith and elfish skills. With the Rangers in hot pursuit, Buddy repairs the sleigh and becomes the inspiration that feeds enough Christmas cheer to power the sleigh to eventually escape the Rangers – and of course – save Christmas. This is also a formula we have seen, a-la Rudolph (1964), which of course we don’t mind at all.
While Elf shares the spirit of the holiday classics, it still plows enough fresh Christmas snow to stand alone as a classic unto itself.
The best thing about Elf is it is not afraid to shake off our collective cynicism and dare to be hopeful.
And we can always use more of that.