What are the odds that someone would finally come up with a script about an elf (or at least a human raised by elves) at the same time that an up and coming comedy actor was looking for a breakout feature film role. Those two entities collided in the surprise hit comedy ELF (2003). The one Christmas character that had received the short end (no pun intended) in the Christmas film genre was Santa's elves. Santa Claus, his reindeer, and even snowmen had received more screen time in movies and television specials than the blue collar workers who make all the toys for the good boys and girls of the world. TVs RUDOLPH THE RED NOSED REINDEER (1964) was the first program to give Santa's elves a little love in the guise of Hermey, an elf who wanted to become a dentist. But no one had made an elf the centerpiece of a film.
Will Farrell was already a comedy star on NBCs SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE creating a plethora of comic characters during his stint from 1995 to 2002. He had appeared briefly as a minor character Mustafa in a couple of AUSTIN POWERS films and co-starred in A NIGHT AT THE ROXBURY (1997) with Chris Kattan as the Butabi brothers which they played in skits on SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE. But Farrell wanted to break into films like previous SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE alums like Chevy Chase, Bill Murray, and Eddie Murphy. Farrell needed the right project to utilize his comic talents and improvisational skills. And along came director Jon Favreau with ELF.
At the time, Favreau was better known as an actor (SWINGERS, THE REPLACEMENTS) than a director. Favreau had directed a couple of TV movies but nobody could have predicted his success directing ELF. From the opening scenes with homages to RUDOLPH THE RED NOSED REINDEER to some inspired casting of James Caan, Bob Newhart, and Ed Asner in key roles, Favreau has total control of this modern holiday classic. And, he had the good fortune of having Will Farrell in the lead role as Buddy the Elf.
Directed by Favreau with a screenplay by David Berenbaum, ELF opens with a quick flashback on how the human Buddy ended up in the North Pole. Santa Claus (Ed Asner) stops at an orphanage in New York City during Christmas Eve. As he munches on a cookie, a small baby climbs into his toy sack. When Santa returns to the North Pole, he discovers the stowaway. The elves name the human baby Buddy (after his diaper brand Little Buddy Diaper). Buddy is raised by Papa Elf (Bob Newhart). Buddy outgrows his bed, his school desk, and his work station in the toy shop. He doesn't quite fit in. Buddy overhears a couple of elves gossip that Buddy's not an elf but human. This forces Papa Elf to reveal to Buddy that he's adopted. Buddy's a human and his real father lives in New York and doesn't know he exists.
With Santa and Papa Elf's blessing, Buddy leaps onto a piece of ice (another nod to RUDOLPH) and floats south until he reaches the Big Apple. Buddy begins searching for his father Walter Hobbs (James Caan), a grumpy executive for a struggling children's book publisher located in the Empire State Building. Buddy finds Walter (where Buddy's mistaken for a singing elf messenger) who promptly throws Buddy out of his office (but not before revealing to Walter Buddy's mother's name). Buddy wanders over to Gimbel's, a giant toy store where he meets and falls in love with Jovie (Zooey Deschanel), who works in the store's Christmas section (dressed as an elf no less). Buddy improves the decorations in the Santa area and sleeps in a display window.
The naïve Buddy discovers the big city as he plays in revolving doors, samples discarded chewing gum on subway bannisters, and acts like a giant kid. But when he starts a fight with a fake Gimbel's store Santa (Artie Lange), Buddy is arrested and thrown in jail. He's bailed out by his real father Walter who brings him home to meet his wife Emily (Mary Steenburgen) and teenage son Michael (Daniel Tay). Walter's a workaholic who's neglecting his family during the holidays. But Walter begins to wonder if Buddy might be his son.
Buddy proceeds to drive Walter crazy with his infinite energy. Walter brings Buddy back to the office only this time in a suit. Walter puts Buddy to work in the downstairs mailroom. Buddy begins to gain confidence with his new surroundings. He bonds with new step brother Michael during a snowball fight against some bigger kids. Buddy takes Jovie out on an ice skating date and they have their first kiss. It's all going so well until Buddy interrupts a book pitch meeting to Walter by famed children's book author Miles Finch (Peter Dinklage) to save Walter's job. Buddy thinks Miles's is an elf and insults the diminutive Miles. Walter kicks Buddy out of the office and tells him he never wants to see Buddy again. This time, Buddy runs away from home (after leaving his family an Etch-A-Sketch goodbye note).
Michael barges into a board meeting to tell Walter that Buddy is missing. Despite threats to be fired by Walter's boss Mr. Fulton (Michael Lerner), Walter walks out on the board meeting with Michael to find Buddy. Buddy wanders aimlessly near Central Park when he sees Santa emergency land in Central Park. The device that powers Santa's sleigh, the Clausometer, is malfunctioning. As four Central Park Rangers (on horses no less) chase after the elusive Santa, Buddy, Michael, and Jovie are able to get several onlookers including Walter to show some Christmas spirit. Powered by true believers, Santa's sleigh lifts off from Central Park to finish delivering toys around the world. Buddy and Walter patch up their relationship and everyone lives happily ever after.
Cognizant that ELF is a Christmas movie competing with dozens of Christmas classics, director Favreau peppers ELF with many references to other Christmas film favorites. As mentioned, the opening sequences of Buddy in the North Pole are mixed with stop animation that resembles RUDOLPH THE RED NOSED REINDEER. There's a talking snowman (voiced by musician Leon Redbone) in the spirit of Burl Ives Sam the Snowman. Buddy even waves good bye to three misfit toys as he begins his journey to New York. When a despondent Buddy is kicked out of his father's office, Buddy walks along a snowy bridge that parallels Jimmy Stewart's George Bailey standing on a snowy bridge in IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE (1946). But rather than an angel intervening, Buddy encounters Santa and his sleigh making an unexpected landing in Central Park.
Buddy's encounter with the department store Santa Claus at Gimbel's echoes Ralphie's department store Santa Claus moment in A CHRISTMAS STORY (1983). In comedies, department store Santas are played for laughs and do not represent the true spirit of old St. Nicholas. ELF'S best modern take on a Christmas character is with Buddy's real father Walter Hobbs. Walter is the Scrooge in ELF. Consumed by his work, he's barely a husband and father to his wife and son. He's on Santa's naughty list. "He's lost sight of what's important in life," Santa tells Buddy. Walter has lost the Christmas spirit until Buddy enters his life. Like the three ghosts of A CHRISTMAS CAROL (1951), Buddy shows Walter the true meaning of both family and Christmas.
I enjoyed that the filmmakers did give the real elves some screen and story time in ELF. Papa Elf played drolly by Bob Newhart narrates the beginning and end of the film, sharing "elf-isms" as he relates how Buddy came to the North Pole. Director Favreau chooses not to use dwarfs or midgets to play the elves, incorporating sleight of hand scale to show the larger human Buddy living and working alongside his smaller elf brothers and sisters. We get an inside view of Santa's Workshop where the elves make shoes, bake cookies, and build toys including modern toys like Etch-A-Sketches. Refreshingly, it's all real sets and costumes in the North Pole with very little CGI involved.
Ten years earlier, Jim Carrey almost played Buddy the Elf (when the ELF script first appeared and Carrey was at the height of his career). But ELF seems tailor made for Will Farrell. Farrell's height and expertise at physical comedy fits in perfectly with Buddy's awkwardness assimilating into elf society. Farrell also thrives at playing grown men who act like children (see STEP BROTHERS, TALLEDEGA NIGHTS, or ANCHORMAN). In ELF, it works to perfection. Buddy's fish out of water journey to New York City makes sense. He comes from an insulated, safe home in the North Pole to the wild, big city. Buddy's a kid let loose in a candy store aka the Big Apple.
Although Farrell is the reason for ELF'S success, it's the supporting cast that surprises. Director Favreau's casting decisions are both unexpected and bold. Perhaps revealing his love for classic 1970s television sitcoms, Favreau gives us Bob Newhart (from TVs BOB NEWHART SHOW) as Papa Elf and Ed Asner (from TVs THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW) as Santa Claus. Both play their parts to perfection. And casting against type, Favreau has tough guy James Caan (best known from films like THE GODFATHER and THIEF) as Buddy's biological father Walter Hobbs. It's funny to see Caan trying to stay calm as Farrell does childish like things around him. I kept waiting for Caan to punch Farrell. But Farrell and Caan's entirely different acting methods complement each other.
Zooey Deschanel is perfect as Buddy's love interest Jovie. Deschanel has an elfish like quality herself and an ethereal innocence. Besides working in film and an accomplished singer, Deschanel has her own successful TV series NEW GIRL (2011 - 2018). The lovely Mary Steenburgen plays Walter's understanding wife Emily Hobbs. Steenburgen is eternally youthful. She must be a fan of Will Farrell's humor as she would play his mother in STEP BROTHERS (2008). Faizon Love steals his few scenes in ELF as Jovie's Gimbel's manager. His exasperation as Buddy wreaks havoc with the store's commercial interpretation of Christmas is priceless. Amy Sedaris brings some cheer to the sour Walter Hobbs as his secretary Deb. And Favreau gives us another Christmas movie Easter Egg with Peter Billingsley who played the bespectacled young Ralphie in A CHRISTMAS STORY cast as Ming Ming, Buddy's exasperated elf shift boss in Santa's toyshop.
As much as I enjoy ELF, the third act is a let down after the first two thirds of the movie. It just seems rushed with Buddy finding Santa in Central Park, trying to fix his Clausometer so the sleigh can fly again while four Central Park rangers on horseback (acting like either the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse or the wraith riders of THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING) race around trying to catch Santa. Farrell disappears in this section which is devoted to Walter finding his Christmas spirit and regaining the love of his son Michael.
But it's not enough to sour my thoughts on ELF as one of the better modern day Christmas movies. ELF maintains its charm throughout the film thanks to the breakout comedy performance from Will Farrell surrounded by a cast of veteran and new actors who keep the story focused on Buddy's journey to find his real father. ELF'S humor never strays into today's gross out style, its laughs sticking with the film's concept and Christmas spirit. ELF is the gift that keeps on giving each Christmas season.
Will Farrell was already a comedy star on NBCs SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE creating a plethora of comic characters during his stint from 1995 to 2002. He had appeared briefly as a minor character Mustafa in a couple of AUSTIN POWERS films and co-starred in A NIGHT AT THE ROXBURY (1997) with Chris Kattan as the Butabi brothers which they played in skits on SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE. But Farrell wanted to break into films like previous SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE alums like Chevy Chase, Bill Murray, and Eddie Murphy. Farrell needed the right project to utilize his comic talents and improvisational skills. And along came director Jon Favreau with ELF.
At the time, Favreau was better known as an actor (SWINGERS, THE REPLACEMENTS) than a director. Favreau had directed a couple of TV movies but nobody could have predicted his success directing ELF. From the opening scenes with homages to RUDOLPH THE RED NOSED REINDEER to some inspired casting of James Caan, Bob Newhart, and Ed Asner in key roles, Favreau has total control of this modern holiday classic. And, he had the good fortune of having Will Farrell in the lead role as Buddy the Elf.
Directed by Favreau with a screenplay by David Berenbaum, ELF opens with a quick flashback on how the human Buddy ended up in the North Pole. Santa Claus (Ed Asner) stops at an orphanage in New York City during Christmas Eve. As he munches on a cookie, a small baby climbs into his toy sack. When Santa returns to the North Pole, he discovers the stowaway. The elves name the human baby Buddy (after his diaper brand Little Buddy Diaper). Buddy is raised by Papa Elf (Bob Newhart). Buddy outgrows his bed, his school desk, and his work station in the toy shop. He doesn't quite fit in. Buddy overhears a couple of elves gossip that Buddy's not an elf but human. This forces Papa Elf to reveal to Buddy that he's adopted. Buddy's a human and his real father lives in New York and doesn't know he exists.
With Santa and Papa Elf's blessing, Buddy leaps onto a piece of ice (another nod to RUDOLPH) and floats south until he reaches the Big Apple. Buddy begins searching for his father Walter Hobbs (James Caan), a grumpy executive for a struggling children's book publisher located in the Empire State Building. Buddy finds Walter (where Buddy's mistaken for a singing elf messenger) who promptly throws Buddy out of his office (but not before revealing to Walter Buddy's mother's name). Buddy wanders over to Gimbel's, a giant toy store where he meets and falls in love with Jovie (Zooey Deschanel), who works in the store's Christmas section (dressed as an elf no less). Buddy improves the decorations in the Santa area and sleeps in a display window.
The naïve Buddy discovers the big city as he plays in revolving doors, samples discarded chewing gum on subway bannisters, and acts like a giant kid. But when he starts a fight with a fake Gimbel's store Santa (Artie Lange), Buddy is arrested and thrown in jail. He's bailed out by his real father Walter who brings him home to meet his wife Emily (Mary Steenburgen) and teenage son Michael (Daniel Tay). Walter's a workaholic who's neglecting his family during the holidays. But Walter begins to wonder if Buddy might be his son.
Buddy proceeds to drive Walter crazy with his infinite energy. Walter brings Buddy back to the office only this time in a suit. Walter puts Buddy to work in the downstairs mailroom. Buddy begins to gain confidence with his new surroundings. He bonds with new step brother Michael during a snowball fight against some bigger kids. Buddy takes Jovie out on an ice skating date and they have their first kiss. It's all going so well until Buddy interrupts a book pitch meeting to Walter by famed children's book author Miles Finch (Peter Dinklage) to save Walter's job. Buddy thinks Miles's is an elf and insults the diminutive Miles. Walter kicks Buddy out of the office and tells him he never wants to see Buddy again. This time, Buddy runs away from home (after leaving his family an Etch-A-Sketch goodbye note).
Michael barges into a board meeting to tell Walter that Buddy is missing. Despite threats to be fired by Walter's boss Mr. Fulton (Michael Lerner), Walter walks out on the board meeting with Michael to find Buddy. Buddy wanders aimlessly near Central Park when he sees Santa emergency land in Central Park. The device that powers Santa's sleigh, the Clausometer, is malfunctioning. As four Central Park Rangers (on horses no less) chase after the elusive Santa, Buddy, Michael, and Jovie are able to get several onlookers including Walter to show some Christmas spirit. Powered by true believers, Santa's sleigh lifts off from Central Park to finish delivering toys around the world. Buddy and Walter patch up their relationship and everyone lives happily ever after.
Cognizant that ELF is a Christmas movie competing with dozens of Christmas classics, director Favreau peppers ELF with many references to other Christmas film favorites. As mentioned, the opening sequences of Buddy in the North Pole are mixed with stop animation that resembles RUDOLPH THE RED NOSED REINDEER. There's a talking snowman (voiced by musician Leon Redbone) in the spirit of Burl Ives Sam the Snowman. Buddy even waves good bye to three misfit toys as he begins his journey to New York. When a despondent Buddy is kicked out of his father's office, Buddy walks along a snowy bridge that parallels Jimmy Stewart's George Bailey standing on a snowy bridge in IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE (1946). But rather than an angel intervening, Buddy encounters Santa and his sleigh making an unexpected landing in Central Park.
Buddy's encounter with the department store Santa Claus at Gimbel's echoes Ralphie's department store Santa Claus moment in A CHRISTMAS STORY (1983). In comedies, department store Santas are played for laughs and do not represent the true spirit of old St. Nicholas. ELF'S best modern take on a Christmas character is with Buddy's real father Walter Hobbs. Walter is the Scrooge in ELF. Consumed by his work, he's barely a husband and father to his wife and son. He's on Santa's naughty list. "He's lost sight of what's important in life," Santa tells Buddy. Walter has lost the Christmas spirit until Buddy enters his life. Like the three ghosts of A CHRISTMAS CAROL (1951), Buddy shows Walter the true meaning of both family and Christmas.
I enjoyed that the filmmakers did give the real elves some screen and story time in ELF. Papa Elf played drolly by Bob Newhart narrates the beginning and end of the film, sharing "elf-isms" as he relates how Buddy came to the North Pole. Director Favreau chooses not to use dwarfs or midgets to play the elves, incorporating sleight of hand scale to show the larger human Buddy living and working alongside his smaller elf brothers and sisters. We get an inside view of Santa's Workshop where the elves make shoes, bake cookies, and build toys including modern toys like Etch-A-Sketches. Refreshingly, it's all real sets and costumes in the North Pole with very little CGI involved.
Ten years earlier, Jim Carrey almost played Buddy the Elf (when the ELF script first appeared and Carrey was at the height of his career). But ELF seems tailor made for Will Farrell. Farrell's height and expertise at physical comedy fits in perfectly with Buddy's awkwardness assimilating into elf society. Farrell also thrives at playing grown men who act like children (see STEP BROTHERS, TALLEDEGA NIGHTS, or ANCHORMAN). In ELF, it works to perfection. Buddy's fish out of water journey to New York City makes sense. He comes from an insulated, safe home in the North Pole to the wild, big city. Buddy's a kid let loose in a candy store aka the Big Apple.
Although Farrell is the reason for ELF'S success, it's the supporting cast that surprises. Director Favreau's casting decisions are both unexpected and bold. Perhaps revealing his love for classic 1970s television sitcoms, Favreau gives us Bob Newhart (from TVs BOB NEWHART SHOW) as Papa Elf and Ed Asner (from TVs THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW) as Santa Claus. Both play their parts to perfection. And casting against type, Favreau has tough guy James Caan (best known from films like THE GODFATHER and THIEF) as Buddy's biological father Walter Hobbs. It's funny to see Caan trying to stay calm as Farrell does childish like things around him. I kept waiting for Caan to punch Farrell. But Farrell and Caan's entirely different acting methods complement each other.
Zooey Deschanel is perfect as Buddy's love interest Jovie. Deschanel has an elfish like quality herself and an ethereal innocence. Besides working in film and an accomplished singer, Deschanel has her own successful TV series NEW GIRL (2011 - 2018). The lovely Mary Steenburgen plays Walter's understanding wife Emily Hobbs. Steenburgen is eternally youthful. She must be a fan of Will Farrell's humor as she would play his mother in STEP BROTHERS (2008). Faizon Love steals his few scenes in ELF as Jovie's Gimbel's manager. His exasperation as Buddy wreaks havoc with the store's commercial interpretation of Christmas is priceless. Amy Sedaris brings some cheer to the sour Walter Hobbs as his secretary Deb. And Favreau gives us another Christmas movie Easter Egg with Peter Billingsley who played the bespectacled young Ralphie in A CHRISTMAS STORY cast as Ming Ming, Buddy's exasperated elf shift boss in Santa's toyshop.
As much as I enjoy ELF, the third act is a let down after the first two thirds of the movie. It just seems rushed with Buddy finding Santa in Central Park, trying to fix his Clausometer so the sleigh can fly again while four Central Park rangers on horseback (acting like either the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse or the wraith riders of THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING) race around trying to catch Santa. Farrell disappears in this section which is devoted to Walter finding his Christmas spirit and regaining the love of his son Michael.
But it's not enough to sour my thoughts on ELF as one of the better modern day Christmas movies. ELF maintains its charm throughout the film thanks to the breakout comedy performance from Will Farrell surrounded by a cast of veteran and new actors who keep the story focused on Buddy's journey to find his real father. ELF'S humor never strays into today's gross out style, its laughs sticking with the film's concept and Christmas spirit. ELF is the gift that keeps on giving each Christmas season.
No comments:
Post a Comment