Review: Elf (2003)
Harvey S. Karten
Reviewed by: Harvey S. Karten
Grade: B+
New Line Cinema
Directed by: Jon Favreau
Written by: David Berenbaum
Cast: Will Ferrell, James Caan, Edward Asner, Zooey
Deschanel, Faizon Love, Bob Newhart, Mary Steenburgen
Screened at: MGM, NYC, 11/3/03
There's a quote that impresses me apropos to this movie,
from 1 Corinthians 13:11: "When I was a child, I spake as a
child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I
became a man, I put away childish things." While the speaker
presumably wants to sound mature and rational, he is
unfortunate, given that children who are lucky in selecting good
parents can enjoy life to a degree that grown-ups find
impossible to duplicate. You can't blame Peter Pan for wanting
never to grow up. After all, who wants to give up snowball
fights, the child-like joy of finding Christmas presents under a
tree that you simply know were dropped off by Santa, and (in my
day) the pleasure of playing stickball, stoop-ball, and punchball
on the street? Nothing can substitute for that very first time you
see the world anew with a visit to a department store, a pet
kennel, or enjoy the love and licks of your very first puppy. Will
Ferrell, a comic genius, is well aware of the pain of lost
childhood. He does his best to hold on to his inner child, or as
the tagline to New Line's holiday movie would have it, "Find you
inner elf." In his role as Buddy the human being who'd choose
to remain an elf, he appeals to the child in each of us, the
grownup who must get up each day at 6:30 and, instead of
looking forward to fingerpainting or a trip to the Macy's Day
Parade or a ride on the Wonder Wheel, must instead don a coat
and tie and trudge off to an office cubicle, a factory to make new
widgets, even a coal mine.
There are compensations to being a grownup, I suppose, but
you'd never know this from "Elf," which turns out to be one of
the more delightful holiday films to hit the screen in the last
decade.
In a story with at least one visual that could have been
inspired by Steven Spielberg's "E.T.", several that will remind
you of the Tom Hanks character in the Penny Marshall's 1988
work "Big" (a 12-year-old wakes up to find he's a 30-year-old
man who has lost none of his innocence), and Charles
Dickens's "A Christmas Carol," Will Ferrell stars in a comedy-
fantasy about a man who has started off life in an orphanage,
sneaks into Santa's sack at the age of one year or so, winds up
in the North Pole and is raised as an elf. A fish out of water,
Buddy is strung along by his stepdad, Papa Elf (Bob Newhart)
until he messes up so badly that the news is broken to him.
He's human and he'd do well to return to his biological father,
Walter, (James Caan) and meet his half-brother Michael (Daniel
Tay) and stepmother, Emily (Mary Steenburgen). A good deal
of the story is predictable, e.g. will the money-grubbing, Scrooge
of a dad, Walter, regain the spirit of Christmas and bond anew
with Michael, shucking the insane demands of his publishing
house? (Duh.)
Predictability is no problem, because under Jon Favreau's
directing, which keeps David Berenbaum's story moving at a
rapid pace, Ferrell's performance is the picture. Think of a 12-
year-old dropped into the heart of New York City after having
spent his childhood on a snowy Vermont farm, and you can
imagine the comical incidents in store...hit by a cab (twice),
meeting an adorable young woman, Jovie (Zooey Deschanel)
and experiencing for the first time his "tongue swelling up" when
he is near her, winning over the affection of young Michael, who
considers the new guy in the house to be a geek until he
demonstrates his ability to fire snowballs at a trio of kids with the
speed of an Uzi.
Zooey Deschanel can do no wrong: she's just fine here as the
cynical department-store worker who, like Michael, is
embarrassed by Buddy's childish antics but grows to like him
(and she can sing, as well as play the dry-humored woman of
"The Good Girl"). James Caan is perfectly cast as the guy
who'd rather have dinner in his room in order to catch up on his
work rather than sit and bond with his wife and son. "Elf"
features a terrific scene as well from a real dwarf, Peter
Dinlklage (as writer Mile Finch), a guy whose patience is
challenged by Buddy. "Elf" should rank high on an adult's list, to
say nothing of its being a top priority for your kids.
Rated PG. 95 minutes.(c) 2003 by Harvey Karten at
Harvey...@cs.com
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Laura Clifford
---
On Christmas Eve, an orphanage baby, attracted by a teddy bear peaking out from
Santa's sack, crawls into the bag while Santa (Ed Asner, "The Animal") is
distracted by milk and cookies. Back at the North Pole, an old bachelor elf
volunteers to adopt the human, but years later, when Buddy (Will Ferrell, "Old
School") clearly does not fit into the toy shop world, Papa Elf (Bob Newhart,
"Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde") must break the news to the boy that he
is a human, not an "Elf."
Will Ferrell can stand next to the likes of Jim Carrey and Adam Sandler after
proving here that he can shoulder a comedy. "Elf" is but a hairs' breadth away
from becoming a Christmas classic, largely due to Ferrell's ferocious comedic
instincts.
The tale begins with an amusing monologue from Newhart, detailing the three
jobs fit for an elf (making shoes while cobblers sleep at night, the hazardous
calling of baking cookies in trees and making toys for Santa). But Buddy is
about three times the size of elves and he cannot keep up with their rigorous
quotas for producing Etch-a-Sketches. Told that his real father, Walter
Hobbs(James Caan, "Mickey Blue Eyes"), lives in New York City, Buddy sets out
on a journey through candy cane forests towards the Big Apple.
Dad, who happens to be on Santa's naughty list, is an underhanded publisher of
children's books who quickly makes Buddy Enemy #1 with his building's security
officers, but after a short stint working in Gimbel's 'North Pole' (Buddy's
fired for battling a 'fake' Santa, but not before beginning a sweet romance
with Gimbel elf Jovie (Zooey Deschanel, "All the Real Girls")), Walter's wife,
Emily (Mary Steenburgen, "Casas de los Babys") decides Buddy should stay with
them. The elf-raised Buddy has trouble adjusting to the human world, wrecking
havoc in dad's place of work as well as the Hobbs' household, but when Santa's
sleigh stalls out in Central Park due to a lack of Christmas spirit, Buddy's
there to save the day...er.. eve.
Will Ferrell gives a hilarious yet sweet reading of the man who would be elf.
Sent from Santa's assembly line to testing, Ferrell is surprised anew with each
appearance of the jack-in-the-box and makes us laugh each and every time. The
innocence he gives lines like 'I'm a cotton-headed ninny muggins' is both funny
and endearing. Ferrell's physical timing is such that he somehow makes getting
hit by a cab funny long after we've gotten used to seeing him in the streets of
New York City in a silly green costume and his first experience with an
escalator is priceless. I was still laughing into the next scene after Buddy
answers his dad's office phone with 'Buddy the Elf - what's your favorite
color?' Wouldn't it be just great if the Academy loosened up this year and
recognized Ferrell's fine work with a nomination?
Ferrell is well supported, particularly by the luminous Deschanel who treats us
to her fine singing voice not once, but twice. Unfortunately, the romantic
subplot, as written by David Berenbaum (Disney’s upcoming "The Haunted
Mansion"), strains credulity. James Caan is all impatient, New York bluster,
neatly counterpointed by Asner's slightly crusty Santa ('Oh no, it's the
Central Park Rangers' is a line Asner makes funnier that one would imagine).
Steenburgen's brand of blurry sweetness is perfect for Walter's well-meaning
wife Emily and Daniel Tay ("American Splendor") does a nice job of rejecting,
then accepting his oversized stepbrother. In smaller roles, Faizon Love
("Wonderland") spins paranoia into his harried Gimbel's department manager and
Peter Dinklage ("The Station Agent") does not appear as an elf.
Director Jon Favreau ("Made") hides the cliches in Berenbaum's script by
playing up its eccentricities (Buddy's love of maple syrup is worked in a scene
that may be homage to Dan Aykroyd's drunken Santa gross-out salmon bit in
"Trading Places"). The forced perspective work used to make Ferrell bigger
than Papa Elf Newhart is direly obvious, though, and production designer Rusty
Smith's ("Austin Powers in Goldmember") North Pole is cheesy looking. That
said, the tip of the hat to the 1964 Bass/Rankin television production of
"Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer" with it's stop-motion animated animal
characters and Leon, a snowman descendant of Burl Ives' Sam, is cunning. Mr.
Narwhal's farewell to Buddy underlines the character's childlike nature. This
is offset by the modern, more seamless effects used to show Santa's
reindeer-powered sleigh flying about central Manhattan. There's something
comforting about seeing such an old-fashioned image between two towering New
York City buildings.
B+
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Robin Clifford
Santa Claus (Edward Asner) is making his rounds, as
usual, on Christmas Eve and one of his stops is a
small orphanage. One of the babies crawls into Santa's
bag of gifts and is accidentally taken all the way to
the North Pole. Papa Elf (Bob Newhart) adopts the boy
and, years later, it is obvious that Buddy, so he is
named, is not exactly made of elf material. He's three
times the size of everyone else and Santa realizes
that he must go back to whence he came - New York
City. Buddy sets off to find himself and, most
importantly, his long lost father in "Elf."
Comic actor Will Ferrel has always shown a talent for
creating original and funny characters, whether during
his seven year stint on Saturday Night Live or as the
hallucinatory Christ figure in "Superstar" with Molly
Shannon. Now, he is center stage as the 6+ foot tall
"elf" named Buddy who, all grown up but innocent, is
told the truth by his Papa. Buddy's mother died not
long after giving birth to her son and never told the
boy's father that he is, well, a father. Santa
understands that it is necessary that Buddy find
himself and his family and sends him off to New York
with the name of his long lost father, Walter Hobbs
(James Caan), and where he works, the Empire State
building. But, Santa also gives him some disturbing
news - Walter is, Santa says, on the Naughty List.
Thus warned, Buddy sets off on his journey of wonder
that takes him to places like the Candy Cane Forest
and the Gumdrop River and, finally, to the Lincoln
Tunnel. Clad in his fir-trimmed elf suit and with the
innocence of a child, Buddy tries to see his father
but is roughly thrown out of his building. But, the
boy is insistent and he eventually wears his
workaholic father down. Walter has DNA tests done and,
much to his chagrin, Buddy proves right, he is the
elf's father. When he meets Walter's wife, Emily (Mary
Steenburgen), she is a bit shocked at first but
immediately brings Buddy into the family. Not so his
half-brother Michael (Daniel Tay) who thinks Buddy is
a freak.
The ever-buoyant Buddy keeps working on Michael but is
resisted every step of the way. That is until the day
they walk through Central Park and a group of bullies
begin to pummel the pair with snowballs. Now, if
anybody knows snow it is Buddy and he soon turns the
tables with his snowball fighting skills. Michael's
opinion of his brother is completely turned around.
The Hobbs family is made whole but there is a much
more serious problem that needs to be taken care of
ASAP. The Christmas Spirit in the world is fading and
even Santa is forced to use a rocket pack on his
sleigh. There simply is not enough of the magical
Yuletide spirit to get his eight reindeer to fly
unaided. It is up to Buddy, and his new friend, Jovie
(Zooey Deschanel), a department store holiday elf at
Gimbels, to find that old spirit, rekindle it and save
Christmas.
Ferrel has an innocence and wonder about his
character, and the ability to play a child in a man's
body, that reminds me of Tom Hanks in "Big." Buddy has
the heart of a six-year old and believes that the
world is a wonderful place where problems are just
adventures to be had. Will Ferrel gives a physically
funny performance as Buddy insinuates himself into the
Hobbs family and changes everyone around him - for the
better. The actor is the anchor for "Elf" and Ferrel
gives a star turn as the naif, Buddy.
The supporting cast gives the limelight to Ferrel, who
is in every scene, but helps to flesh out the
surroundings. James Caan is appropriately cynical as
the insincere publisher of children's books - his
latest tome was shipped with the last two pages
missing but Walter doesn't think anyone will notice.
He needs a dose of Christmas cheer and it is up to his
long lost son to provide it. Mary Steenburgen is sweet
and kind as Emily Hobbs and is the spark that brings
Buddy into her family. Ed Asner gives a gruff, rather
than cuddly, performance as Santa. His is a different
spin on Saint Nick but one that mostly works in an
oddball way. Bob Newhart, as the film's narrator and
Buddy's adoptive father, also lends character to his
performance.
Director Jon Favreau has all the right ingredients to
make "Elf" a popular holiday classic and, with
Ferrel's able assistance, might just do it. This is a
movie about hope and belief in what is good in people
and may just help restore some of the lost Christmas
Spirit in this fast-paced world. It tells us to slow
down, smell the flowers, make snow angels and have
fun. I give it a B+.
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Susan Granger
If you're looking for a spirit-of-the-season family film, this may jingle
up some holiday cheer.
Papa Elf (Bob Newhart) begins the tale, relating how - 30 years ago - an
orphaned baby crawled into Santa's sack of toys and was inadvertently carried
back to the North Pole. Raised as an elf and trained to toil in Santa's
Workshop, disarmingly genial Buddy (Will Ferrell) fears he's a "cotton-headed
ninny-muggins" until he notices that he's three times as big as everyone else
and the only baritone in the Elf Choir. Clearly, he needs to find his proper
place in the world.
To trace his roots, Santa (Ed Asner) advises him to seek out his human
father, Walter Hobbs (James Caan), even though the heartless Hobbs seems to
have carved out a permanent niche on the 'Naughty' list. So Buddy treks through
the candy-cane forest and sea of gum-drops to find the Empire State Building,
where crusty, unsuspecting Hobbs works as a Scrooge-like book editor.
The exuberant "deranged-elf-man-in-Manhattan" segment finds naive Buddy
meeting the rest of the Hobbs family (Mary Steenburgen, Daniel Tay), working at
Gimbels and giving confidence to a singing co-worker (Zooey Deschanel) - until
Christmas Eve rolls around and Buddy must engender some Christmas spirit to
ignite the magical Clausometer on Santa's stalled sleigh.
Problem is: neither director Jon Favreau nor writer David Berenbaum has a
clear comedic vision as reality and fantasy collide. The story is underwritten
and the pacing uneven. While Will Ferrell radiates wide-eyed wonder, his weird
goofiness in the elf suit with yellow tights eventually wears thin. On the
Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, "Elf" is a silly, sweet-natured 6. Youngsters
and "Saturday Night Live" fans will find amusement in its festive absurdity.
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