Matt O’Connor
It’s Day 23 of our Christmas Movie Countdown! Our second to last film for the countdown is widely considered to be one of the best holiday films of all time. Directed by Jon Favreau and written by David Berenbaum, Elf has been a Christmas staple ever since it was first released back in 2003. Even after 20 years, Elf hasn’t gotten old and is one of the best holiday films to ever do it.
On Christmas Eve, a baby ends up crawling into Santa’s sack and is taken back to the North Pole. As a result, the baby is raised by Santa and the Elves and is given the name Buddy. After being raised as an elf for his entire life, Buddy discovers his human identity and that his father is still alive. To his dismay, Walter Hobbs is on the naughty list. Buddy travels to New York to meet his father where holiday based escapades ensue as Buddy readjusts to the human world.
Elf nails the premise that it sets up and is a roller coaster of emotions all throughout. Will Ferrell as Buddy is a perfect casting and the character has so many iconic scenes that elevate the film tremendously. The snowball fight and the brawl between Buddy and the fake Santa are definite highlights and are some of the most memorable parts of the movie.
But at its core, Elf excels the most at telling a heartwarming story about a son trying to reconnect with his father. From Santa’s sack at the North Pole to reconnecting with his father, the character arc that Buddy experiences is a perfect representation of the best aspects of the holiday season. We’ve only got one more today left on the countdown, and we’re ending things off with a big one!
