Movieman Madness: Cinema Spotlight VI - Jon Favreau (Part 3): "Elf"

Will Ferrell as Buddy.

Swingers gave Jon Favreau a taste of working behind-the-camera. With Made he had full control, and applied all he had learned from watching other directors. With one movie down, Favreau proved that he could direct and appeal to the adult audiences, but could he do the same with the younger crowd? That's why for his next film, Favreau wished to do a family-friendly project; a Christmas movie to be exact. It came down between two comedies: one was about an obnoxious millionaire who pays a family to spend Christmas with him or a human who is raised by elves in Santa's workshop who searches for his real family. You can guess the rest.

Buddy meeting Walter Hobbs (Scott Caan) and Deb (Amy Sedaris) his secretary.

After discovering his human heritage, Buddy the Elf (Will Ferrell) travels to New York to search for his biological father Walter Hobbs (James Caan), a children's book publisher whose on Santa's naughty list. To say he is less than pleased to meet a full-grown man in tights claiming to be his son, would be an understatement. Through a series of misunderstood mishaps, Walter discovers the truth and reluctantly brings him home where Buddy meets Walter's wife Emily (Mary Steenburgen) and his son Michael (Daniel Tay) and he tries to spread Christmas cheer to the household and the Big Apple.

Dinner with the Hobbs

While Christmas movies continue to be released every year, Elf is one of those few from the last couple of decades that continues to have staying power, thanks to Will Ferrell. His screaming man-child routine works because of Buddy's innocent and optimistic personalty especially when working off actors like Caan, Bob Newhart as Buddy's adopted father Papa Elf, Ed Asner as Santa Clause, and Zooey Deschanel as Buddy's love interest Jovie who play the characters with a dry straight-face but still present plenty of emotion.

Meeting Jovie

Like Swingers and Made, Elf pays tribute to many classic movies, here being It's a Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th Street, and the Rankin-Bass Stop-motion Christmas Specials like Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer; the right amount of nostalgia without overdoing it and sticking to its own story.

Buddy and Santa

It can get a little cheesy especially in the climax but like Favreau's last movie, the movie's heart is in the right place. Fatherhood once again plays a central role with main protagonist Buddy; evident with his adopted father Papa Elf whom they share a wonderful bond and with his biological father whom Buddy wishes to have that same connection despite Walter's opposition.

Faizon Love in his second Favreau film as Wanda the store manager.

The original script was more darker and crass on the level of a PG-13 comedy; story elements that Favreau found unnecessary and toned it down to PG. "Our goal, even then, was to make a movie that could be part of that pantheon," he said on the movie's ten year anniversary, "The fact that it's in rotation is the highest honor that movie can have."

Buddy vs Fake Clause (Artie Lang)
Fun Fact: Lang and Ferrell were both in Old School.

Elf made its way to theaters on November 7, 2003 and became the seventh highest grossing film of that year and as of today, the fifth highest-grossing Christmas movie. It spawned a Broadway musical of the same name in 2010 and an animated special titled Elf: Buddy's Musical Christmas in 2014. It cemented Ferrell's acting potential as this was his first movie after leaving Saturday Night Live.

It's not on the level as other modern Christmas classics like Arthur Christmas or The Polar Express but like its lead, you can't help but smile at its innocence and persistent on bringing the spirit of Christmas.

With two films, Favreau displayed he could do comedies either R-rated or fun for the whole family. Now came for his next challenge: big budget Hollywood movies......

Oh, and in case you were wondering what that other Christmas movie Favreau turned down, it was Surviving Christmas...........enough said.

I can see where Tony Stark got his aim.

Trademarks:

Fatherhood

Buddy with his adopted father Papa Elf (Bob Newhart).

Buddy and his biological father Walter.

Opening Credits at the beginning.

References

Stop-motion animals just like in the Rankin-Bass specials
Fun Fact: Jon Favreau voices both the Walrus and Puffin Penguin
and Ray Harryhausen who pioneered stop-motion animation voices the polar bear cub.

Leon the Snowman (voiced by blues musician Leon Redbone),
not to be confused with Sam the Snowman
Fun Fact #2: Sings a duet with Zooey Deschanel during the end credits

A tribute to the bridge scene from It's a Wonderful Life when Buddy is at his low point

The Central Park Rangers who chase Buddy and Santa resemble the ring wraiths from
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, which came out the same year.

Director Cameo

Mr. Narwhal: Another cute animal that Favreau voices as he wishes Buddy good luck

Favreau as Dr. Leonardo, his fourth cameo in the movie.

Foreshadowing:

Red and shiny...

....filled with switches and buttons....

.....powered by an engine....

....with a jet exhaust....

.....and can fly

Just one more film before the iron suit Mr. Favreau.

Cameos:

Peter Billingsley

Best known as Ralphie from A Christmas Story.
Was a Producer on Favreau's previous film Made.
Plays an uncredited role as Ming Ming the head elf.

Maurice LaMarche

The big belch that Buddy lets out is provided by voice actor Maurice LaMarche known for
his role as the Brain from Pinky and the Brain and Animaniacs.

Mark Acheson

Canadian actor who as appeared in The Chronicles of Riddick and Watchmen
and done voice-work like Hulk vs. and My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.
In Elf, he plays the Mailman Worker who strikes a quick friendship with Buddy.