ELF. Will Ferrell is Absolutely Brilliant

“Merry Christmas!” shout the smiling characters on screen in Elf, while Santa’s hearty laugh echoes in the background. How sweet — after all, every character in the movie has realized the very obvious (because of course!) truth that Christmas is all about family warmth, love, carols sung together, gathering around a beautifully decorated tree, and enjoying wonderful traditions and festive dishes. Riiiight. Sure it is.

Just ask any kid what they like most about Christmas. Obviously: the presents. And fair enough — who doesn’t like getting gifts? The problem is, that’s basically all kids care about. Carols? Annoyed kids and irritated teens usually roll their eyes and run off to play on their computers. The overly commercial, consumer-driven approach to the holidays has made people forget what Christmas is actually supposed to be.

I’ll admit, Elf completely threw me off at first, because I was expecting one of those typical holiday flicks in the vein of The Santa Clause or The Grinch. After all, the main character is Buddy — a human who, as a baby, accidentally ends up at the North Pole, where he’s adopted by one of Santa’s elves. Buddy grows up blissfully unaware of how “different” he is — he doesn’t mind that he doesn’t fit in his bed, that the shower is too small (almost like in Lost in Translation), or that his “dad” can barely keep him on his lap. Eventually the truth comes out, and a shocked Buddy decides to meet his real father, who lives in New York City.

After a couple of tips from Santa (including some… unconventional advice about Peep Shows), he heads off to the big city, buzzing with pre-Christmas chaos. After wandering around and trying to understand this completely new environment, he finds his father — Walter (a very charming performance from James Caan, the great actor known from Misery and Dogville). After a rather chilly welcome (nobody told Walter he had a son), Buddy ends up in a giant department store, where he meets the lovely Jovie. Naturally, he doesn’t stay long — he gets into trouble with the store’s fake Santa.

Seeing Buddy’s helplessness, Walter decides to take him home. At first the entire family — Walter’s son and wife included — treat him with caution, but Buddy quickly wins them over. Still, no one believes his stories about the North Pole or Santa, so he decides to bring some holiday spirit not only into the household, but into the family’s entire life — and into the life of his new girlfriend. This, of course, leads to a series of mishaps that ultimately force Walter to choose what truly matters: family or career.

Even for a Christmas movie, this all sounds pretty standard. And that’s exactly where Will Ferrell comes in. The comedian is absolutely brilliant as the cheerful elf. From the start he’s incredibly likeable, full of joy, blind faith in human kindness (which doesn’t always work out great for him), endless optimism, and… pure childlike innocence. There’s a scene where Buddy, dressed in full elf attire, visits his father’s office. Convinced he’s dealing with a guy in a costume, Walter demands that he sing a song.

Buddy starts singing literally whatever comes to mind. Not long ago, I was treated to a similar improvised performance by a little girl, and watching that scene later on, I realized with surprise how much the two “performances” had in common — the same eye-rolling while trying to come up with lines, the same off-key singing, the same awkward pauses to think of new words. And there are many more such childlike behaviors, expressions, and quirks throughout the movie, all contributing to a hilarious portrait of an adult with the soul of a kid.

It has to be said: the screenwriter and director struck a perfect balance between entertainment for children and adults. Kids will laugh themselves silly at Ferrell’s antics, but Elf is also filled with references and jokes aimed at older viewers — poking fun at familiar habits, social behaviors, and everyday flaws. Even little people aren’t spared — the boardroom scene is unbelievably bold, but absolutely hilarious.

And for once, no one tries to fool us about Christmas — yes, there are decorations everywhere, carols fill the streets, and twinkling Christmas trees light up the city, but people aren’t nearly as festive as movies usually pretend. They’re tired of the holiday season, a bit irritated by the chaos, stressed out with work, and surprisingly indifferent to everything around them. Buddy becomes a symbol of what Christmas should be: cheerful, warm, and full of genuine family spirit. And since faith can work wonders, he manages to show everyone that real, magical Christmas is still possible. It is — it just takes real effort. Unless, of course, you happen to have an Elf in the family.