Getting into the Holiday Spirit with “Elf”

A recent airline trip gave me the opportunity to catch up with Elf, the 2003 comedy that is widely viewed as a holiday classic. I’ve heard the gripe that in all of his films Will Ferrell plays the  exact same role. Whether he’s portraying an anchorman, a NASCAR driver (in Talladega Nights) or an Olympic figure skater (in Blades of Glory), he’s always the same lovable doofus,  That being said, the role of an oversized elf, sent forth from Santa’s workshop to find his real father among the office towers of New York City, fits him as snugly as a pair of yellow tights. I give Ferrell full credit: he’s convincingly naïve, convincingly so much in love with the Christmas spirit that he’s about to burst.

 The truth,, of course, is that Ferrell’s Buddy is not a genuine elf. He came to the North Pole as a human baby, much in need of family, who somehow crawled into Santa’s sack on Christmas Eve, and was lovingly raised by Papa Elf.. Papa Elf, who supplies the film’s droll narration, is played by Bob Newhart with deadpan wit, and the other casting choices are equally inspired. The gruff but lovable Santa is Edward Asner. The grinch of the piece, Buddy’s real (though unsuspecting) human dad, is played by James Caan. Amusingly, he’s a publisher of children’s books, though one who seems to have little affection for either books or children. (Buddy, of course, will eventually straighten him out, helping him advance his career while also encouraging him to appreciate his family.) As always, Mary Steenburgen is a warm presence, here playing Caan’s wife. In a remarkable example of holiday cheer, she welcomes Buddy into her home, never stooping to interrogate her husband about having fathered a child with a previous love. As Buddy’s eventual romantic interest, Zooey Deschanel is as adorable as ever, though turning her into a blonde doesn’t make for more fun. The film also shows off Deschanel’s strong singing voice, both in a delicately handled shower scene (don’t ask!) and over the end credits, where she shares a jazzy version of  “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” with Leon Redbone.

 Because Elf is a wee bit naughty as well as nice, there’s some amiable satire of Christmas, American-style. The department store where Deschanel’s character toils and Buddy is mistaken for part of the Christmas décor is of course a ripe target. Buddy provokes mayhem when he loudly accuses the store’s Santa of not being the real deal and pulls off his fake beard, with unfortunate results. But the funniest single gag in the film involves a crisis moment in which Caan’s publisher-character tries to hire a bestselling children’s book author to write a potential best-seller. On the phone, this famous author sounds adult, imperious, and impressive. So as not to spoil the surprise of who was cast in this cameo role, let me just say that his presence elicits from Buddy (at the office visiting Dad) exactly the wrong reaction. The scene is genuinely hilarious

 Personally, I am mostly allergic to Christmas movies that promise miracles of comfort and joy based on vague and sentimental religious belief. Elf works for me partly because it merrily sidesteps anything to do with Jesus in the manger. It’s amusing (and perhaps apt) that so many people involved in the making of Elf are Jewish, including its initial screenwriter (David Berenbaum) and director (Jon Favreau). And the notion of Ed Asner as Santa is a hoot. One set even includes a menorah, a nice ecumenical touch at “the most wonderful time of the year.”