November 7, 2003
Elf is a 2003 American Christmas comedy film directed by Jon Favreau and written by David Berenbaum. It stars Will Ferrell as Buddy, a human raised by Santa's elves, who learns about his origins and heads to New York City to meet his biological father. James Caan, Zooey Deschanel, Mary Steenburgen, Ed Asner and Bob Newhart appear in supporting roles.
Elf was released in the United States on November 7, 2003, by New Line Cinema. It became a major critical and commercial success, grossing $220 million worldwide against a $33 million budget. Ferrell's performance as Buddy, in particular, was praised by critics. The film inspired the 2010 Broadway musical Elf: The Musical and NBC's 2014 stop motion animated television special Elf: Buddy's Musical Christmas. It has been hailed by many as a modern classic and is often listed as one of the best Christmas films of all time.
Storyline[]
One Christmas Eve, a baby from an orphanage crawls into Santa Claus's sack in sight of a teddy bear and is unwittingly taken back to the North Pole. When the infant is discovered at the workshop, the elves name the infant Buddy after his diaper's brand label: "Little Buddy Diapers", and Papa Elf adopts and raises him. Buddy is quickly accepted by the elf community and grows up believing he is an elf. As an adult, however, Buddy overhears he is a human. Papa Elf explains to Buddy that his birth parents are Walter Hobbs and Susan Wells, the latter of whom put him up for adoption before dying. Walter now works as a children's book publisher at the Empire State Building in New York City, and is unaware of Buddy's existence. Buddy decides to head off to New York to meet his father. Before Buddy leaves, Santa reveals to him that Walter is on the naughty list due to his selfishness, though suggests to redeem him with some Christmas spirit.
Buddy travels to New York and finds Walter at his workplace, but Walter mistakes Buddy for a Christmas-gram messenger and has him ejected. The security guards of the building teasingly suggest to Buddy that he go to the Gimbels department store. At the store, the manager, believed to be one of the employees infatuated with a disillusioned employee named Jovie. Hearing that Santa will visit the store the following day, Buddy redecorates the store overnight. However, after realizing that the Gimbels Santa is simply a man in a costume, Buddy exposes him and causes a brawl that the manager breaks up.
Walter reluctantly bails out Buddy of jail and takes him for a DNA test, which confirms that Buddy is his son. The doctor suggests to Walter that he take Buddy home to meet his stepmother Emily and half-brother Michael. Walter and Michael are unnerved by Buddy's behavior, but Emily insists that they take care of him until he "recovers". Michael grows closer to Buddy after they defeat a gang of bullies in a snowball fight, and inspires Buddy to go on a date with Jovie.
Meanwhile, Walter's company is struggling after the failure of its latest book. Walter's boss Fulton Greenway expects him to have a new book ready by Christmas Eve. Walter and his team secure a meeting with ghostwriter Miles Finch, but Buddy interrupts the meeting and unintentionally insults Finch, mistaking him for an elf because of his dwarfism. Finch reacts violently and leaves the meeting. Frustrated by the setback, Walter lashes out at Buddy and disowns him. Ashamed, Buddy writes an apology on an Etch A Sketch and leaves Walter's apartment.
Walter's co-workers find Finch's notebook that he accidentally left behind and they scramble to create a pitch. Just as Walter is presenting the pitch to Greenway, Michael arrives with news of Buddy's departure. Realizing his mistake, Walter quits his job and leaves to find Buddy. Meanwhile, Buddy sees Santa's sleigh crash in Central Park, drawing a large crowd. Santa explains that the sleigh has lost its engine, which is essential for flight due to a shortage of Christmas spirit.
Buddy finds the engine and reunites with Walter and Michael, and Walter apologizes to Buddy for his outburst and finally accepts him as his son. After Buddy takes them to meet Santa, Michael takes Santa's list and reads it in front of news cameras gathered outside the park. Buddy tries to reattach the engine as Central Park Rangers pursue the sleigh. Jovie leads the crowd and those watching on television in a rendition of "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town", generating enough Christmas spirit to power the sleigh without the engine.
By the next Christmas, Walter started his own independent publishing company with his first bestseller being a children's book based on Buddy's adventures. Buddy has also married Jovie and brings their infant daughter Susie to visit Papa Elf.
Also See[]
- Elf (2003) (TV Spots)
Movie Trailer[]
Sound Effects Used[]
- Hollywoodedge, Bicycle Bell Rings Sm PE190701
- Hollywoodedge, Bounce Boing Drum CRT016901/Sound Ideas, BOINK, CARTOON - TIMP DOINK (Heard thrice in the intro in a low pitch and sped-up.)
- Hollywoodedge, Car Horn Beeps High Do PE077201
- Hollywoodedge, Deep Whoosh By CRT2012301/Sound Ideas, SPACE, WHOOSH - FAST WHOOSH BY, SCI FI 16
- Hollywoodedge, Gusts Heavy Cold Wind PE031601/Whistling Wind Stead PE033301
- Hollywoodedge, Horses Several Whinn PE025201/Horse Whinnies Group AT045501
- Hollywoodedge, Little Nasty Devili CRT023403
- Hollywoodedge, Lrg Nasty Belch CRT2054735
- Hollywoodedge, Medium Length Gliss CRT015101 (1st gliss, shortened; heard once in the intro.)
- Hollywoodedge, Raccoon Chitters Squ AT034401
- Hollywoodedge, Sky Rocket Loud High TE021701
- Hollywoodedge, Toilet Flush 2 Old Typ PE167401
- Hollywoodedge, Wood Door OCKnob Ratt PE180201
- SoundDogs, Telephone - Telephones - Sony Electronic Phone W Answering Machine - MCU - 4 1 2 Rings, Hi-Tech 01
- Sound Ideas, ANIMAL, MONKEY - VARIOUS SCREAMS, APE (Heard when Buddy gets attacked by a raccoon.)
- Sound Ideas, CARTOON, WHISTLE - FALL WHISTLE, LONG
- Sound Ideas, HIT, CARTOON - TEMPLE BLOCK KONK 01 (Heard once in the intro.)
- Sound Ideas, HORSE - 3 WHINNIES, 3 SNORTS, C.U, ANIMAL
- Sound Ideas, HORSE - EXTERIOR: WHINNY, ANIMAL 06
- Sound Ideas, WIND - MAGIC WHIRLWIND, FANTASY