Elf

As I sit down to write this on Christmas Eve Eve, I find myself with very little to say about the movie Elf. This is because, quite simply, the movie speaks for itself.

Released in 2003 when I was in high school, I cannot remember if I ever saw Elf in theaters. But if I didn’t see it on the big screen, I saw it soon afterwards and fell immediately in love.

Is it silly? Yes, it’s very silly. Silly is fun. Silly is happy. Silly makes me feel good.

And despite the silliness, there is still a plot. It’s a good plot too, it isn’t a weak storyline that only exists to support the ridiculous gags. There are, of course, ridiculous gags, but they fit in the plot. They make sense.

The soundtrack for this movie is excellent. As I watch, I often find myself singing along in my head if not out loud. This in itself makes me happy because, as we all know, “The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear.”

That’s a quote from Elf, if you couldn’t tell.

That is the other thing about this movie: it is a wellspring of good quotes, the fun kind that I sprinkle into regular conversation regularly enough that I often forget that I’m quoting a movie until I watch the movie again. Some favorites include:

“Good news! I saw a dog today.”

“Francisco, that’s fun to say!”

“Watch out! The yellow ones don’t stop.” (referencing taxis in NYC)

“I just like smiling, smilings my favorite.”

“GASP…Beautiful!” (referencing the light up buttons in an elevator)

“Buddy the Elf, what’s your favorite color?” (a salutation for phone calls)

“I’m in love, I’m in love, and I don’t care who knows it!”

“SANTAAAAA!!!!!!! I know him! I know him!!!”

Those are just the ones that I know from memory. There are more, the movie is full of them.

I truly believe that Will Ferrell was born to play the part of Buddy the Elf. He embodies the character completely and makes you believe that he is an elf from the North Pole. His performance makes me happy.

You may be picking up on the theme here: there are lots of things about this movie that make me happy. It is a fantastic Christmas movie. An instant classic without a doubt.

And so, on this Christmas Eve Eve, I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and highly recommend that you watch Elf, especially if your Christmas spirit levels are running a little low.

Merry Christmas!