Elf (film)

Last updated

Elf
Elf movie.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Jon Favreau
Written by David Berenbaum
Produced by
Starring
Cinematography Greg Gardiner
Edited by Dan Lebental
Music by John Debney
Production
companies
Distributed byNew Line Cinema
Release date
  • November 7, 2003 (2003-11-07)
Running time
96 minutes [1]
CountryUnited States [2]
LanguageEnglish
Budget$33 million [1]
Box office$225.1 million [1]

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.

Contents

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. [3] [4] [5]

Plot

On Christmas Eve, an orphaned baby crawls into Santa Claus' sack at the sight of a teddy bear, and is unknowingly taken back to the North Pole from an orphanage. After the infant is discovered at the workshop, the elves name him Buddy after his diaper's brand label: Little Buddy Diapers, and Papa Elf adopts him. Buddy is accepted by the elf community and grows up thinking he is an elf. As an adult, Buddy overhears he is a human. Papa Elf explains to Buddy that he was born to Walter Hobbs and Susan Wells. Susan put him up for adoption prior to her death. 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. Santa reveals that Walter is on the Naughty List due to his selfishness, but suggests Buddy could help redeem him with some Christmas spirit.

Buddy travels to New York and finds Walter at work, but Walter mistakes him for a Christmas-gram messenger and has him ejected. Buddy is heartbroken, but brightens up as he wanders into a local Gimbels department store, where he meets Jovie, an unenthusiastic employee in the toy department, whom he is instantly smitten with. Hearing that Santa will be at the store the following day, Buddy redecorates the store overnight. However, upon realizing that the Gimbels Santa is just an employee in a costume, Buddy unmasks him and causes a brawl in the store that the manager breaks up.

Walter reluctantly bails Buddy out of the police station and takes him for a DNA test, confirming that Buddy is his biological son. Dr. Leonardo convinces Walter to take Buddy home to meet his stepmother Emily and half-brother Michael. Walter and Michael are unnerved by Buddy's strange behavior, but Emily insists that they take care of him until he "recovers". Michael warms up to Buddy after they defeat a gang of bullies in a snowball fight and encourages Buddy to ask Jovie out on a date. During the date, the two fall in love.

Meanwhile, Walter's publishing company is failing after their latest book flops. Walter's boss, Fulton Greenway, expects Walter to have a new book ready by Christmas Eve. Walter and his team secure a meeting with best-selling children's author Miles Finch, but Buddy interrupts the meeting and mistakes Finch, who has dwarfism, for an elf. Buddy unintentionally insults Finch before the latter attacks him and angrily leaves the meeting, upon which Walter loses his temper and harshly disowns Buddy. Heartbroken, Buddy writes an apology note on an Etch A Sketch and leaves Walter’s apartment.

Upon finding Finch's notebook full of ideas, Walter and his team scramble to create a book to pitch. As Walter prepares to pitch the book to Greenway, Michael arrives and informs Walter of Buddy's departure. Realizing his mistake, Walter quits his job and walks out with Michael to find Buddy. Meanwhile, Buddy sees Santa's sleigh crash in Central Park, attracting a large crowd. Santa explains that the sleigh’s engine is lost and cannot fly without it due to a shortage of Christmas spirit.

Buddy finds the engine and reunites with Walter and Michael. Walter apologizes to Buddy for his harsh words and accepts him as his son. After he takes them to meet Santa, Michael takes Santa's list and reads it in front of television news cameras gathered outside the park, proving that Santa is real. A group of Central Park Rangers sent to investigate (whom Santa recognizes from the Naughty List) chase the sleigh as Buddy tries to reattach the engine. Jovie leads the crowd (including a reluctant Walter) and those watching on television in singing "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town", raising enough Christmas spirit to fully power the sleigh without the engine.

By the following Christmas, Buddy and Walter establish their own publishing company, with their first bestseller being a children's book based on Buddy's exploits. Buddy also marries Jovie and brings their newborn daughter Susie to visit Papa Elf.

Cast

Faizon Love appears as the Gimbels manager whose name tag reads "Wanda" and Peter Dinklage plays dwarf author Miles Finch. Amy Sedaris plays Walter's secretary Deb and Michael Lerner portrays his strict boss Fulton Greenway. Andy Richter and Kyle Gass play Walter's colleagues Morris and Eugene.

Artie Lange plays the department store Santa with whom Buddy gets into a fight. Claire Lautier plays NY1 reporter Charlotte Denon and Matt Walsh appears alongside her as himself. Will Ferrell's brother Patrick appears with Patrick McCartney as a pair of Empire State Building security guards, and Mark Acheson portrays the mailroom worker who shares his liquor with Buddy. Favreau makes a cameo appearance as Walter's family doctor.

At the North Pole, David Paul Grove plays Pom Pom, Michael Roberds portrays a cobbler, and Richard Side plays a teacher. Producer Peter Billingsley is uncredited as head elf Ming Ming. [6] Additionally, Leon Redbone voices Leon the Snowman, Ray Harryhausen voices a Polar bear cub, and Favreau is uncredited as the voice of Baby Walrus, Mr. Narwhal, and the Arctic Puffin. [6] Also uncredited are Maurice LaMarche for providing Buddy's extended belch, [7] and Dallas McKennon, who provides the voice of the jack-in-the-boxes via archive audio from Lady and the Tramp .[ citation needed ]

Production

Development

David Berenbaum initially wrote the script in 1993, with Chris Farley and Jim Carrey being early candidates to play Buddy. [8] [9] [10] [11] Berenbaum's screenplay underwent uncredited rewrites by Scot Armstrong, [12] [13] Chris Henchy, [14] and the writing team of Adam McKay and Will Ferrell. [15] [16] [17] Garry Shandling was offered the role of Walter Hobbs but declined. [8] Wanda Sykes was originally cast as the Gimbels manager Wanda but later dropped out; the manager's name tag in the film still bears the name "Wanda". [18] Terry Zwigoff was offered to direct the film, but he turned it down in favor of Bad Santa (2003). [19] [20] According to Favreau, the script was initially "much darker" and did not interest him, although he was interested in working with Ferrell's first post- SNL movie. [21] Asked to rewrite it, a turning point came when he realized he could make Buddy's world an homage to the Rankin/Bass Christmas specials. This allowed him to conceive of a movie that could be PG rated as opposed to the original script, which he guessed would have been rated PG-13. [21]

Filming

Director Jon Favreau in 2007 Jon Favreau-2007.jpg
Director Jon Favreau in 2007

Principal photography began on December 9, 2002, and wrapped on March 7, 2003. [22] Filming took place in New York City, as well as in Vancouver and at Riverview Hospital in Coquitlam, British Columbia. [21] [23]

The film makes heavy use of forced perspective to exaggerate the size of Buddy compared to all the other elves. Stop motion animation was employed for certain sequences. [21] CGI usage was kept to a minimum due to Favreau's own preference, something that he later noted he "had to fight very hard" for. [21]

Will Ferrell said in interviews that he suffered ill effects after eating too much sugar for the film. [24]

Zooey Deschanel singing was not in the original script, and Favreau added it when he learned she was a singer. [21] When Buddy starts singing in the middle of Santaland at Gimbels, the lyrics were not scripted, and Will Ferrell improvised the song on the spot. [25]

One of the most popular scenes in the movie (Buddy screaming out "Santa!" when the manager at Gimbels says he is coming) was completely improvised. [26]

Post-production

Apart from snow, most of the computer-generated imagery (CGI) in the film was created by Rhythm & Hues Studios. [27] Buddy's belch after drinking a two-liter bottle of Coca-Cola was dubbed by voice actor Maurice LaMarche. [7]

Music

The soundtrack was released on New Line Records in November 2003 in the United States [28] and in October 2005 in the United Kingdom, including its signature song "Baby, It's Cold Outside" by Deschanel and Leon Redbone, which was released as a single. [29] It was certified Gold by the RIAA in April 2011. [30] Having sold 695,000 copies in the United States, it is the second-highest selling soundtrack album for a Christmas-themed film since Nielsen SoundScan started tracking music sales in 1991, behind only The Polar Express . [31]

  1. "Pennies from Heaven" – Louis Prima
  2. "Sleigh Ride" – Ella Fitzgerald and the Frank De Vol Orchestra
  3. "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!" – Lena Horne
  4. "Sleigh Ride/Santa Claus' Party" – Ferrante & Teicher/Les Baxter
  5. "Baby, It's Cold Outside" – Leon Redbone and Zooey Deschanel
  6. "Jingle Bells" – Jim Reeves
  7. "The Nutcracker Suite" – Brian Setzer Orchestra
  8. "Christmas Island" – Leon Redbone
  9. "Santa Baby" – Eartha Kitt and the Henri René Orchestra
  10. "Winter Wonderland" – Ray Charles
  11. "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town" – Eddy Arnold
  12. "Nothing from Nothing" – Billy Preston

The score to the film, composed and conducted by John Debney and performed by the Hollywood Studio Symphony, was released by Varèse Sarabande. [32]

Release

Home media

The film was released on DVD and VHS on November 16, 2004, and on Blu-ray on October 28, 2008. The film was subsequently released on 4K Blu-ray on November 1, 2022. [33] It is also available for the PlayStation Portable with Universal Media Disc. This is one of the only few DVDs to be PG rated under the Infinifilm label.

Reception

Box office

Elf grossed $176.6 million in the United States and Canada, and $47.2 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $223.9 million, against a production budget of $33 million. [1]

The film opened at number two at the box office in the United States with $31.1 million, finishing behind The Matrix Revolutions , also in its first week. [34] It topped the box office on its second week of release, beating out Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World and earning $26.3 million. [35] [36] Additionally, Elf went on to compete against another family-oriented film, Brother Bear . [37] In the United Kingdom, it opened in second behind Love Actually . [38] The 2018, 2019, and 2020 reissues earned $442,000, $786,000, and $2 million respectively. [1]

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, Elf holds an approval rating of 86% based on 202 reviews, and an average rating of 7.1/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "A movie full of Yuletide cheer, Elf is a spirited, good-natured family comedy, and it benefits greatly from Will Ferrell's funny and charming performance as one of Santa's biggest helpers." [39] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 66 out of 100, based on 39 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [40] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A−" on an A+ to F scale. [41]

Roger Ebert gave it three out of four stars, calling it "one of those rare Christmas comedies that has a heart, a brain and a wicked sense of humor, and it charms the socks right off the mantelpiece." [42] Writing for Rolling Stone , Peter Travers gave the film two out of four stars, saying: "Ferrell makes the damn thing work. Even though he can't get naked or use naughty words, there's a devil of comedy in Ferrell, and he lets it out to play. Director Jon Favreau has the good sense to just stand out of his way." [43] The Hollywood Reporter gave the film a positive review, saying: "While the words "instant holiday classic" might be pushing it, Elf is at the very least a breezily entertaining, perfectly cast family treat." [44] A. O. Scott of The New York Times also gave the film a positive review, saying: "Elf is a charming, silly family Christmas movie more likely to spread real joy than migraine, indigestion and sugar shock. The movie succeeds because it at once restrains its sticky, gooey good cheer and wildly overdoes it." [45] Anna Smith of Empire magazine gave the film a three out of five stars and said: "Ferrell's man-child invites sympathy and sniggers, making this amusing despite some flimsy plotting. Sight gags and a Santa-centered story should keep the kids happy too." [46] Plugged In (publication) gave the film a positive review, writing: "The elf-reared Buddy has a heart as big as the arctic north. Does his movie match it?" [47]

Accolades

The film was nominated for nine awards and won two. [48]

Won

Nominated

Critics' rankings

Elf is often ranked among the greatest Christmas films, [49] [50] [51] [52] and airs annually on television during the holiday season. In 2017, Fandango users rated Elf the best Christmas film of the 21st century. [53]

Other media

Musical

A Broadway musical based upon the film ran on Broadway during the 2010 Christmas season. It was directed by Casey Nicholaw, with music by Matthew Sklar, lyrics by Chad Beguelin, and a book by Bob Martin and Thomas Meehan.

The musical officially opened at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre on November 10, 2010, after previews from November 2, 2010. The cast included Sebastian Arcelus as Buddy, Amy Spanger as Jovie, Beth Leavel as Emily, Mark Jacoby as Walter, Matthew Gumley as Michael, Valerie Wright as Deb, Michael McCormick as Mr. Greenway, Michael Mandell as Store Manager, and George Wendt as Santa. It ran through to January 2, 2011. [67]

Animated special

Elf: Buddy's Musical Christmas is an hour-long stop-motion animated musical television special based on the film and the musical of the same name. While Edward Asner was the only cast member from the film to reprise his role, the rest of the cast included Jim Parsons as Buddy, Mark Hamill as Walter Hobbs, Kate Micucci as Jovie, Rachael MacFarlane as Emily Hobbs, Max Charles as Michael Hobbs, and Gilbert Gottfried as Mr. Greenway. It was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and first aired on NBC on December 16, 2014. It features songs from the musical.

Video game

A video game based on the film was released on November 4, 2004, for the Game Boy Advance, developed by Human Soft and published by Crave Entertainment. [68] [69] The game follows the same plot as the movie. In the majority of the levels, the player has to collect candies throughout each level while avoiding various objects and polar bears, whilst several levels consist of minigames, such as flying Santa's sleigh, or engaging in a snowball fight.[ citation needed ] The game received generally negative reviews. [68]

Cancelled sequel

On September 18, 2013, Mental Floss reported that Favreau was interested in making a sequel to the film, titled Elf 2: Buddy Saves Christmas. [70] Later in December, Ferrell stated that he did not want to make a sequel. [71] In January 2016, Favreau stated that a sequel could still happen. [72] The next month, Ferrell reiterated that a sequel was unlikely and stated that he was generally reluctant to do sequels unless there was a story that justifies it. [73] On September 18, 2020, Caan reaffirmed that the possibility of a sequel was unlikely stating that Ferrell and Favreau did not get along. [74]

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>The Santa Clause</i> 1994 film directed by John Pasquin

The Santa Clause is a 1994 American Christmas comedy film directed by John Pasquin and written by Leo Benvenuti and Steve Rudnick. The first installment in The Santa Clause franchise, it stars Tim Allen as Scott Calvin, an ordinary man who accidentally causes Santa Claus to fall from his roof to his supposed death on Christmas Eve. When he and his young son, Charlie, finish the late St. Nick's trip and deliveries, they go to the North Pole where Scott learns that he must become the new Santa and convince those he loves that he is indeed Santa Claus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Will Ferrell</span> American actor, comedian, and producer (born 1967)

John William Ferrell is an American actor, comedian, writer, and producer. Ferrell is known for his leading man roles in comedy films and for his work as a television producer. He has earned four Emmy Awards and in 2011 was honored with the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. In 2015, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and was named the best comedian in British GQ.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jon Favreau</span> American filmmaker and actor (born 1966)

Jonathan Kolia Favreau is an American filmmaker and actor. As an actor, Favreau has appeared in films such as Rudy (1993), PCU (1994), Swingers (1996), Very Bad Things (1998), Deep Impact (1998), The Replacements (2000), Daredevil (2003), The Break-Up (2006), Four Christmases (2008), Couples Retreat (2009), I Love You, Man (2009), People Like Us (2012), The Wolf of Wall Street (2013), Chef (2014), and several films created by Marvel Studios.

<i>The Santa Clause 2</i> 2002 film directed by Michael Lembeck

The Santa Clause 2 is a 2002 American Christmas comedy film directed by Michael Lembeck in his directorial debut. It is a sequel to The Santa Clause (1994) and the second installment in The Santa Clause franchise. All of the principal actors from the first film, including Tim Allen, Eric Lloyd, Judge Reinhold, Wendy Crewson, and David Krumholtz, reprise their roles, and are joined by Elizabeth Mitchell, Spencer Breslin, and Liliana Mumy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zooey Deschanel</span> American actress and musician (born 1980)

Zooey Claire Deschanel is an American actress and musician. She made her film debut in Mumford (1999) and had a supporting role in Cameron Crowe's film Almost Famous (2000). Deschanel is known for her deadpan roles in comedy films such as The Good Girl (2002), The New Guy (2002), Elf (2003), The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005), Failure to Launch (2006), Yes Man (2008), The Happening (2008), 500 Days of Summer (2009) and Our Idiot Brother (2011). She has also ventured into dramatic film territory with Manic (2001), All the Real Girls (2003), Winter Passing (2005), Bridge to Terabithia (2007) and The Driftless Area (2015). From 2011 to 2018, she starred as Jess Day on the Fox sitcom New Girl, for which she received nominations for a Primetime Emmy Award and three Golden Globe Awards.

<i>Mickeys Twice Upon a Christmas</i> 2004 animated film

Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas is a 2004 American Direct-to-video animated Christmas anthology fantasy film produced by Disneytoon Studios and directed by Matthew O'Callaghan. The film includes stories directed by Peggy Holmes, O'Callaghan, Theresa Cullen, and Carole Holliday. It is the sequel to Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas (1999). It features Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Pluto, Goofy, Max, Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, Huey, Dewey, and Louie, and Scrooge McDuck, in five different segments rather than three like its predecessor. It received generally positive reviews from critics.

<i>Santa Claus: The Movie</i> 1985 film by Jeannot Szwarc

Santa Claus: The Movie is a 1985 British-American Christmas film starring Dudley Moore, John Lithgow, and David Huddleston. It depicts the origin of Santa Claus, and his modern-day adventure to save one of his elves (Moore) who has been manipulated by an unscrupulous toy company executive (Lithgow). It was directed by Jeannot Szwarc and was the last major fantasy film produced by the Paris-based father-and-son production team of Alexander and Ilya Salkind.

<i>Zathura: A Space Adventure</i> 2005 film by Jon Favreau

Zathura: A Space Adventure is a 2005 American science fiction adventure film directed by Jon Favreau. It is an adaptation of the 2002 children's book Zathura by Chris Van Allsburg, author of the 1981 children's book Jumanji. It is a standalone spin-off of the 1995 film Jumanji and the second installment of the Jumanji franchise. The film stars Josh Hutcherson, Jonah Bobo, Dax Shepard, Kristen Stewart, and Tim Robbins.

<i>The Polar Express</i> (film) 2004 film by Robert Zemeckis

The Polar Express is a 2004 American animated adventure film directed by Robert Zemeckis, who co-wrote the screenplay with William Broyles Jr., based on the 1985 children's book of the same name by Chris Van Allsburg. It stars Tom Hanks, Daryl Sabara, Nona Gaye, Jimmy Bennett, and Eddie Deezen. The film depicts human characters using live action and motion capture computer animation, with production sequences for the latter taking place from June 2003 to May 2004. Set on Christmas Eve, it tells the story of a young boy who sees a mysterious train bound for the North Pole stop outside his window and is invited aboard by its conductor. He joins other children as they embark on a journey to visit Santa Claus, who is preparing for Christmas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">25 Days of Christmas</span> An annual seasonal television event by Freeform

Freeform's 25 Days of Christmas is an American annual seasonal event of Christmas programming broadcast during the month of December by the U.S. cable network Freeform. The event was first held in 1996, and has been an annual fixture of the channel through its various incarnations, including The Family Channel, Fox Family, ABC Family, and Freeform. The brand covers airings of classic holiday specials as well as new Christmas-themed television movies each year; generally few of the network's original series air during the time period, outside of Christmas-themed episodes. In 2006, the lineup has also included airings of general, family films that Freeform holds rights to, which included the Harry Potter films until January 2017, and other Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures films. In 2007, the block was extended to November with a Countdown to 25 Days of Christmas block. 25 Days of Christmas programming often attracts major surges in viewership for Freeform, with higher-profile film airings often attracting 3–4 million viewers or more.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christmas elf</span> Western folklore creature

In English-speaking cultures, a Christmas elf is a diminutive elf that lives with Santa Claus at the North Pole and acts as his helper. Christmas elves are usually depicted as green- or red-clad, with large, pointy ears and wearing pointy hats. They are most often depicted as humanoids, but sometimes as furry mammals with tails. Santa's elves are often said to make the toys in Santa's workshop and take care of his reindeer, among other tasks.

<i>Arthur Christmas</i> 2011 British-American Christmas comedy film

Arthur Christmas is a 2011 animated Christmas comedy film produced by Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation in association with Aardman Animations, and distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing. The film is Aardman's second mostly computer-animated feature film after 2006's Flushed Away. It was directed by Sarah Smith, co-directed by Barry Cook, and written by Smith and Peter Baynham. Featuring the voices of James McAvoy, Hugh Laurie, Bill Nighy, Jim Broadbent, Imelda Staunton, and Ashley Jensen, the film centres on Arthur Claus, the clumsy but well-meaning son of Santa Claus, who discovers that his father's high-tech ship has failed to deliver one girl's present. Accompanied only by his free-spirited and reckless grandfather, an enthusiastic Christmas elf obsessed with wrapping gifts, and a team of reindeer, he embarks on a mission to deliver the girl's present personally in the early morning hours of Christmas Day before sunrise.

<i>Elf</i> (musical) Musical composed by Matthew Sklar and Chad Beguelin

Elf is a musical based on the motion picture of the same name, with a score by Matthew Sklar and Chad Beguelin. The book is adapted by Bob Martin and Thomas Meehan from the 2003 film. The musical ran on Broadway in the Christmas seasons of 2010–11 and 2012–13, in the West End in the 2015–16 season, and has also toured extensively, often during the Christmas holiday season.

<i>Elf: Buddys Musical Christmas</i> American TV series or program

Elf: Buddy's Musical Christmas is a 2014 American stop-motion animated Christmas musical television special produced by Warner Bros. Animation, directed by Mark Caballero and Seamus Walsh and written by Aaron Horvath, Michael Jelenic, Bob Martin and Thomas Meehan. It is based on the 2003 film Elf and the Broadway theatre musical Elf: The Musical. While Ed Asner reprises his role of Santa Claus from the film, the rest of the cast consists of Jim Parsons, Mark Hamill, Kate Micucci, Max Charles, and Rachael MacFarlane. The special premiered on December 16, 2014, on NBC.

<i>Santas Apprentice</i> 2010 French film

Santa's Apprentice is a 2010 French-Australian animated Christmas film produced and animated by Gaumont-Alphanim. Avril Stark Entertainment and Cartoon Saloon provided additional animation for the film. It is based on the animated TV series SantApprentice.

<i>Noelle</i> (2019 film) 2019 film by Marc Lawrence

Noelle is a 2019 American Christmas fantasy comedy film written and directed by Marc Lawrence, produced by Walt Disney Pictures and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. The film stars Anna Kendrick as Noelle Kringle, the daughter of Kris Kringle. It also stars Bill Hader, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Billy Eichner, Julie Hagerty, and Shirley MacLaine. In the film, when Noelle's brother Nick is stressed from all the pressure of taking over for their father, he leaves and does not return. She must find her brother and bring him back in time for Christmas. It was filmed from October 2017 to January 2018 in British Columbia and Woodstock, Georgia.

<i>The Christmas Chronicles 2</i> 2020 American Christmas comedy film

The Christmas Chronicles 2 is a 2020 American Christmas comedy film directed and produced by Chris Columbus, who wrote the screenplay with Matt Lieberman. A sequel to the 2018 film The Christmas Chronicles, it features Kurt Russell reprising his role as Santa Claus. Also reprising their roles are Goldie Hawn, Darby Camp, Judah Lewis, and Kimberly Williams-Paisley, with new cast members Julian Dennison, Jahzir Bruno, Tyrese Gibson, Sunny Suljic, Darlene Love, and Malcolm McDowell. The film had a limited theatrical release before moving to Netflix on November 25, 2020.

<i>Alien Xmas</i> 2020 American stop-motion animated film

Alien Xmas is a 2020 American stop-motion animated Christmas film directed by Stephen Chiodo. Based on the 2006 book of the same name by Chiodo and Jim Strain, the film features the voices of Keythe Farley, Dee Bradley Baker, Kaliayh Rhambo, Michelle Deco, and Barbara Goodson. The film's plot centers on X, an extraterrestrial belonging to a race of thieving aliens known as Klepts, who is sent to the North Pole on a mission to eliminate Earth's gravity.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Elf (2003)". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on December 7, 2020. Retrieved December 6, 2020.
  2. ↑ "Elf". American Film Institute. Archived from the original on September 30, 2021. Retrieved October 25, 2016.
  3. ↑ "Top Ten Christmas Movies Of All Time". TheTopTens.com. Archived from the original on January 4, 2021. Retrieved December 11, 2018.
  4. ↑ "The 50 Best Christmas Movies of All Time". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on January 4, 2021. Retrieved December 11, 2018.
  5. ↑ Jackson, Dan (December 22, 2017). "The 50 Best Christmas Movies of All Time". Thrillist. Archived from the original on October 9, 2017. Retrieved December 11, 2018.
  6. 1 2 "8 things you never knew about the Christmas movie 'Elf'". ABC News. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
  7. 1 2 "Maurice LaMarche interview on Talk Radio Meltdown - Explanation of Buddy the Elf's belch at 21:52". Talk Radio Meltdown. Retrieved May 27, 2011.
  8. 1 2 "Elf". The Holiday Movies That Made Us. Season 1. Episode 1. December 1, 2020. Netflix.
  9. ↑ "10 Things You Didn't Know About Elf". TheFW. December 16, 2013. Archived from the original on December 21, 2019. Retrieved November 30, 2019.
  10. ↑ Mullins, Jenna (December 18, 2014). "NEWS/ 56 Facts You May Not Know About Your Favorite Holiday Films". E! News . Archived from the original on June 29, 2019. Retrieved June 17, 2015.
  11. ↑ Evans, Bradford (March 17, 2011). "The Lost Roles of Jim Carrey". New York . Archived from the original on June 3, 2018. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
  12. ↑ Falcon, Jesse (February 1, 2007). "Old School's Scot Armstrong". Cracked. Archived from the original on December 1, 2017. Retrieved November 25, 2017.
  13. ↑ Fritz, Ben (June 14, 2005). "Inside Move: Lack of Will power won't stop 'Elf' sequel". Variety. Archived from the original on December 1, 2017. Retrieved November 25, 2017.
  14. ↑ Riley, Jenelle (May 27, 2016). "Will Ferrell and Adam McKay Celebrate a Decade of Gary Sanchez Productions". Variety. Archived from the original on December 1, 2017. Retrieved November 25, 2017.
  15. ↑ O'Hara, Helen (January 17, 2016). "Adam McKay: laughing all the way to the bank" . The Telegraph. Archived from the original on January 11, 2022. Retrieved November 25, 2017.
  16. ↑ Caro, Mark (December 6, 2013). "'Anchorman 2': The Chicago roots of Adam McKay". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on December 1, 2017. Retrieved November 25, 2017.
  17. ↑ Weiner, Jonah (February 28, 2014). "Anchor Management". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
  18. ↑ "'Holiday Movies' explores origins of 'Elf,' 'Nightmare Before Christmas'". United Press International. Archived from the original on October 1, 2021. Retrieved September 12, 2021.
  19. ↑ Sherlock, Ben (August 4, 2020). "You Sit On A Throne Of Lies: 10 Behind-The-Scenes Facts About Elf". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on June 20, 2022. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
  20. ↑ Udovitch, Mim (November 30, 2003). "FILM; Terry Zwigoff's Santa: He's Making a List And Checking His Escape Routes Twice". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved November 28, 2023.
  21. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Susman, Gary (December 24, 2020). "'Elf' at 10: Jon Favreau Reflects on Buddy's Magical Legacy". Rolling Stone . Retrieved March 1, 2021.
  22. ↑ Arnold, Jeremy (2018). Christmas in the Movies: 30 Classics to Celebrate the Season. Arnold. ISBN   9780786486946.
  23. ↑ "Explanation of the sound effect". proboards.com. Archived from the original on July 15, 2011. Retrieved October 9, 2014.
  24. ↑ "Elf Movie - Will Ferrell Interview". thoughtco.com. August 30, 2016. Archived from the original on October 14, 2017. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
  25. ↑ Will Ferrell in 'Elf" Interview . Retrieved April 21, 2016– via Vimeo.
  26. ↑ Kerr, Mandi (November 18, 2020). "'Elf' Star Will Ferrell Improvised 1 of Buddy's Most Memorable Lines". Showbiz Cheat Sheet. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  27. ↑ Snipes, Stephanie (November 7, 2003). "How to create an 'Elf'". CNN. Archived from the original on September 1, 2016. Retrieved December 25, 2020.
  28. ↑ "Elf: Music From The Major Motion Picture". Amazon. Archived from the original on September 23, 2018. Retrieved December 26, 2017.
  29. ↑ "Elf Original Soundtrack". Amazon UK. Archived from the original on January 16, 2016. Retrieved January 1, 2010.
  30. ↑ "American certifications – Elf: Music from the Major Motion Picture". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved December 7, 2014.
  31. ↑ Caulfield, Keith (December 6, 2014). "Billboard 200 Chart Moves: 'Guardians' on Cassette Cashes In". Billboard . Retrieved November 23, 2021.
  32. ↑ "Hollywood Studio Symphony". Hollywoodstudiosymphony.com. Archived from the original on February 11, 2009. Retrieved January 1, 2010.
  33. ↑ Elf 4K Blu-ray (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital HD), archived from the original on November 8, 2022, retrieved November 8, 2022
  34. ↑ "AT THE BOX OFFICE". November 12, 2003. Archived from the original on November 22, 2022. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
  35. ↑ "'Elf' a giant at the box office". Los Angeles Times . November 17, 2003. Archived from the original on October 13, 2022. Retrieved October 13, 2022.
  36. ↑ "Elf beats Crowe at US box office". BBC News. BBC. November 16, 2003. Archived from the original on July 1, 2004. Retrieved December 24, 2011.
  37. ↑ Holson, Laura (November 10, 2003). "An Elf and a Bear Trip Up the Final 'Matrix'". The New York Times. Archived from the original on July 9, 2015. Retrieved July 6, 2015.
  38. ↑ "Historical Box Office 28th November 2003". saltypopcorn.co.uk. Salty Popcorn. November 28, 2003. Retrieved December 18, 2023.
  39. ↑ "Elf (2003)". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango. Archived from the original on December 12, 2016. Retrieved December 7, 2023. OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  40. ↑ "Elf reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on December 16, 2023. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
  41. ↑ "Cinemascore". Archived from the original on December 20, 2018. Retrieved July 24, 2019.
  42. ↑ Ebert, Roger (November 7, 2003). "Elf Movie Review & Film Summary (2003)". Chicago Sun-Times . Archived from the original on February 22, 2014. Retrieved February 21, 2014.
  43. ↑ Travers, Peter (November 7, 2003). "'Elf' review". Rolling Stone . Retrieved December 3, 2017.
  44. ↑ "'Elf': THR's 2003 Review". The Hollywood Reporter . December 24, 2015. Archived from the original on April 6, 2020. Retrieved April 30, 2020.
  45. ↑ Scott, A. O. (November 7, 2003). "Film Review; For One Lad, Pointy Shoes Turn Out to Be Hard to Fill". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved July 4, 2020.
  46. ↑ Smith, Anna (January 1, 2000). "Elf". Empire. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved July 4, 2020.
  47. ↑ "Elf". Plugged In. Archived from the original on July 30, 2020. Retrieved July 4, 2020.
  48. ↑ "Elf Awards". IMDb. Archived from the original on January 3, 2009. Retrieved January 1, 2010.
  49. ↑ "Christmas Movie Rankings: 10 Best Christmas Movies". Heavy.com. Archived from the original on April 21, 2016. Retrieved April 4, 2016.
  50. ↑ "17 Favorite Christmas Movies". HuffPost. December 24, 2012. Archived from the original on February 6, 2016. Retrieved April 4, 2016.
  51. ↑ Infante, Dave (December 18, 2015). "Best Christmas Movies including Home Alone, Scrooged, Muppet Christmas Carol". thrillist. Archived from the original on July 10, 2017. Retrieved April 4, 2016.
  52. ↑ Wakeman, Gregory (December 9, 2014). "The 10 Greatest Christmas Movies Of All-Time, According To British People". Cinemablend.com. Archived from the original on June 1, 2015. Retrieved April 4, 2016.
  53. ↑ "Elf Is the Top Christmas Movie of the 21st Century". Movieweb.com. December 22, 2017. Archived from the original on December 26, 2017. Retrieved December 26, 2017.
  54. ↑ Reynolds, Simon (December 19, 2011). "Muppet Christmas Carol tops Digital Spy favourite Christmas film poll". Digital Spy . Archived from the original on October 23, 2020. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
  55. ↑ "50 Best Christmas Movies". Totalfilm.com. Archived from the original on February 27, 2014.
  56. ↑ Staff (December 23, 2020). "The 35 best Christmas movies of all time". gamesradar. Archived from the original on November 23, 2021. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
  57. ↑ Nashawaty, Chris (December 26, 2011). "These are the top 20 Christmas movies ever". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on December 18, 2010.
  58. ↑ "Today's Special: Best Christmas Movies of All Time (Updated!)". The San Francisco Chronicle . Archived from the original on February 8, 2021. Retrieved July 4, 2020.
  59. ↑ "It's a Wonderful Life tops favourite Christmas film poll". The Guardian. November 29, 2011. Archived from the original on February 17, 2017. Retrieved December 11, 2016.
  60. ↑ Couch, Aaron; Nordyke, Kimberly; Ford, Rebecca. "Ho Ho Hollywood! Tinseltown's 30 Best Christmas-Themed Movies". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on February 6, 2015. Retrieved December 21, 2013.
  61. ↑ Hughes, Mark. "Top Ten Best Christmas Movies Of All Time". Forbes. Archived from the original on November 23, 2021. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
  62. ↑ "A Christmas Story Voted Greatest Holiday Movie of All Time". Newsday. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016.
  63. ↑ "Top 10 Christmas Movies". About.com . Archived from the original on August 21, 2014. Retrieved December 24, 2011.
  64. ↑ "The 30 Best Christmas Movies Ever". Empire. December 2010. Archived from the original on April 20, 2015. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
  65. ↑ "Chicago tribune #17 elf greatest christmas film of all time". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on December 24, 2013. Retrieved December 21, 2013.
  66. ↑ "Merry Christmas! The best Christmas movies ever". Daily News . New York. December 21, 2011. Archived from the original on January 2, 2012. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
  67. ↑ Hetrick, Adam."Beth Leavel, Mark Jacoby and George Wendt to Star in Elf – The Musical on Broadway" Archived August 15, 2010, at the Wayback Machine playbill.com, August 11, 2010
  68. 1 2 "Elf: The Movie". Metacritic. Archived from the original on June 28, 2018. Retrieved May 31, 2019.
  69. ↑ Ball, Ryan (September 23, 2004). "Crave Brings Elf to GBA for the Holidays". Animation Magazine. Archived from the original on May 13, 2019. Retrieved May 31, 2019.
  70. ↑ "55 Unfortunately Unfinished Films". MentalFloss. September 18, 2013. Archived from the original on December 8, 2017. Retrieved January 13, 2018.
  71. ↑ "Will Ferrell Says 'Bah Humbug' to 'Elf 2'". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on December 8, 2017. Retrieved January 13, 2018.
  72. ↑ "Elf 2 Could Happen Says Jon Favreau (Exclusive)". Orlando-parfitt.tumblr.com. Archived from the original on January 23, 2017. Retrieved January 13, 2018.
  73. ↑ Tilly, Chris (February 11, 2016). "Why Will Ferrell Won't Make Elf 2". IGN.com. Archived from the original on January 14, 2018. Retrieved January 13, 2018.
  74. ↑ "James Caan Says There's No 'Elf 2' Because Will Ferrell and Jon Favreau 'Didn't Get Along'". Yahoo! Entertainment. September 18, 2020. Archived from the original on September 19, 2020. Retrieved September 19, 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.