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According to Papa Elf (Bob Newhart), an elf is limited to three professions: cobbling shoes, baking cookies inside of trees or making toys for Santa Claus (Ed Asner). Delivered with Mr. Newhart's classically dry narrative style is a scene of a stop-animated troll breaking wind. The key to the success of "Elf" is its adequate ability to balance dry witticisms with fart jokes, adult humor with adolescent shenanigans.
David Berenbaum's screenplay gives the film ample opportunity to exercise this balance. Buddy (Will Ferrell) grows up in the North Pole believing he's an elf, even though he's just a normal human. But it soon becomes painfully obvious that his 6-foot stature and poor toy-making skills make him different from the other elves. Thus, he begins his perilous journey to find his biological father, a ruthless book publisher named Walter Hobbs (James Caan). To find his father, he also tries to spread Christmas cheer to everyone he sees, including a cute department store elf named Jovie (Zooey Deschanel).
Caan, known best for his violent portrayal of Sonny in "The Godfather," shines in his turn as the archetypical Scrooge. Walter Hobbs is the kind of guy who will publish a children's book that is missing the last two pages just to save a few dollars. Although the role is fairly standard, the contrast between Caan's tough-guy attitude and Ferrell's lovable innocence adds a subtle layer of comedy to every scene with the two of them in it.
While Caan and the rest of the cast perform on par, Ferrell is the star of the show. Whether he is eating cotton balls or running in despair through the seven levels of Candy Cane Forest, Ferrell always plays the scene perfectly. His youthful exuberance coupled with his awkward appearance makes him one of the unique comedic actors of his generation. When he makes an itinerary on an Etch-a-Sketch for the day's activities, allotting two hours for making snow angels, his earnest innocence is both hilarious and kind of touching. In the end, the "Saturday Night Live" veteran is probably the only actor who could have played this role successfully.
The cinematography also deserves mention. Judging from Favreau's past films, the visual richness of "Elf" is quite surprising. He fills the screen with candy cane forests, extravagant Christmas decorations and amusing interpretations of holiday classics such as Santa's sled. Also, Mr. Favreau nostalgically employs the use of stop-animation to give life to a snowman and other perennial favorites, reminding older members of the audience of Christmas specials from the 1960s.
"Elf" is not destined to become a Christmas classic in the same vein as "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" or "A Christmas Story." Its plot follows a familiar trajectory and, at times, its Christmas cheer breaches the limits of cheesiness. But its heart and goofy charm will lull you into the film regardless of your age.
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