Jump to content

Elf (film)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Elf
A man dressed as an elf stands between the letters "e" and "f".
Theatrical release poster
Directed byJon Favreau
Written byDavid Berenbaum
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyGreg Gardiner
Edited byDan Lebental
Music byJohn Debney
Production
companies
Distributed byNew Line Cinema
Release date
  • November 7, 2003 (2003-11-07)
Running time
97 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States[2]
LanguageEnglish
Budget$33 million[1]
Box office$228.9 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.

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

[edit]

One Christmas Eve, a baby from an orphanage crawls into Santa Claus's sack at the sight of a teddy bear, and is unknowingly taken back to the North Pole. 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 that he is an elf. As an adult, however, Buddy overhears that 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 travels to New York to meet his father and finds Walter at his workplace, but Walter mistakes him for a Christmas-gram messenger and has him ejected. Walter’s security guards teasingly suggest to Buddy to go to the Gimbels department store. At the store, Buddy is mistaken for one of the employees, and becomes 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, causing an enraged Walter to lash out at Buddy. Heartbroken and ashamed, Buddy writes an apology on an Etch A Sketch and leaves Walter's apartment.

Walter's associates find Finch's abandoned notebook 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, much to Greenway's anger, 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. Walter apologizes to Buddy for his outburst and 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 following Christmas, Buddy and Walter have established their own publishing company, with their 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.

Cast

[edit]
Will Ferrell plays Buddy Hobbs
  • Will Ferrell as Buddy Hobbs, an eccentric human who was raised by Santa's elves
    • Max Favreau plays a young Buddy
  • James Caan as Walter Hobbs, a cynical children's book publishing executive and Buddy's biological father
  • Zooey Deschanel as Jovie, an unenthusiastic Gimbels employee and Buddy's love interest
  • Mary Steenburgen as Emily Hobbs, Walter's wife, Michael's mother and Buddy's stepmother
  • Daniel Tay as Michael Hobbs, Walter and Emily's son, and Buddy's younger paternal half-brother
  • Ed Asner as Santa Claus
  • Bob Newhart as Papa Elf, Buddy's adoptive father and the film's narrator

Faizon Love appears as Gimbels manager Wanda, and Peter Dinklage plays dwarf author Miles Finch. Amy Sedaris plays Walter's secretary Deb and Michael Lerner portrays his controlling boss Fulton Greenway. Andy Richter and Kyle Gass play Walter's colleagues Morris and Eugene, respectively.

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 Disney's Lady and the Tramp.[citation needed]

Production

[edit]

Development

[edit]

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 but later dropped out.[18] Terry Zwigoff was offered to direct the film, but he turned it down in favor of Bad Santa (2003).[19][20] According to Jon 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

[edit]
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]

The scene in which Buddy screams out "Santa!" when Wanda says he is coming was completely improvised by Ferrell.[26]

Post-production

[edit]

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

[edit]

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

[edit]

Home media

[edit]

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

[edit]

Box office

[edit]

Elf grossed $178 million in the United States and Canada, and $50.4 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $228.9 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

[edit]

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

[edit]

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

Won

  • 2004 ASCAP award – Top Box Office Films (John Debney)
  • 2004 Golden Trailer – Best Comedy

Nominated

  • 2004 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Award – Favorite Movie
  • 2004 MTV Movie Award – Best Comedic Performance (Will Ferrell)
  • 2004 PFCS Award – Best Live Action Family Film and Best Use of Previously Published or Recorded Music
  • 2004 Teen Choice Award – Choice Movie Actor – Comedy (Will Ferrell) and Choice Movie – Comedy
  • 2005 Golden Satellite Award – Best Youth DVD

Critics' rankings

[edit]

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

[edit]

Musical

[edit]

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

[edit]

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

[edit]

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

[edit]

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

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e "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. ^ a b "8 things you never knew about the Christmas movie 'Elf'". ABC News. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
  7. ^ a b "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. ^ a b "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. ^ a b c d e f 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. Edit this at Wikidata
  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. ^ a b "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.
[edit]