Barnes & Noble

It's not easy to make a Christmas classic. For every A Charlie Brown Christmas and Miracle on 34th Street, there are countless films that put special effects where their hearts ought to be. Elf is a rare exception. With genuine charm and the immense likability of its star, Elf gives holiday cheer a good name. Will Ferrell stars as Buddy, a human raised by elves at the North Pole. But the over-six-foot-tall Buddy literally does not fit in, and he ventures to New York (via the seven levels of the Candy Cane forest, the sea of swirly, twirly gum drops, and the Lincoln Tunnel) where he is reunited with Walter, his biological father (James Caan), a children's book editor, who was not aware of Buddy's existence. Clad in yellow tights and a whimsical elfin coat, Buddy's childlike enthusiasm for all things sugar and all things Christmas converts cynics like Walter, melts the heart of Jovie (indie queen Zooey Deschanel), a wary department store clerk, and inspires the faith that is needed to power Santa's sleigh. There are warm and wonderful scenes, including Buddy and Jovie's impromptu duet of "Baby, It's Cold Outside," and Buddy's inevitable tangle with a department store Santa ("You sit on a throne of lies," Buddy tells the imposter). The supporting cast is another of this film's gifts that keeps on giving: Mary Steenburgen as Walter's very understanding wife; Bob Newhart as Walter's adoptive elf father; Ed Asner as Santa; and real-life dwarf Peter Dinklage as an author who doesn't much appreciate Buddy's mistaking him for one of Santa’s helpers. Donald Liebenson

All Movie Guide

For his sophomore stab at directing, actor/writer/director Jon Favreau (Swingers, Made), took on this holiday comedy starring Saturday Night Live-alum Will Ferrell. Ferrell stars as Buddy, a regular-sized man who was raised as an elf by Santa Claus (Edward Asner). When the news is finally broken to Buddy that he's not a real elf, he decides to head back to his place of birth, New York City, in search of his biological family. Elf also stars James Caan, Mary Steenburgen, Zooey Deschanel, and Bob Newhart. Matthew Tobey

Product Details

• UPC: 794043123467
• Source: NEW LINE HOME VIDEO
• Presentation: Wide Screen
• Sound: Dolby AC-3 Surround Sound
• Language: English
• Time: 1:34:00
• Sales Rank: 3,589

This DVD is also available as part of a box set:

• Christmas Comedy Collection
• New Line Cinema's 40th Anniversary Collection
• Essential Holiday Collection
• Holiday Comedy Collection: Elf/National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation/Fred Claus

Features: