When young Buddy falls into Santa's gift sack on Christmas Eve, he's transported back to the North Pole and raised as a toy-making elf by Santa's helpers. But as he grows into adulthood, he can't shake the nagging feeling that he doesn't belong. Buddy vows to visit Manhattan and find his real dad, a workaholic.
Acting
Ferrell commits 110% to man-child innocence
Production
Forced perspective elves still hold up
Writing
David Sedaris meets Rankin-Bass absurdity
Director
Jon Favreau
Will Ferrell
Buddy
James Caan
Walter
Bob Newhart
Papa Elf
Ed Asner
Santa
Mary Steenburgen
Emily
Zooey Deschanel
Jovie
Daniel Tay
Michael
Faizon Love
Gimbels Manager
Peter Dinklage
Miles Finch
Amy Sedaris
Deb
Michael Lerner
Fulton
Andy Richter
Morris
Kyle Gass
Eugene
Artie Lange
Gimbels Santa
Leon Redbone
Leon the Snowman (voice)
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Ferrell turned down $29 million for Elf 2 because he couldn't stomach the script.
This film single-handedly revived the 'ironic Christmas sweater' industrial complex.
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