Elf (2003)

The film begins as a baby in an orphanage crawls into Santa's sack and emerges when Santa is back at the North Pole. Papa Elf (Bob Newhart) is given the task of raising him by Santa (Ed Asner). The baby is named Buddy (Will Ferrell) and is not told that he is human until it becomes obvious due to his size and inability to make toys without destroying them. Papa Elf tells him that he was put up for adoption and learns that his father, Walter Hobbs (James Caan)a publishing executive, was not aware that Buddy was born. Buddy decides that he must go to New York to see his father, especially since his father is on the "naughty" list.

When he arrives in New York, Buddy finds his father at this office, but Walter throws him out. Buddy takes a security guards suggestion to go back to Gimbels (since he looks like an elf) literally and he meets an employee in the Christmas area named Jovie (Zooey Deschanel). When the department store Santa shows up, Buddy realizes that he is not the real Santa and a fight occurs with Buddy ending up in jail. Walter bails him out and takes him to a doctor for a DNA test. When it is proven that Buddy is his son, Walter takes him home to meet his wife Emily (Mary Steenburgen) and son Michael. Michael doesn't like Buddy initially until Buddy helps him in a snowball fight with some bullies. He also talks Buddy into dating Jovie.

Walter takes Buddy to work and gets him a job in the mail room, but Buddy gets drunk with another employee. While trying to get a temperamental author to sign with his publishing firm, Buddy comes into the room and mistakes him for an elf and a fight ensues. Walter is so mad that he tells Buddy to get out of his life.

While walking the streets, Buddy sees Santa's sleigh crash in Central Park. Buddy helps fix the sleigh. While this is going on, Michael bursts into Walter's meeting to say that Buddy had gone and Walter needs to help. They find Buddy and he introduces them to Santa. Even though Buddy tried to fix the sleigh, it still won't fly. Jovie helps get the sleigh get going by getting everyone gathered and those that are watching television (thanks to news crews) to sing "Santa Claus is Coming to Town". The spirit of everyone gives the sleigh it's energy. Buddy and Jovie eventually marry.

This is a really cute movie and, thank goodness, one in which Will Ferrell isn't running around in his underwear or worse (a sight that no one should ever have to see!).

97 Minutes. Rated PG. I give this movie THREE AND ONE HALF STARS.