19th
Jim Chastain on Elf
In the weeks before Thankgiving, my family was in a collective funk, with a variety of bad news hitting us. One night, tired, possibly depressed, we gathered for family night, which for us usually means movies and takeout Chinese food or pizza. We began discussing what movie to watch, and we all agreed that we needed some sort of pick-me-up. No tearful drama or intense action/adventure film. No nail biting suspense or disgusting horror film. No, we needed a comedy.
“How about Elf?” I asked.
It wasn’t even officially the “holidays,” but everyone agreed that Elf was the perfect choice. I mean, the film is chalk-full of laughs and great one liners. Plus, here’s a guy (Buddy, played by Will Ferrell) who’s eternally joyful and optimistic. That wouldn’t hurt. Besides, we owned our own DVD copy, so we could pop it in at a moment’s notice.
Fifteen minutes later the movie was going, and our mood was improving with each passing scene. Laughter, they say, is the best medicine.
Elf is an underrated film. Some think of it as another silly Will Ferrell comedy, like Anchorman or Taladega Nights. But it’s much more than that. It’s also part drama, part romantic comedy, part fish-out-of-water story, part coming of age tale.
Plus, it’s good and so darn quotable. I often find myself borrowing exclamatory words and phrases from the film, like ginormous, that’s shocking, son of a nutcracker, very sucky, and cotton-headed ninny muggins (an Elf synonym for total idiot). If my wife and I are overdue for date night or it’s dinner time and we haven’t bought groceries, I might ask, “Do you want to go eat food?”
Longer phrases are a bit harder to work in to conversation. But if I’ve been eating too many holiday treats of late, I might say I’ve been ”trying to stick to the four main food groups: candy; candy canes; candy corns; and syrup.” Or, if someone comments about our holiday decorations, a Christmas poem I’ve written, or a card or present we’ve sent, I’m apt to say that it’s “nice to meet another human who shares my affinity for elf culture.”
Other lines from the film come in handy during parenting. If the kids are fighting, I might remind them that ”there’s room for everyone on the nice list.” If one of them has decided to forego showering for a couple of days, I can say “you smell like beef and cheese” without being too mean. Since teenagers aren’t known for being overly touchy-feely with parents, I can get much further if I accompany my attempts with some Elf logic like ”I forgot to give you a hug” or “tickle fight!” And if one of them appears to be stretching the truth, I can give them a deeply concerned look and say, “You sit on a throne of lies.”
Other lines from Elf are useful for everyday life when you need to recalibrate a lousy attitude. What better stay positive reminder is there than to begin each day with a “smiling’s my favorite” attitude? And when things are going wrong at the end of the year, you can pick yourself and those around you up with this thought: “The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear!”
The bottom line’s this. Elf is a feel-good film that’s useful during feel-bad times. I want to stop being so tired, grumpy, and cynical. I want to be the kind of guy who believes when I see a store advertising the ”world’s best” cup of coffee. Like Buddy, I want to respond by stepping into the store and saying, ”You did it! Congratulations! Good job everybody!”