The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear — and watching “Elf,” of course.
Ever since the film was released in 2003, it’s become a holiday classic, and anyone who says otherwise is a cotton-headed ninny muggins.
Will Ferrell dazzles audiences as an energetic human-turned-elf named Buddy who travels to New York City to meet his biological father.
As a baby, Buddy sneaks into Santa’s sack of toys while jolly St. Nick is delivering presents to the orphanage where Buddy lives. When the elves discover Santa’s little stowaway, they hand him off to Papa Elf (Bob Newhart), who serves as his adoptive father.
Soon enough, it becomes quite clear that Buddy isn’t like the other elves. Sure, he’s ultra enthusiastic about Christmas and he loves making toys, but he grows up to be a lot bigger than his friends (over 6-feet tall!).
When Buddy learns that he’s not actually an elf, he embarks on a quest to find his real father, Walter Hobbs (James Caan), who doesn’t know about him.
Buddy is like a fish out of water when he arrives in the Big Apple and it takes him a while to understand how things operate differently in the human world.
Despite Buddy’s excitement to meet Walter, the enthusiasm doesn’t seem to be reciprocated. Still, Buddy persists, and he meets plenty of friends along the way, including Jovie (Zooey Deschanel), who works as an elf at a local department store.
Buddy taps into his infinite holiday spirit to spread Christmas cheer across the city and forms lasting bonds while delivering an abundance of belly laughs.
Where to watch ‘Elf’ during the 2024 holiday season
“Elf” is available to stream on Hulu and Max. If you’d prefer to rent or buy the movie, you can do so on Amazon Prime, Fandango at Home and Google Play.