'Elf' may qualify as holiday staple

By Jack Garner
Gannett News Service

ELF (PG) Three Stars (Good) Comedian Will Ferrell goes family-friendly in Jon Favreau's warmly appealing seasonal comedy, "Elf." He's Buddy, a lanky human who's been raised since infancy by tiny elves at the North Pole. But he's sent to Manhattan to try to discover his true identity. James Caan co-stars. New Line, 90 minutes.

As Christmas approaches, Buddy connects with the dad he never knew. He's a Scrooge-like book publisher, played by James Caan, who has a wife (Mary Steenburgen) and another child he largely ignores. Buddy may be 30, but he's the eternal child. He smiles at everybody, apologizes to the cab drivers who run him over, and answers the telephone with a friendly "Hello. I'm Buddy. What's your favorite color?" And he's particularly adept at decorating trees and throwing snowballs.

Buddy also discovers human love, falling hard for a department store clerk (Zooey Deschanel) who works with him at the store's version of Santa's workshop.

As you'd expect, Buddy's naivete and goodness freak people out. Still, he tries to rekindle Manhattan's holiday spirit, especially when Santa calls for help once his sleigh gets stuck in Central Park. The role offers Ferrell opportunities for a wealth of Chevy Chase-like pratfalls, but Buddy's innate innocence and optimism generate most of the humor. It's a consistent, straight-faced and amusing performance, aided in no small part by the green elf costume he's required to wear in all but one scene in the film.

Director Favreau (the writer and actor from "Swingers") strikes an appealing balance between the comedy of the situation and the holiday magic required of a Christmas movie. Thanks to the sweet purity of Ferrell's portrayal — and the script's fresh approach to time-worn traditions involving Santa and the Christmas spirit — "Elf" might just qualify as a holiday perennial.

Rated PG, with mild profanity.