24 sleeps to go - Elf

Today is the first day of December. Yes, scary isn’t it. Over December I’m going to pick out a few Christmassy things to write about. Today it’s the turn of Elf the movie. Now I have to say that I’m not as big a fan as a certain someone I know who has it word perfect, but it did make me smile even though it is a teensy bit American syrupy for my tastes.

Elf (2003) is based on the book written and illustrated by Buddy Hobbs. It was released in the US on November 7, 2003, and grossed over $220,400,000 worldwide. So even though it isn’t my kind of film it seems to be everybody else’s.

The story, such as it is, is about one of Santa’s elves who finds out he’s really human and goes off to New York to find his biological father, spreading far too much Christmas cheer in a cynical world as he goes along his merry elf way.

Ho–ho–ho.

Of course as everyone knows, Jim Carrey was originally supposed to play the lead role of Buddy the elf. But for one reason or another didn’t make it. Will Ferrell who took the role ate so much candy while filming that he suffered from headaches and lack of sleep during the film’s production. Perhaps it was that made him turn down $29 million to do a sequel.

Oh well, as Buddy would say: “Sounds like somebody needs to sing a Christmas carol.”

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen anyone?