Holiday movie pick: Elf (2003)
Elf has an amazing, tour-de-force performance by Will Farrell. Every time I watch it, I think he should have received an Oscar nomination for Best Actor.
Farrell plays Buddy, an adopted elf who sets off on a journey to discover his biological father (James Caan) in New York City. But he finds that the playful, carefree ways of being an elf don't exactly mesh with people in the real world.
There are also great supporting performances by Zooey Deschanel, Mary Steenburgen, Bob Newhart, Peter Dinklage, and Ed Asner .
Elf was directed by Jon Favreau, who went on to direct Iron Man 1 and 2, and who also has a brief appearance in Elf as a doctor. One thing I like about the film is the way it pays tribute to the Claymation Christmas films of my childhood.
This is one of those films that gets better with each viewing. I could definitely see Elf being elevated to "Classic" status in the next 10 years.
Best line: "You sit on a throne of lies!"
Best scene: The snowball fight in Central Park
