Lots of product placement, including numerous toys in Santa's workshop and the store where Buddy works: Monopoly, Etch-a-Sketch, Lego, etc. Other scenes feature Chanel, Kodak, Clinque, Pop Tarts, Coca-Cola, Tamiflu, and more.
Drinking, Drugs & Smoking
a little
In one scene played for laughs, two important characters add whiskey to coffee and later are shown to be quite drunk. Wine is consumed during dinner on more than one occasion. A burping gnome is said to have been drinking.
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Infrequent swearing/potty language includes "pissed," "pee," "hell," "damn," "crap," and "up yours." Comedy at the expense of a little person who is called an elf and takes offense.
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Dating, a bit of romantic tension, and one sweet kiss between two main characters. A woman is naked in the shower singing as Buddy listens in and sings along from a separate part of the bathroom; nothing graphic is seen.
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Cartoonish action in several instances: Santa wrestles with an elf; park rangers look ominous as they chase Santa and his reindeer-driven sleigh on Christmas Eve; Buddy is hit by a taxi but immediately springs up, uninjured; a near attack by a ferocious-looking raccoon.
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Though people sometimes lose sight of what's important in life, they can find their way back. The holiday spirit is based on believing rather than seeing, and generosity, kindness, and earnestness can win over even the most cynical individuals. Family can take many different forms, from a human living among elves to a blended family in the city. All of that said, some of the film's humor comes from references to bodily functions: pooping, burping, peeing, and throwing up.
Positive Role Models
a lot
Buddy is cheerful, well-intentioned, creative, and grateful for what he has. He brings laughter and joy to others and is a loyal and giving friend. Buddy's unique and trusting nature at first makes him an object of ridicule, but he later becomes a stellar example to the people he encounters, even the most jaded and self-involved among them, to find joy in the little things. His family and friends, from his co-worker Jovie to his own father, learn and demonstrate curiosity, creativity, compassion, gratitude, and integrity.
Diverse Representations
a little
Main characters are White. A minor Black character, Gimbel's Manager (Faizon Love), attempts to box in Buddy's creativity, demanding he conform to society's norms. He's one of the only characters who isn't transformed by Buddy's loveable charm. All other non-White representations are surface-level, limited to carollers, store shoppers, or additional extras on the streets of New York. A visiting author, Miles Dench (Peter Dinklage), is a little person who's a best-selling children's book author. Despite being grumpy and unlikeable, he's the butt of elf jokes and later has his ideas stolen. The movie has two named women characters: Jovie (Zooey Dechanel), Buddy's love interest, and Emily (Mary Steenburgen), Buddy's stepmother. Both embrace Buddy with open arms, after warming up to his carefree ways. They allow Buddy to be himself, sharing the magic of Christmas with everyone. The film celebrates a blended family, with Buddy learning that he was adopted by elves but easily accepted when he's reunited with his birth father, stepmother, and half brother.
Parents need to know that Elf is a light-hearted Christmas comedy starring Will Ferrell as a fun-loving human, raised by elves, who makes his way to New York for a holiday adventure. Although there's some potty language and cursing ("pissed," "hell," "damn," etc.) and a few references to bodily functions, it's family friendly at its core. The few action sequences (galloping rangers chasing Santa in Central Park, a brief confrontation with a scary raccoon, and some scuffles in a department store) aren't really threatening, and no one is injured. Though the movie is 100% on board with the magic of Christmas, some characters are less-than believers in Santa, and kids talk about the possibility of parents being the ones behind the presents. But the movie's messages about honesty, acceptance, and affection for all humanity are clear and positive. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails.
Reviewers have expressed concern about the scene in which Papa Elf says that people doubt that Santa exists and that they think that it is actually the parents doing everything. To avoid little kids hearing that, you can mute for 30 seconds after Papa Elf says "As silly as it sounds ..." in the sleigh room scene; on DVD, this was from minute 7:40 to minute 8:10.
Language and concepts are quite mature. Doubt around existence of Santa.
This movie is wholesome enough for watching with my partner and even my mom but I'd hesitate to show it to kids for a couple of reasons. Firstly, it includes some foul language and concepts that are mature. There is discussion around adoption and absent parenting as well as the fact that it raises doubts around the existence of Santa. Secondly, there is a scene that includes violence towards a "little person". The character is called names (inadvertently, by "Buddy"), and this brings up issues that would likely need to be debriefed for any kid who's sensitive to prejudice. In summary, there are plenty of great Christmas movies that are geared towards kids, but this isn't one of them due to the inclusion of more mature topics. Some parents may just gloss over these topics but there's no way my kid would accept a movie like this with no explanations.
What's the Story?
In ELF, Will Ferrell stars as Buddy, a human raised as one of Santa's elves who discovers at age 30 that he has a real father named Walter (James Caan) who lives in New York City and is on Santa's "naughty" list. Buddy leaves the North Pole to find Walter, knowing only what he's learned from the elves. (Thus, he's a whiz at making snowflake decorations and spreading good cheer, and he always assumes the best about everyone -- not especially useful skills in Manhattan.) Walter, who's in publishing, is in trouble because he has to find a successful new children's story by Christmas Eve. At first, he doesn't believe that Buddy is his son, but after Buddy passes a DNA test, Walter reluctantly brings him home to meet his wife (Mary Steenburgen) and son. Meanwhile, when Buddy stops by the Santa display at Gimbel's, he meets pretty Jovie (Zooey Deschanel). On his way to saving the day and ensuring a happy ending for everyone from the North Pole to NYC, Buddy gets many chances to do silly things as he experiences New York and gets to know Jovie and his family.
This movie is sweet and funny, though it can't quite seem to make up its mind whether people should need proof of Santa's existence or not. Some of the jokes in Elf work better than others, and the talents of Caan, Steenburgen, Bob Newhart (as Buddy's adoptive father), and Ed Asner (as Santa) are neglected. But director Jon Favreau shows some verve and keeps the story moving quickly enough to keep it from feeling like a series of skits.
Deschanel nicely shows us the way that Buddy appeals to Jovie's longing for a place where singing and sweetness are encouraged. Peter Dinklage has a marvelous cameo as a haughty author of children's books, making his appearance much more than a sight gag. And Ferrell? His lanky cluelessness has a slightly muddled but imperishable sweetness that gives an endearing quality to all the characters he plays, including Buddy, who's a sort of human Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Buddy's naive pleasure in the world around him is ultimately almost as endearing to us as it is to (almost) everyone he meets.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about whether Buddy is a role model. Do you think Elf intends for him to be someone people admire? Why, or why not? Are you more likely to laugh at him or with him? Why? What's the difference?
What change did you see in Buddy's dad, Walter? Do you think he became a better person in the end? What do you think caused this change?
If you arrived in your town after 30 years at the North Pole, what do you think might surprise and delight you the way that the escalator and revolving door surprised and delighted Buddy?
MPAA explanation:
some mild rude humor and language
Last updated:
August 3, 2024
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