It’s the glorious time of year where everywhere you go you hear Christmas tunes, decorations, and movies on any channel you flip too! As an avid lover of Christmas and all things heartwarming, I absolutely love a good Christmas movie. When I was in sixth grade, I had a vague memory of watching a movie about a larger-than-life elf and thinking, “I really am not a fan of this movie, Christmas and comedy just do not blend together.” I remember not paying much attention to the movie and not watching all the way to the end. I was used to watching the cliché Hallmark Christmas movies where the CEO of a large company has a grand realization that there is more to life than money and eventually falls in love. Another style of Christmas movies I was accustomed to watching were animated movies like “Frosty the Snowman” or “A Year Without Santa Claus”. It may seem boring to watch the same type of Christmas movies every year, but I have always found comfort in the simple traditions that come along with the holiday. Fast forward to a few weeks ago, I came across the movie “Elf” and instantly realized it was the movie I recall halfway watching and not being too fond of when I was a kid. I decided to give it another watch, with some assurance from friends it was worth the watch, and I could not be more grateful that I did! To anyone who hasn’t seen it and doesn’t want spoilers, don’t read any further. I totally understand now why so many people quote this movie and say it is one of their favorites. The main character, Buddy the Elf, played by actor Will Ferrell, totally captures your heart with his childlike demeanor that is inacurrarelty placed in a six-foot-tall body. To me, it feels like Will Ferrell has been waiting his whole life to play this role and just could not contain his true love for Christmas. From the beginning, the movie does a great job of hooking the audience and pulling them into Buddy’s story. Near the beginning of the movie, Buddy makes his way from the North Pole to New York City in search of his father and you can’t help but wonder how that will pan out. His adventure in the Big Apple left me chuckling frequently, and the soundtrack for this portion of the movie made the events ten times funnier and would not be the same without that extra melody. As I continued watching, I also started to see a common theme that I hadn’t noticed the first time around. Buddy’s biological father, Walter, who is played by James Caan, learns that there is more to living than working at the publishing company he works for and making money. Buddy helps him realize that family, friends, and the Christmas spirit are what is most important. So, maybe this movie wasn’t as different from the other Christmas movies that I was used to after all. 

I would highly recommend “Elf” to anyone, and it will certainly become a tradition of mine to watch it every year!