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Elf (2003)

PG 97 min  -  Comedy | Family | Fantasy  -   7 November 2003 (USA)
6.8
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Ratings: 6.8/10 from 65,907 users   Metascore: 64/100 
Reviews: 336 user | 131 critic | 38 from Metacritic.com

After inadvertently wreaking havoc on the elf community due to his ungainly size, a man raised as an elf at the North Pole is sent to the U.S. in search of his true identity.

Director:

Jon Favreau
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2 wins & 7 nominations See more awards »
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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Will Ferrell ...
James Caan ...
Bob Newhart ...
Edward Asner ...
Mary Steenburgen ...
Zooey Deschanel ...
Daniel Tay ...
Faizon Love ...
Peter Dinklage ...
Amy Sedaris ...
Deb
Michael Lerner ...
Andy Richter ...
Kyle Gass ...
Artie Lange ...
Leon Redbone Leon Redbone ...
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Storyline

Buddy was a baby in an orphanage who stowed away in Santa's sack and ended up at the North Pole. Later, as an adult human who happened to be raised by elves, Santa allows him to go to New York City to find his birth father, Walter Hobbs. Hobbs, on Santa's naughty list for being a heartless jerk, had no idea that Buddy was even born. Buddy, meanwhile, experiences the delights of New York City (and human culture) as only an elf can. When Walter's relationship with Buddy interferes with his job, he is forced to reevaluate his priorities. Written by Ken Miller <wkmiller704@yahoo.com>  

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

Elf | New York City | North Pole | Ice Skating | Taxi  | See more »

Taglines:

This holiday, discover your inner elf.

Genres:

Comedy | Family | Fantasy

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for some mild rude humor and language See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
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Details

Country:

USA | Germany

Language:

English

Release Date:

(USA) See more »

Also Known As:

Buddy - Der Weihnachtself See more »

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA See more »

Box Office

Budget:

$33,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$31,113,501 (USA) (9 November 2003) (3337 Screens)

Gross:

$220,443,451 (Worldwide)
See more »

Company Credits

Show detailed company contact information on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

DTS  | Dolby Digital  | SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
See full technical specs »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

The elf Ming Ming, who appears briefly in the beginning of the film, is played by Peter Billingsley, who starred as Ralphie Parker in the classic holiday film A Christmas Story. See more »

Goofs

Continuity: The size of Miles Finch's black notebook changes. The book held by Eugene later in the movie is obviously much wider than when we see Miles's book for the first time. See more »

Quotes

[first lines]
Papa Elf: Oh, hello. You're, uh, you're probably here about the story.
[the pages flip to show Papa Elf talking to the camera]
Papa Elf: Elves love to tell stories. I-I'll bet you didn't know that about elves. There's, uh, probably a lot of things you didn't know about elves. Another, another interesting, uh, elfism, uh, there are only three jobs available to an elf. The first is making shoes at night while, you know, while the old cobbler sleeps.
[Cuts to elves doing work on the cobbler's shoes while the cobbler snores with his head on the table]
Disgruntled Cobbler Elf: Lazy bum! Couldn't even make a clog!
Papa Elf: You can bake cookies in a tree.
[Cuts to exterior view of a tree, which bursts into flames]
Papa Elf: As you can imagine, it's, uh, dangerous having an oven in an oak tree during the dry season.
[the elves inside run out screaming]
[...]
See more »

Connections

Referenced in "Conan: The LOL from Hell O Hell (#1.122)" (2011) See more »

Soundtracks

"Winter Wonderland"
(1934)
Music by Felix Bernard
Lyrics by Richard B. Smith (as Dick Smith)
Performed by Ray Charles
Courtesy of Ray Charles Enterprises Inc. See more »