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Elf (2003)

PG | | Comedy, Family, Fantasy | 7 November 2003 (USA)
Elf Poster
Trailer
1:40 | Trailer

On Disc

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After discovering he is a human, a man raised as an elf at the North Pole decides to travel to New York City to locate his real father.

Director:

Jon Favreau

Writer:

David Berenbaum

Stars:

Will Ferrell, James Caan, Bob Newhart | See full cast & crew »
64
Reviews
Popularity
3,594 ( 94)

Who Was Almost Buddy the Elf?

Jim Carrey as Buddy the Elf? It almost happened! Check out who else almost starred in your favorite Christmas movies.

Find out
2 wins & 7 nominations. See more awards »

Videos

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Will Ferrell ... Buddy
James Caan ... Walter
Bob Newhart ... Papa Elf
Edward Asner ... Santa
Mary Steenburgen ... Emily
Zooey Deschanel ... Jovie
Daniel Tay ... Michael
Faizon Love ... Gimbel's Manager
Peter Dinklage ... Miles Finch
Amy Sedaris ... Deb
Michael Lerner ... Fulton
Andy Richter ... Morris
Kyle Gass ... Eugene
Artie Lange ... Gimbel's Santa
Leon Redbone ... Leon the Snowman (voice)
See full cast »
Edit

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 | christmas | father son relationship | santa claus | christmas movie | See All (200) »

Taglines:

This holiday, discover your inner elf.

Genres:

Comedy | Family | Fantasy | Romance

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

Official Sites:

Official Facebook

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 November 2003 (USA) See more »

Also Known As:

Elf See more »

Filming Locations:

55 Central Park West, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA See more »
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Box Office

Budget:

$33,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$31,113,501, 9 November 2003, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$173,398,518

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$47,044,933
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

Production Co:

New Line Cinema, Guy Walks into a Bar Productions, Gold/Miller Productions See more »
Show more 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

Peter Billingsley (Head Elf) starred in one of the biggest Christmas classics. A Christmas Story. See more »

Goofs

If Santa actually exists in this fictional universe, then wouldn't all the parents wonder how all his presents got there that they didn't buy? 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.
[...]
See more »

Crazy Credits

Near the end of the credits, the original score from the film plays over in the background, and then the last one thing showing was the title of the film. See more »

Connections

Referenced in Thatcher Joe Vlogs: Ever Wondered Whats Inside the Coca-Cola Truck? (2017) 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 »

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is 'Elf' based on a book?
Q: How does the movie end?
Q: How did the elves know that the baby's name was Buddy?
See more »

User Reviews

 
This is a wonderful, original and perfectly portrayed film.
24 June 2004 | by della-10 – See all my reviews

This was one of my favorite movies in 2003. Will Ferrell is brilliant as the Elf. The supporting cast is great too, especially Bob Newhart as his elf "dad". The characters are well written and it is a refreshing film to get lost in. Will Ferrell plays the elf with such innocence, he is so funny! This is not just a Christmas film but when the DVD comes out I will be watching "Elf" in July. The story progresses nicely, there are many lessons to be learned as you watch this movie. It touched my heart in many ways. I highly recommend this movie for kids AND adults, you won't regret it. Treat yourself and watch this "original" movie. Hollywood needs to make more like this.
111 of 145 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you? | Report this
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