Comedy heavyweight Will Ferrell has reflected on the enduring legacy of one of his most iconic and beloved movies more than a decade after its release. First rising to prominence as a cast member of the comedy sketch show Saturday Night Live, Ferrell branched out into comedy movies, securing parts in Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery and its sequel Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, as well as leading roles in movies like A Night at the Roxbury. He achieved global fame in 2003 when he co-starred in ‘Frat Pack’ comedy Old School, which grossed $87 million worldwide.
The success of the movie saw Ferrell become a comedy leading man, starring in a slew of successful comedy movies across the mid to late 2000s, including Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Wedding Crashers, Talladega Nights: The Legend of Ricky Bobby, the Starsky & Hutch remake, and Step Brothers with John C. Reilly. With six Emmy wins and two Golden Globe nominations, Ferrell is viewed as one of the most successful and acclaimed comedians in Hollywood, and one of his most beloved roles from 2003 continues to enjoy an enduring and important legacy.
Ferrell Reflects On The Success Of Elf 20+ Years Later
The Movie Remains A Festive Classic
Elf is highly-regarded as one of Ferrell’s best movies, as well as one of the most popular and successful Christmas movies ever made. The movie, which tells the story of elf Buddy, who flies to New York to meet his biological father, was a major critical and commercial success, grossing $228 million worldwide against a budget of just $33 million. In an interview with People, Ferrell reflects on the enduring popularity and success of the film over the decades, and details how lucky he feels to have made the movie. Check out the 57-year-old’s comments below:
It’s really quite special. I mean, it continues to grow by leaps and bounds, and it continues to kind of entrench itself as kind of a holiday classic for people. I’m so lucky to have a movie like that in my catalog.
Regarded as a modern classic, the movie regularly makes the list of the best Christmas movies of all-time, and is one of the biggest hits Ferrell has enjoyed. As the actor’s comments suggest, one of the factors related to Elf‘s enduring appeal is that it is a holiday classic for a lot of viewers. In the same way as Christmas songs, Christmas movies have a unique existence in that people like to revisit the same ones every year, around the festive season, which helps them maintain long-term success.
Our Take On Elf’s Enduring Appeal
The Movie Is Funny But Surprisingly Poignant
The best and most successful Christmas movies are those that manage to combine different genres organically, and capture the spirit of the festive season, while also providing strong dramatic events, and tugging on heartstrings and sentimentality. This is something Elf manages to do surprisingly well, and I also believe the lack of a sequel has continued to benefit the movie in recent times, with the self-contained story concluding in a way that speaks to audiences. There’s a good chance that, in another 20 years, Elf will still be viewed as one of Ferrell‘s best films.
Source: People
2003 Christmas comedy classic Elf follows Buddy (Will Ferrell), a human raised among Santa’s elves at the North Pole, when he sets off to New York to find his biological father (James Caan). After learning that children’s book publish Walter Hobbs is his father, Buddy works to immerse himself in human culture – including getting a job in a department store, where he meets and falls in love with fellow “elf” Jovie (Zooey Deschanel). However, when Santa’s sleigh crashes and Christmas is threatened, only Buddy can help save the holidays.
- Release Date
- November 7, 2003
- Studio(s)
- New Line Cinema
- Distributor(s)
- New Line Cinema , Warner Bros. Pictures
- Writers
- David Berenbaum
- Runtime
- 97 minutes
- Budget
- $33 million
