Comedy heavyweightWill Ferrellhas reflected on the enduring legacy of one of his most iconic and beloved movies more than a decade after its release. Firstrising to prominence as a cast member of the comedy sketch showSaturday Night Live, Ferrell branched out into comedy movies, securing parts inAustin Powers: International Man of Mysteryand its sequelAustin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, as well as leading roles in movies likeA Night at the Roxbury. He achieved global fame in 2003 when he co-starred in ‘Frat Pack’ comedyOld 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, includingAnchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy,Wedding Crashers,Talladega Nights: The Legend of Ricky Bobby, theStarsky & Hutchremake, andStep Brotherswith 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, andone of his most beloved roles from 2003 continues to enjoy an enduring and important legacy.
The Movie Remains A Festive Classic
Actor Will Ferrell as Buddy in Elf.
Elfis highly-regarded as one ofFerrell’s best movies, as well asone 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 withPeople, 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 thebest 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 toElf’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.
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 somethingElfmanages 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,Elfwill still be viewed as one ofFerrell’s best films.
Elf
Cast
Elf follows Buddy, a human raised as an elf at the North Pole. As an adult, he journeys to Manhattan to find his biological father, a work-driven businessman. The film explores Buddy’s comedic attempts to navigate human society and his quest to bring holiday spirit to his family.
