{"id":256,"date":"2023-11-17T19:08:07","date_gmt":"2023-11-17T19:08:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/capitalchill\/?p=256"},"modified":"2023-11-17T19:31:50","modified_gmt":"2023-11-17T19:31:50","slug":"if-smiling-is-your-favourite-youre-in-luck-elf-hits-the-big-screen-today","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/capitalchill\/2023\/11\/17\/if-smiling-is-your-favourite-youre-in-luck-elf-hits-the-big-screen-today\/","title":{"rendered":"If smiling is your favourite, you\u2019re in luck: Elf hits the big screen today"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As a re-release of Elf <\/em>hits theatres across North America, superfan Shawn Turcotte recounts how the Christmas classic was the theme of his elaborate, outdoor holiday display that attracted \u201ctens of thousands of visitors.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Stittsville family\u2019s homage last year to the 2003 holiday hit included the seven levels of the Candy Cane Forest, the Sea of Swirly Twirly Gumdrops, as well as cardboard cut-outs of Buddy the Elf, a life-size replica of Santa\u2019s sleigh and signposts of some of the film\u2019s most recognizable quotes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Turcotte, whose family built the display as a charity fundraiser, recalls seeing Ferrell\u2019s Elf<\/em> in theatres when it was originally released. \u201cIt\u2019s incredible to see 20 years go by so quickly,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s a Christmas classic for a lot of people so I\u2019ve found it\u2019s really cool that they\u2019re re-releasing it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Turcotte family house decorations at 18 Cypress Gardens in Stittsville, were inspired by the 2003 film Elf<\/em> last year. [Photo courtesy of Shawn Turcotte]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The modern classic, which hits select big screens today, first aired on Nov. 7, 2003, and remains a holiday must-watch 20 years later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think even when Elf<\/em> was brand new, and obviously not creating its own nostalgia, it was already tapping into an earlier generation\u2019s nostalgia,\u201d says film critic and self-avowed fan of the film,<\/em> Chris Knight. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNow that the movie is 20 years old, we’re getting both of those levels together. We’re getting the older stuff that we still remember, and then Elf <\/em>itself has become old enough to be a total nostalgic hit.\u201d<\/p>Chris Knight<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Knight hasn\u2019t seen the film in a few years but recalls scenes such as Buddy discovering the “world\u2019s best cup of coffee” and being terrified by the pop of a jack-in-the-box at Santa\u2019s workshop. \u201cWill Ferrell commits so well to the role of Buddy. He just sort of has no filter, no shame. He really is this man-child character,\u201d he said.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Knight noted that the longevity of the film could be largely due to the script. \u201cThere’s nothing really dated about the comedy, it’s not leaning on social media or anything that might go out of style,\u201d he said.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although only two decades old, this movie has reached classic status among the greats: It\u2019s A Wonderful Life<\/em>, A Christmas Story<\/em> and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer<\/em>, to name a few \u2013 because it draws on elements from all three of these films. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perhaps the appeal of the film is because of its close connection to the 1964 Rankin Bass television hit Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer<\/em>, said television columnist and critic Bill Brioux. \u201cIf you take a close look at the clothes that they’re wearing, [or] the backgrounds during some of the scenes, you’ll notice that the art direction really mimicked the way that Rudolph<\/em> was designed,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brioux added that Buddy\u2019s costume was very much like Hermey the Elf\u2019s, \u201cright down to the hat on his head.\u201d It was so similar to the television special that the creators almost got in legal trouble, according to Netflix\u2019s Movies That Made Us<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elf<\/em> also draws on other Christmas classics to contribute to its emotional appeal. It is likely that these factors play a role in the routine viewing of Elf<\/em> in many households each year \u2013 as there is nostalgia embedded in the movie\u2019s roots.  For instance, Buddy leans over a bridge in New York while feeling low near the end of the movie, which mimics George Bailey doing this in 1947\u2019s It\u2019s a Wonderful Life<\/em>. Additionally, the actor Peter Billingsley, who plays Santa\u2019s Head Elf in the 2003 film, starred as Ralphie in A Christmas Story<\/em> in 1983.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Film critic Chris Knight. [Photo courtesy of National Post]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Television critic Bill Brioux. [Photo courtesy of Sandra Puglielli]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Repeat viewings of holiday movies have a long history, according to a Film Studies Assistant Professor at Carleton University. \u201cProbably the first example of that is It’s A Wonderful Life<\/em>,\u201d Katherine Morrow said, referencing the black-and-white classic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, a 2022 Statista report<\/a> demonstrated that there were fewer people watching films in theatres last year than a decade earlier. Although COVID-19\u2019s Omicron variant was rampant at this time, the amount of Cineplex movie-goers was cut by almost half \u2013 indicating that attendance was likely on the decline already.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Morrow added that the re-release of Elf<\/em> demonstrates a shift to event cinema, which is a way to \u201cmore broadly get people back in theatre.\u201d She added that this method is frequently used in the release of concert films as it provides people who were not able to attend an event in person, with the opportunity to experience it in a grandiose way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although playing holiday classics is commonplace leading up to the holidays, Morrow said that the re-release of Elf<\/em> could be a result of the Hollywood writers\u2019 strike<\/a> that took place this year. She added that putting an already-made film back in theatres was a good idea from the studios as creating new ones \u201cwouldn’t have been possible in the past year,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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