It’s not always easy to discern why certain films assimilate into the pulse of a culture, nor is it much fun to argue why they shouldn’t be there. Indeed, whether it’s The Godfather, The Silence of the Lambs, or more timely classics like Home Alone and Elf, some movies are simply here to stay, so we might as well get comfortable with examining them year in and year out.
In the case of the latter, it’s been examined on streaming for quite some time now, and today is no exception. Per FlixPatrol, Elf is currently the third most-viewed film on the United States’ Max film rankings at the time of writing, dancing jolly circles around the likes of a sixth-place The Goonies (which houses the likes of now-household names like Sean Astin, Josh Brolin, and Ke Huy Quan), and inspirational Christopher Reeve documentary Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story (seventh place).
Elf stars Will Ferrell as Buddy, a human who was raised in the North Pole as an elf, and who one day discovers that he is not, in fact, an elf. This revelation causes him to set off on a journey to New York City in search of his biological father, who he’s never met. The industrial indifference of the Big Apple is, of course, a far cry from the sugarplum optimism endemic to the North Pole, but with Buddy sprinkling his magic everywhere he steps, he just might inject a never-before-seen Christmas spirit into the heart of the city.
For the remaining few out there who have yet to watch Elf for the first time, it may be hard to grasp how this film has cemented itself into the public consciousness the way it has. It’s not structurally sound on any level, there’s not much in the way of a plot, characterization is mostly measured by a willingness to goof off, and the comedic beats ride a largely inconsistent wave that all but minimizes its artistic identity.
And yet, Ferrell is as beloved in this role today as he was back in 2003, so what’s the special sauce of Elf that has prevented it from being lumped together with the likes of Harold and the Purple Crayon (which boasts the same wacky, disjointed man-child antics of Elf, right down to including Zooey Deschanel in the proceedings)?
Well, Ferrell (together with the film’s script) demonstrates an unwavering commitment to Buddy’s outlook on life, one defined by unfettered joy and love that we so often forsake in hopes of becoming more successful in a cold, hard, numbers-driven rat race. We don’t necessarily laugh at Elf‘s jokes because they’re funny, we laugh because Buddy’s sincerity is just that charming, and we all secretly wish we were capable of living that way.
And really, that collective wish has almost single-handedly defined this millennium. Buddy’s optimism was surely a breath of fresh air for a newly post-9/11 America, and with an abundance of cultural and international tensions dominating the headlines of today, it’s no wonder Buddy’s reckless love remains a welcome sight all these years later.