Elf

The story on this one looks and sounds like trouble but turns out to be quite endearing. Will Ferrell plays a man-child who has been raised by elves after crawling into Santa’s bag as a child and winding up at the North Pole. Upon learning about his biological father (James Caan), he travels to Manhattan on a quest for family, vocation (he gets a job at a department store) and adulthood. Ferrell is very funny in his pointy hat and green tights, his commitment to insanity charming. Zooey Deschanel is luminous as his love interest and coworker, sporting a terrific singing voice. Whether he’s debunking a department store Santa (“You sit on a throne of lies!”) or pouring maple syrup on his spaghetti, Ferrell is at his warped best. Director Jon Favreau has made a holiday film that is actually worth watching.