Christmas comes early with 'Elf'

Sometimes Christmas cheer can come at surprising times from rather unexpected people -- Elf is one such example. \nForget that it's not even two weeks past Halloween and that the picture stars hot comic of the moment Will Ferrell (big after streaking his way through the rollicking campus caper that was Old School) and is directed by Swingers/Made alum Jon Favreau. Elf's head and heart are unabashedly in the right place.\nAs the flick opens, an orphaned baby boy crawls into Santa's (Edward Asner) bag of toys one Christmas Eve, unwittingly hitching a ride to the North Pole. Once there, he's adopted by Papa Elf (Bob Newhart) and raised among the little people as one of their own. Eventually, the child grows to be a garish 6'3 elf wannabe named Buddy (Ferrell). Despite his size difference, Buddy fully believes that he is an elf. That is until one day, he's told that he is in fact human and has a biological father living in New York City.\nHe is Scrooge-like children's book publisher Walter Hobbs (James Caan). Buddy proceeds to Manhattan to meet the Old Man, who is none-too-happy to have a seemingly hysterical idiot man-child in yellow tights, green tunic and goofy elf's hat claiming to be his long-lost son. Though once Buddy drops the name of Walter's long since deceased girlfriend and flashes a picture of the young couple, he's invited home. Here, he's greeted with unbelievably open arms by Walter's wife (Mary Steenburgen) and young son (Daniel Tay).\nElf is little more than a prototypical fish-out-of-water tale, but Ferrell elevates said material. The performance requires a sweet sense of naïveté that the comic has in spades. His trademark smile is both heartwarming and hilariously creepy. Luckily, Ferrell has ample support as Favreau wisely decided to litter his cinematic Christmas card palette with a strong supporting cast. Where Caan is appropriately miserly, Steenburgen is the embodiment of warmth. TV vets Newhart and Asner imbue considerable heart and nostalgia, and kudos also go to the adorable Zooey Deschanel, who co-stars as Buddy's good-natured department store sweetie.\nThe only shortcomings Elf has come via some misplaced burp and fart jokes and an overly saccharine conclusion. Then again, that's to be expected, as this is a Christmas movie. Faults and all, Elf will most assuredly become a holiday perennial.