25 best Christmas movies countdown #1: Elf
By Dan Girolamo
The 25 best Christmas movies countdown comes to a conclusion with Will Ferrell as Buddy the Elf in our #1 movie selection, Elf.
The countdown has reached its very end. Our Hidden Remote team has named 24 of the best 25 Christmas movies ever made. Now, it’s time to reveal our number one selection. Coming in at #1 on the countdown is the family comedy, Elf.
One of the funniest actors on the planet is Will Ferrell. Up until 2003, when the movie premiered, Ferrell was mostly known for his run on Saturday Night Live. In the late 1990s, Ferrell had roles in films such as A Night at the Roxbury, Superstar, and the Austin Powers franchise. However, Ferrell was not known as a box office superstar, but that would all change in 2003 with the release of two films, Old School and Elf.
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Elf stars Ferrell as Buddy Hobbs, aka Buddy the Elf, a human that was raised by elves in the North Pole after crawling into Santa’s toy sack as a baby. The elves name the baby, “Buddy,” and raise him as their own despite the drastic height difference and lack of toy-making skills.
One day, Papa Elf (Bob Newhart) explains to Buddy that he was not born an elf, but as a human to Susan Wells and Walter Hobbs (James Caan). After finding out that Walter is on the naughty list, Buddy decides to travel to New York City to meet his father and spread Christmas cheer to Walter and his family.
The laughs ensue once Buddy arrives in New York City. First of all, throughout the entire journey and most of the movie, Ferrell is wearing an elf suit, which is a sight to see. Once he reaches Walter, Buddy begins to spread the spirit of Christmas to Walter’s wife, Emily (Mary Steenburgen), Walter’s son, Michael (Daniel Tay), and Buddy’s coworker, Jovie (Zooey Deschanel). Most importantly, Buddy teaches Walter the true meaning of Christmas, capped off by a heart-warming rendition of “Santa Claus is Coming To Town” in Central Park.
Elf received positive reviews for his family-centric storyline and charming performance from Ferrell. The film is certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with a score of 83%. Directed by Jon Favreau, it was a box office smash, grossing over $220 million on a budget of $30 million. The movie has aged tremendously well and can be found on almost every Christmas movie countdown including Hidden Remote’s list.
Elf is fun for the whole family and the perfect movie to watch on Christmas Day. For information on how to watch and stream Elf, scroll below.
Next. 25 best Christmas movies countdown #2: The Santa Clause. dark
Watch the movie on Amazon, YouTube, iTunes, Google Play, and Vudu. Make sure to check your local listings as well to see if it is on your favorite television channel this holiday season.
Is Elf on your list of favorite Christmas movies? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.