I wouldn't put "Elf" in the same list as above, but I do think that this Will Ferrell comedy belongs on the same shelf as the original "Santa Clause" and the faintly remembered Dick van Dyke romp "Fitzwilly."
Ferrell plays Buddy, who, as an orphaned infant, makes his way into Santa's sack on Christmas Eve. Santa (Ed Asner) mistakenly carries the child all the way back to the North Pole, leading one to believe that either the orphanage was his last stop, or that he is suffering a severe case of macular degeneration. Buddy is adopted by a kindly old elf (Bob Newhart) who relays his son's story as the narrator off and on throughout the picture.
The first half hour or so of "Elf" explores how a six foot tall elf cannot and will not ever fit in with the rest of the well-meaning little people. So inevitably, Buddy has to set off to find his natural dad, Walter (James Caan), a publisher of children's books who, naturally, has no Christmas spirit. Walter's so bad, in fact, he's on Santa's bad list. Walter's family includes a patient wife (Mary Steenburgen) and a woefully neglected young son (Daniel Tay).
"Elf" then becomes a standard, if sweet, fish-out-of-Yuletide story, with Buddy discovering why you shouldn't eat left-over chewing gum from the rails of subway stations, or maneuvering on escalators. He also exposes a department store Santa as being a fraud in a painfully funny scene.
What elevates "Elf" is its wonderful casting and a story with more than enough heart. It's Christmas spirit, brought on by Buddy and the people whose lives he's touched, that save the day. Will Ferrell does a masterful job of balancing shtick with sentiment, no easy task. The film is charming, family friendly, and has the earmarks of being a perennial Christmas chestnut. All in all, it's an auspicious beginning of what could be a terrific holiday movie season.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2003/11/168457