Elf’s 10th Anniversary: I’m Still Obsessed With This Syrupy Movie

On the most wintry of Syracuse Sundays seven years ago, my friends decided (against my will) that it was time She’s the Man exit our DVD player (R.I.P. semi-sane Amanda Bynes). And so we popped in Elf. There he was: Will Ferrell, in all his… Elf is pegged as a Christmas movie, but it hardly feels religious. (And anyway, Buddy could be Jewish—he was an orphan, after all—but I won’t go there today.) At its core, director Jon Favreau’s masterpiece is about being different and not caring about what others think. It’s a reminder to smile constantly, because why the heck not, and that syrup is not only an everyday option, but a dietary necessity. Most importantly, it’s about knowing when to gracefully remove yourself from a revolving door before it’s too late and that spraying perfume and stuffing cotton balls into your mouth is never a good idea. (Tip: it won’t kill you).