When it comes to Christmas movies, I’m no slouch. Whether it’s The Holiday, Love Actually, When Harry Met Sally or Die Hard (yes, it’s a festive film), I’ve seen and loved so very many. But 2003’s Elf never made the cut.

As cliché as it is to say, I blame my mother. I missed out on watching it as a kid because she, like lots of other mums at the time if the chats I’ve had around the office are anything to go by, had something against Will Ferrell. She thought, and likely still thinks, that his movies are just a bit crass. He is “not appropriate for children”, she’d say as she wrinkled her nose.

I carried that idea into adulthood, and when the festive season came around, I’d never feel like watching the Will Ferrell classic. This year, the hype finally got the better of me, and having been reassured that Elf was suitably low on fart jokes, I forced my fiancé to give it a try with me one night. 

And reader, I loved every second. From the nostalgic aesthetic of the North Pole, ripped straight from the iconic Rankin/Bass claymation films that are positively sacred in the US, where I’m from – to Ferrell’s perfect wide-eyed enthusiasm that manages to be charming and contagious rather than cloying and annoying. Of course, I know I’m probably saying nothing new to you, but it’s just a big warm hug of a movie, isn’t it?

There were certainly some cringe moments, like Buddy scaring Jovie by singing along with her in the shower (“If that was me, I’d probably throw up on the spot,” I told my partner) and the repeated faux pas with Peter Dinklage’s Miles Finch, but Buddy’s wide-eyed joie de vivre makes up for it in spades and is exactly what the season calls for.

Maybe it’s the festive season talking, but I’d go so far as to say that Buddy the Elf is kind of the perfect man. He’s sweet, gentle, fun, hardworking and fully in touch with his feelings. He’s not afraid of commitment, he’s great with kids and he’s even a dab hand at decorating. 

In all seriousness, these are all qualities I love about the actual real-life man that I’m soon going to marry in my real, actual life. They’re big signifiers of positive masculinity, and people quite rightly respond to that. 

Sure, Buddy’s got an unhealthy sugar habit and a bit to learn about personal boundaries, but that’s nothing he and Jovie can’t work on together. 

Images: Warner Bros