Elf is one of the greatest modern Christmas movies, and it's a true contender for "modern-day Christmas classic" status. Much of its success can be attributed to Will Ferrell, who turns in an amazing performance as Buddy the Elf. Some people don't care for Ferrell and his exaggerated antics, but he toes the line perfectly throughout Elf, presenting a winning combination of his typical man-child schtick, adorable innocence, and solid fish out of water/family drama.
Buddy is an adorable character - but he can also be a royal pain for those around him. Such is the genius of "fish out of water" stories.
Cutest: Waving To Strangers
The entire montage of Buddy arriving in New York is a thing of genius. It sees Buddy eating gum off subway railings, hopping along through crosswalks, gathering posters, getting his elf shoes shined, and spinning through revolving doors, among other things.
But perhaps the cutest moment comes when Buddy waves to a man trying to hail a taxi. Buddy thinks he is waving, so he steps into the street and waves back - complete with his bright green elf costume and enthusiastic yells of "Hi!" and "Hello!"
Annoying: His Department Store Antics
After the high of arriving in New York wears off (and after he's rejected by his father), Buddy makes his way to a Gimbels department store and lands himself a job (by being mistaken as an employee on his lunch break).
While here, he gets into quite a bit of mischief. He sprays perfume into his mouth believing it's some type of fruit spray and cries, he holds a lot of people up by refusing to go on the escalator, he annoys Jovie, and he eventually fights a Santa Claus in front of dozens of screaming children.
Cutest: Excited For Santa Claus
That said, the only reason he fights the department store Santa is that he's so incredibly excited about seeing the real thing. One of Elf's most famous scenes is Buddy screaming "SAAAAANTA!" in the department store - much to the annoyance of his boss, Wanda.
Another adorable scene follows which sees Buddy screaming and jumping along with a bunch of children as the department store Santa arrives and says hello. This is Buddy at his absolute childish - and it is hilarious.
Annoying: Buddy's First Night In The Apartment
Buddy's heart is in the right place, but he can prove very annoying when it comes to living with Walter. So much so that audiences can quickly relate to Walter's annoyance. Buddy's first night in the apartment is full of annoying actions and traits.
He drinks all the Coke and loudly burps for a prolonged period of time, he tries instigating an inappropriate tickle fight with his own father, and he even destroys their TV stand to make a wooden rocking horse. The following day doesn't get much better, as Buddy interrupts Walter to tell him about the scary radiator.
Cutest: His Date With Jovie
Elf contains not one, but two great montages. And they mirror each other in various unique and adorable ways. Buddy takes his enjoyment of New York and tries transferring it to Jovie by taking her on a sightseeing date.
They go to a coffee shop and drink "the world's best cup of coffee" (actually just "a crappy cup of coffee"), Buddy tries showing her the joys of running through a revolving door, and they look at various window Christmas trees before Jovie takes Buddy to Rockefeller Center to see the iconic Christmas tree.
Annoying: Pressing All The Elevator Buttons
Buddy is a child at heart and pressing all the buttons on an elevator to make "a Christmas tree" is a very childish thing to do. After arriving at the Empire State Building, Buddy lights up the elevator dashboard by pressing every single button - much to the visible annoyance of his elevator companion.
The random elevator man has the patience of a saint, as he never says anything and doesn't give any hints towards his annoyance - even after they ride up dozens of stories.
Cutest: "Oh, I Forgot To Give You A Hug!"
That annoying moment is luckily saved by Buddy's adorable outburst of "Oh, I forgot to give you a hug!" The last thing that man probably wants is a hug, especially after stopping at dozens of individual stories on his way to work.
But Buddy's sincere declaration is nevertheless adorable, as is his complete naivety towards the situation, the man's annoyance, and the social faux pas of randomly giving strangers a hug.
Annoying: At Work With Walter
Walter makes the unfortunate decision to bring Buddy to work. This naturally results in a disaster. In many ways, Walter taking Buddy to work is like a dad bringing their little son along on Take Your Kid to Work Day.
Buddy sits in a corner and reads a childish book. While reading, he repeatedly utters "Francisco," finding the name fascinating and fun to say. He finds the coffee disgusting and refuses to drink it. He raises his hand and interrupts work to ask silly questions. Needless to say, it doesn't take very long for Walter to send Buddy to the mailroom.
Cutest: Talking With Caroline
One of the movie's cutest scenes sees Buddy talking with young Caroline in the doctor's office waiting room. Being a child, Caroline takes Buddy seriously and doesn't flinch or question when Buddy says that he's a "human raised by elves" and that his green outfit is "not a costume."
She also asks Buddy his name, makes him feel better about his finger prick and tells him that she wants some type of doll. It's a very cute interaction between a man child and a literal child, and Buddy gives Caroline some Christmas spirit that she later uses to boost Santa's sleigh.
Annoying: His Treatment Of Miles
As well-meaning as Buddy is throughout the movie, his worst moment by far comes during Miles Finch's visit to Greenway Press. Buddy barges into the meeting and believes that Miles is an elf owing to his dwarfism.
He continuously insults Miles (not knowing that he's doing so), which eventually escalates into a physical fight. Miles in turn storms out - an action that nearly costs Walter his job. Perhaps rightfully, this is the moment that causes Walter to snap and cut Buddy out of his life for good.