Nice: Elf (2003)
Everything about Elf is a Christmas miracle. Springing from the mind of screenwriter David Berenbaum and executed by the dynamo duo of Jon Favreau and Will Ferrell—the latter considered a liability among executives at the time, given his previous starring role in the bawdy Old School—Elf defied expectations to become the premier holiday classic of the new millennium. Its spellbinding sense of unabashed joy and its story concerning one man’s search for family are powerful enough to thaw even the iciest hearts. And few can resist the simple hilarity of six-foot-three Will Ferrell in emerald stockings.
