What's Up, Buddy?

I protested for oh so long. For approximately two years I refused to see the movie Elf. It's not the Will Ferrell thing—I quite like him actually. It's not that it's a holiday flick—I got the spirit in me. No, all of those things really should sell me on the...

By Merritt Martin

December 7, 2006

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I protested for oh so long. For approximately two years I refused to see the movie Elf. It's not the Will Ferrell thing—I quite like him actually. It's not that it's a holiday flick—I got the spirit in me. No, all of those things really should sell me on the movie (plus, I've had a raging crush on Peter Dinklage for years, so there's that). I avoided seeing Elf for one rather humiliating reason: I knew full well it would make me cry. The moment I saw the trailers with the innocent Buddy yelping, "SANTA! OH MY GOD! SANTA'S COMING! I KNOW HIM!" with the glee of a 4-year-old followed by a clip of James Caan looking, well, like James Caan, I knew there would be some sort of conflict. (Now I admit I have a tendency to care about the well-being of animals over people in movies, but I apparently also have a weak spot for elves...even really tall, adult ones.) But I finally sucked it up and watched the DVD, and yes, I totally lost it when...well, I'm not going to ruin it for you. Go laugh (and cry) through Elf as the Angelika Film Center in Mockingbird Station offers the It's a Wonderful Life Film Series. Elf screens 5:30 p.m. Sunday and 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. Future selections include Love, Actually (cried at that one too) and Miracle on 34th Street. Call 214-841-4700 or visit angelikafilmcenter.com.
Sun., Dec. 10, 5:30 p.m.; Wed., Dec. 13, 6:30 p.m.

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Merritt Martin has written for the Dallas Observer for over two decades. She has also contributed to Eater, DMN and USA Today. In addition to arts and culture writing, she spends entirely too much time extolling the virtues of pears, black clothing, and her cat Kenneth.

Contact: Merritt Martin

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