History YMMV / Elf

* HarsherInHindsight: When Buddy hears Jovie singing in the shower, he goes in to listen and sing along with her. The song being sung? "Baby It's Cold Outside". At the time, the scene was meant to highlight Buddy's naivete, but became cringe-worthy in light of the controversy surrounding the song in the wake of the [=#MeToo=] movement.

** While walking in the woods Buddy gets attacked by a raccoon, which is never mentioned again. Though, this scene may have intentionally been Buddy's first encounter with culture shock and served the purpose of showing that animals and people outside of Santa's North Pole are nowhere near as nice as the talking animals and elves of Santa's place.

* PlotHole: Jovie agrees on a date with Buddy, telling him that she is free on Thursday. She never explains a time or to let Buddy know where she lives, and Buddy does not have her contact information.

* WTHCastingAgency: Creator/WillFerrell in a kid's movie? Creator/JamesCaan for a Christmas film? [[Creator/EdwardAsner Ed Asner]] as Santa? [[note]]And believe it or not, that actually wasn't the first time![[/note]] Even Creator/RogerEbert [[http://rogerebert.com/reviews/elf-2003 was surprised by how well that turned out.]]

* WTHCastingAgency: Creator/WillFerrell in a kid's movie? Creator/JamesCaan for a Christmas film? [[Creator/EdwardAsner Ed Asner]] as Santa? [[note]]And believe it or not, that actually wasn't the first time![[/note]] Even Creator/RogerEbert [[http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20031107/REVIEWS/311070302/1023 was surprised by how well that turned out.]]

* UnintentionalPeriodPiece: Santa tells Buddy that New York City is home to "like 30 Ray's Pizzas" and adds "They all claim to be the original, but the real one's on 11th." At the time, there was a Ray's Pizza on 11th Street. It went out of business in 2011.

* UnintentionalPeriodPiece: Santa tells Buddy that New York City is home to 30 Ray's Pizzas and adds "They all claim to be the original, but the real one's on 11th." At the time, there was a Ray's Pizza on 11th Street. It went out of business in 2011.

* AluminumChristmasTrees: The Central Park Rangers are a real law enforcement agency, and the "controversial" actions they took at the Simon and Garfunkel concert, [[NoodleIncident though never]] [[NothingIsScarier specified]], also happened. Apparently even the ''filmmakers'' were unaware of this, as Jon Favreau actually states in the DVD commentary that "Obviously there's no Central Park Rangers. We made them up." Oops.

* NarmCharm: The movie runs on it. It's not only yet another story about rediscovering the true meaning of Christmas, but also the most sincere, loving homage to classic Christmas specials from the '50s and '60s. And while ''some'' of it is [[LampshadeHanging played for irony]], the movie otherwise believes so strongly in its story and messages that it comes off as 100% genuinely heartwarming. The scene of [[ClapYourHandsIfYouBelieve everyone in New York singing "Santa Clause Is Coming To Town"]] is a prime example: on paper, it sounds corny as all get out, but not one character participating looks like as if they aren't thoroughly enjoying themselves. It also makes a lot of sense if you remember that not only is the film a story that Papa Elf is telling the viewer but that Buddy [[spoiler:eventually turned his story into a picture book, which obviously plays up some of the more sentimental moments for entertainment]].

** "'''[[JustForFun/IHeardThatAs GAY PEOPLE!]]'''" [[note]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DqGgIgx4KU This YTPMV]] set to [[{{AwesomeMusic/Deltarune}} Jevil's theme]] that features the Gimbel's Manager started taking off late 2021, with it exploding in popularity around the holidays. Following it, the movie became a popular source for [[YouTubePoop YTP]][[StupidStatementDanceMix MVs]], especially the mall scene.[[/note]]

** "'''[[JustForFun/IHeardThatAs GAY PEOPLE!]]'''" [[note]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DqGgIgx4KU This YTPMV]] set to [[{{AwesomeMusic/Deltarune}} Jevil's theme]] that features the Gimbel's Manager started taking off late 2021, with it exploding in popularity around the holidays. Following it, the movie became a popular source for [[WebAnimation/YouTubePoop YTP]][[StupidStatementDanceMix MVs]], especially the mall scene.[[/note]]

** The breakfast Buddy fixes himself, which consists of spaghetti with maple syrup, marshmallows, Pop-Tarts, and other sugary things. Will Ferrell later revealed [[DyingForYourArt that he got migraines from eating all of that sugar]].

** The breakfast Buddy fixes himself, which consists of spaghetti with maple syrup, marshmallows, Pop-Tarts, and other sugary things. Will Ferrell later revealed that he got migraines from eating all of that sugar.

* RetroactiveRecognition

* HilariousInHindsight: Will Ferrell building [[WesternAnimation/TheLEGOMovie a giant LEGO city]].

* AngstWhatAngst: How does Walter's wife react to finding out he has a thirty year-old illegitimate child from a previous relationship, whom Walter himself never knew about? You'd probably expect her to be angry or at least concerned, but she's downright delighted (this is amended in the animated version). Creator/RogerEbert put it best:
-->''Mary Steenburgen proves she is the only actress in America who could welcome her husband's [[ARareSentence out-of-wedlock elf]] into her family and make us believe she means it.''
** Why would she be angry about it, though? The relationship likely happened long before she was together with Walter and maybe even before they ever met.

* AngstWhatAngst: How does Walter's wife react to finding out he has a thirty year-old illegitimate child from a previous relationship, whom Walter himself never knew about? You'd probably expect her to be angry or at least concerned, but she's downright delighted (this is amended in the animated version). Roger Ebert put it best:

** "'''[[{{Mondegreen}} GAY PEOPLE!]]'''" [[note]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DqGgIgx4KU This YTPMV]] set to [[{{AwesomeMusic/Deltarune}} Jevil's theme]] that features the Gimbel's Manager started taking off late 2021, with it exploding in popularity around the holidays. Following it, the movie became a popular source for [[WebAnimation/YouTubePoop YTP]][[StupidStatementDanceMix MVs]], especially the mall scene.[[/note]]

* JerkassWoobie: The Gimbel's manager. He's a bit of a stick-in-the-mud and work-obsessed, but like everyone else there, he just wants to do his job and get through the holidays, and it's implied he's already on thin ice as it is. You can't blame him for getting fed up with Buddy making things more complicated. The ending implies that he and Buddy have since made peace (enough to get the ''restraining order'' he'd slapped Buddy with lifted) when [[spoiler:Buddy reads aloud a Christmas story to a large audience of children at the Santa's Village in Gimbles]].

** "'''[[{{Mondegreen}} GAY PEOPLE!]]'''" [[note]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DqGgIgx4KU This YTPMV]] that features the Gimbel's Manager started taking off late 2021, with it exploding in popularity around the holidays. Following it, the movie became a popular source for [[StupidStatementDanceMix YTPMVs]], especially the mall scene.[[/note]]

* HilariousInHindsight: [[WesternAnimation/TheLEGOMovie Will Ferrell building a giant LEGO city]].

** "I love to smile! Smiling's my favorite!" [[note]]{{Make work your favorite, that's your favorite, OK?}}![[/note]]