To film buffs, James Caan was a legend, but to a younger audience he's better known as the bah-humbug dad in Christmas classic Elf. The Hollywood actor, who passed away on Wednesday night at 82, was credited as one of the last great "tough guys" of the industry.
Papa Elf reveals that Buddy was born to Walter Hobbs (James Caan) and Susan Wells and given up for adoption and that Walter never knew of his existence. He explains how Susan later died and that Walter now works at a children's book company in New York City.
Comedy legend Bob Newhart slipped into the pointy shoes of Papa Elf, Buddy's adoptive father and the film's narrator. The Peabody award winner mostly worked on television in the decades after Elf, with the exception of a small role in the movie Horrible Bosses in 2011 opposite Jason Bateman.
Buddy eventually finds his father in the Empire State Building, but an incredulous Walter Hobbs has him thrown out. Buddy takes a security guard's sarcastic suggestion to "get back to Gimbel's," where he is mistaken for an employee and meets the lovely but unenthusiastic Jovie.
Papa Elf explains to Buddy that he was born to Walter Hobbs and Susan Wells. Susan put him up for adoption prior to her death. Walter now works as a children's book publisher at the Empire State Building in New York City and is unaware of Buddy's existence.
It's never explicitly stated that Buddy has a disability, only strongly implied. If "Elf" had stated a cognitive difference, it would have had to take responsibility for its offensive language.
When Buddy overhears that he is a human, Papa Elf explains that Buddy was born to Walter Hobbs and Susan Wells, and given up for adoption. Susan subsequently died and Walter, who now works for a children's book publisher at the Empire State Building in New York City, is unaware of Buddy's existence.
Gender. Susie Hobbs is the daughter of Buddy and Jovie, the granddaughter of Walter Hobbs and Susan Wells, the adopted granddaughter of Papa Elf, the step granddaughter of Emily Hobbs and the half-niece of Michael Hobbs. She's shown at the end of the movie when Buddy and Jovie are married and visit Santa.
In the mailroom, Buddy accidentally gets drunk, after thinking that the bottle of liquor is syrup (may fly over the heads of young children who think he's drinking syrup).
Eventually Jovie and Buddy got married, and they spent many Christmases together. They had a baby girl whom they name Susie. Jovie, Buddy and Susie visited the North Pole.
The teams worked with a two-thirds scale that would allow Ferrell to seem bigger than his elven counterparts. Afterward, the crew would adjust the height of the cameras and objects to bring the optical illusion to life.
Jim Carrey as Buddy the Elf in Elf. The script for Elf was first written in 1993, and at the time, Carrey was attached to star in it. However, the movie did not immediately go into production, and by the time it did in 2003, Carrey was no longer interested in the role.
Buddy the Elf greeting an individual from the phone. William Hobbs, better known as Buddy The Elf , is the main protagonist of the 2003 film Elf. He is the son of Walter Hobbs and Susan Wells, and the adoptive son of Papa Elf.
In the Christmas movie, Buddy goes to New York City in hopes of finding his biological father, Walter Hobbs (James Caan), after learning that he is a human and not an elf as he'd always thought.
Simmie Sims III (born September 10, 1993), known professionally as Buddy, is an American rapper, singer, and dancer. Previously on the I Am Other label, he is now signed to Cool Lil Company and RCA Records.
New York is a city in New York state. It is the main setting for Elf. New York City, in Elf, is set in 2003, 2 years after 9/11 at the World Trade Center. Buddy the elf goes there to find his father, Walter Hobbs, who is working at the Empire State Building.
Raised as an oversized elf, Buddy travels from the North Pole to New York City to meet his biological father, Walter Hobbs, who doesn't know he exists and is in desperate need of some Christmas spirit.
Jail is where Buddy is arrested and sentenced for 24 hours as a punishment for fighting with the Fake Santa and gets banned from Gimbel's. Luckily, Walter bails him out.
In 2003, then-blonde Zooey Deschanel wooed Buddy as Jovie, a Gimbels employee with a sultry singing voice and an "affinity for elf culture." Her version of "Baby It's Cold Outside" with Leon Redbone from the film — predating her She & Him days — is a holiday favorite.
Buddy falls in love at first sight with Macy's elf, Jovie, and inspires other Macy's Employees to decorate with some Christmas Spirit ("Sparklejollytwinklejingley"). Jovie agrees to go on a date with Buddy just as Santa's Helper announces the arrival of Fake Santa.
This, of course, underpins the entire premise of the movie – the fact that Buddy isn't actually an elf. Raised by Papa Elf after crawling into Santa's sack as a baby in an orphanage, Buddy grows up to be very different from the rest of Santa's little helpers.
Children who participate in this activity gleefully anticipate finding their elf each morning and seeing just what he's been up to while they were fast asleep. There is only one rule according to the story: if the child touches the elf, it will lose its magic.
