To the Editor:

This is a comment regarding your recent article about the “Top 10 WORST Holiday Movies”. As I skimmed that edition of The Broadside, I had to do a double-take when I saw that “Elf” was listed as the #1 worst holiday movie. I certainly am not writing to proclaim that Elf is one of the best movies ever made; however, it is not the worst. The article mentioned that “Elf” will “remind you of everything you hate about the holidays”. So “Elf” reminds us of greediness, selfishness, waste, and impatience? I’m pretty sure Buddy the elf exemplifies NONE of those things. If there’s one thing Buddy the elf is not, it’s selfish. In fact, Buddy puts others before him, he’s childishly silly and naïve, and just wants to make others happy—whether it’s the other toy-making elves or his dad. Sure, it may not be winning Academy Awards next to “The Hurt Locker” and “Schindler’s List”, but it’s cute, clever, wacky, and it makes you smile. Who cares if the cinematography is not top-grade? It has charm, which anyone will tell you can go farther than technical correctness. “Elf” is quotable (just say, “You sit on a throne of lies” to any of my friends and they will laugh), kind, and showcases something that I love about the holidays, which is being with the people you love, and doing everything you can to make them proud and happy. So go ahead, be a Scrooge about Christmas movies, that’s fine, but at the next Christmas party I go to, I’d much rather be chatting with Buddy the Elf, instead of some pragmatic person who thinks Christmas can’t be a little zany.

Sincerely, Valerie McCready