Continuity mistake: In the scene in Central Park as Santa speaks with Michael, Santa's arm is either on the book of Christmas lists, or off it, as the scenes switch between looking over Michael's shoulder and over Santa's shoulder.
Elf (2003)
Plot summary
Directed by: Jon Favreau
Starring: Will Ferrell, James Caan, Zooey Deschanel, Bob Newhart
Buddy is a human living in a world of elves. He finds out that his elf father is not his real dad, so he travels to NYC to find him. When he is there, he meets his dad, stepmom, and brother, who all think that he is crazy. When Buddy is at a department store, the manager mistakes him as one of his employees, and puts him to work. Buddy soon falls in love with Jovie, a girl working at the store. Buddy makes friends with his brother Michael, who encourages him to ask Jovie out. Meanwhile, Buddy's dad has arranged for author Miles Finch to come to his publishing company to work on a new book. Because Miles is so short, Buddy mistakes him for an elf. Miles becomes furious and fights Buddy, leaving him lying on the ground. Miles leaves the building, fuming.
More mistakes in Elf
[Buddy sees the mail room for the first time.]
Buddy: It's just like Santa's workshop! Except it smells like mushrooms, and everyone looks like they want to hurt me.
Trivia: Originally, the store Buddy and Jovie work in was supposed to be a Macy's. However, Macy's quickly dropped out of the project when they got the script and saw that there was a scene where Buddy confronts a fake mall-Santa in the store for not being the real Santa. Reportedly, Macy's representatives indignantly told the studio that "Macy's Santa is the REAL Santa!"
Question: Has anyone noticed what looks exactly like a Buddy Elf doll standing on the kitchen counter during the breakfast scene where Buddy is pouring syrup for the mom? If you pause when the camera pulls back to show Buddy pouring syrup and the back of the moms head, you'll see the elf doll on the right side of the scene (our right, Buddy's left) facing away from the camera. It's on the counter directly below the cabinet knobs; behind the back of a chair and in front of what looks like a radio that sits against the counter wall. Ideas? Looks just like a Buddy doll to me.
Answer: This was probably deliberately added to the scene. Movies often add in-jokes like this. I believe it was "HP and the Chamber of Secrets" that while Harry, Ron, and Hermione are in Diagon Alley, the entire Harry Potter book series can be seen on a shelf in the background. In "Raiders of The Lost Ark," there are a little C-3PO and R2D2 carved into the stone hieroglyphs in the Well of Souls. "Jurassic Park" openly displayed JP merchandise, the same merchandise that was sold in stores. Filmmakers love to add little "Easter eggs" like that for audiences to find.
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Answer: It might just be a regular elf doll that, coincidentally, is dressed in real elf clothes.