Beloved holiday movie classic “Elf” brought back cast members Will Ferrell, Zooey Deschanel, Ed Asner, Bob Newhart, Andy Richter, Amy Sedaris and Mary Steenburgen for a reunion – a Democratic fundraiser on Sunday night.
John Lithgow, Wanda Sykes, Ed Helms and other stars joined, playing various roles during a live “Elf” virtual script table-read. By the end, the reunion surpassed its goal of raising more than $400,000 for the Democratic Party of Georgia.
The event was a lively, virtual reunion that was capped off with a group version of “Jingle Bells.”
However, the famed ending for the 2003 comedy, directed by and starring Jon Favreau, featured Deschanel’s Jovie starting a rousing version of “Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town” as Buddy the Elf (Ferrell) arrives with Santa Claus (Asner) on his sleigh before a suddenly-believing crowd of New Yorkers.
The Georgia-native Helms explained during an intermission that organizers of the “Elf” reunion had sought, but had been denied, the rights to the song “Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town” for the fundraiser.
Helms joked that the song rights were owned by members of the Republican party who blocked the request. He promised the show would go on without the original song.
“So we’re going to end with ‘Jingle Bells’ instead,” said Helms.
Deschanel started off the “Jingle Bells” song for the finale. Lithgow, reading the part of Buddy’s father Walter (originally played by James Caan), was especially emphatic in hitting the notes.
The “Elf” event featured a virtual reprise of the famed scene in which Ferrell’s elf walks into the department store changing room where Deschanel’s Jovie is showering and singing “Baby It’s Cold Outside.”
In a story twist, Pod Save America host and speechwriter Jon Favreau filled in for the missing “Elf” director Jon Favreau, who played a doctor in the film.
Podcaster Favreau teased the performance on Twitter, saying, “Come see me and the Elf folks reenact a movie I was totally a part of!”
The “Elf” reunion will be available for viewing again Monday. The money raised will be directed to the campaigns to elect Democrats Jon Ossoff and Reverend Raphael Warnock to Senate seats in the January run-off election.
