Zooey Deschanel memorably sings “Baby it’s Cold Outside” alongside Will Ferrell inElf, and surprisingly, it’s actually the actress performing her own vocals. Often ranked amongthe best Christmas movies ever,Elfis a delightful holiday classic that’s great for the whole family thanks to a star-making performance by Will Ferrell as Buddy the Elf, as well as a genuinely funny story with an unexpected heart at its center. The film earned an 86% onRotten Tomatoesand made $229 million at the box office (viaBox Office Mojo).
Despite coming out in 2003,quotes fromElfcan be heardyear-round, though the winter season always brings them out more than ever.Elfwas also the first time many movie watchers were introduced to Zooey Deschanel, who, up until that year, had only small roles in a handful of movies and TV shows. InElf, Deschanel plays Jovie, an uninspired worker at a mall who Buddy immediately falls for. It is a complete 180 of herNew Girlcharacter, Jess, but she’s equally funny and charming, and she even sings.
Elf’s “Baby It’s Cold Outside” Scene Was Written Specifically For Zooey Deschanel
Jon Favreau Only Wrote The Scene After Learning Deschanel Could Sing
In one of Jovie’s more memorable scenes, she slips into the employee bathroom before her shift and begins absentmindedly singing in the shower, “Baby it’s Cold Outside”. However, Buddy, unaware of the inappropriateness of his actions, follows her in and joins in the duet. Deschanel’s anger when she realizes there’s a man in the women’s room is hilariously punctuated by Buddy fleeing the bathroom with his eyes covered, and smashing into the lockers. Surprisingly,the scene wasn’t originally written for the movie.
Deschanel recalls the director, Jon Favreau, telling her (viaEW),
“I remember [director] Jon Favreau telling me that they were catering it to whoever played the part. One actress they were looking at was good at skateboarding. But I had a cabaret act at the time and I was performing a lot. They knew that I was a singer, so they put that in to be my special thing that he could discover I was good at.”
So the only reason the scene was written at all was because Favreau knew Deschanel could pull it off. If it were the other actress, it sounds like audiences may have gotten to see Buddy pulling a kickflip. That may have been funnier, but the scene in the film has a simple, goofy, sweetness as well as a classic song to go with it. Deschanel was particularly surprised by Will Ferrell’s singing skills,
“He said he wasn’t a singer, so I wasn’t expecting much. But his dad [Roy Lee Ferrell Jr.] is a great musician. I should’ve known he’d be secretly good!”
Just hearing the scene’s description, it could be easy to think it hasn’t aged well, but Deschanel explains exactly why it works,
“It’s funny because obviously everyone knows it’s not appropriate to walk in the girls' bathroom when someone’s showering, but he’s so believable as this guileless elf. It’s weird he’s in there, but you totally buy that his intentions are pure and innocent.”
Buddy barely understands the finer points of what constitutes a normal breakfast, combining spaghetti with maple syrup and pop tarts;there’s no way he understands his actions are inappropriate. As Deschanel says, he’s only in there because he hears a song, there’s no ulterior motive.
The Big “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town” Scene Was Also Added Because Of Deschanel
The Original Ending Was More Action-Packed
Elfhas another memorable Christmas song scene that comes at the end of the film. The citizens of NYC gather together to sing “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” and viewers can thank Deschanel for that scene too. Favreau recalls he didn’t even write the scene until he learned Deschanel could sing (viaRollingStone),
“The whole Christmas spirit, saving Christmas, that was pretty late in the game, too. That wasn’t in the original script. It gave it that magical feeling, that spirit-redeeming. Buddy changing a lot of people in small ways and overall changing the personality of the city, that’s something I think gives the movie heart.”
The original ending ofElfhad police officers chasing down Santa’s sleigh and each member of Buddy’s family finding their way onto the it, proving Buddy right about Santa (viaDenOfGeek). It’s not a bad idea for a finale, but the one inElfis a Christmas classic. Jovie finally singing in front of a crowd, Walter (James Caan) giving into the spirit of the season, and the city of New York coming together is so perfectly Christmas, anything else would feel less than, andviewers can thank Zooey Deschanel for it.
Elf
Cast
Elf follows Buddy, a human raised as an elf at the North Pole. As an adult, he journeys to Manhattan to find his biological father, a work-driven businessman. The film explores Buddy’s comedic attempts to navigate human society and his quest to bring holiday spirit to his family.
