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Will Ferrell Says He Makes His Kids Watch Elf At Christmas To Calm Them Down

Will Ferrell Says He Makes His Kids Watch Elf At Christmas To Calm Them Down

Ferrell said he uses the beloved film to try and calm his kids down when they’re all hyperactive unwrapping their presents

Jess Hardiman

Jess Hardiman

There are some films that are just a proper part of Christmas - you know, the absolute classics such as Home Alone, It's A Wonderful Life and Die Hard. But arguably the most magical of 'em all is Elf.

Well, it turns out it's not just us who reckon watching Elf is a bit of an annual tradition - even the star of the film follows suit.

That's right, Will Ferrell said he uses the beloved film to try and calm his kids down when they're all hyperactive unwrapping their presents.

Speaking to E! News, he said: "It's always chaotic. There's a lot of screaming and yelling and complaining as to when they get to open their presents. I think they each get way too many presents each.

"We have three boys. And [the presents] are opened in 12 minutes."

Asked if his family Christmas involves 'compulsory Elf watching', Ferrell responded: "Yeah. I force them to watch Elf 10 times, 10 straight times. It's a marathon, and then you get to open a present after."

Okay, so we're kind of hoping he's joking - even though an Elf marathon wouldn't be the worst thing in the world, let's face it. I'm just not sure anyone could get through that last scene 10 times, as it's so much of a tearjerker that it even sets Ferrell off when he watches the movie.

New Line Cinema

In an interview with Rotten Tomatoes, the 53-year-old actor said that, even 16 years since the film's release, he's been known to get choked up during the poignant scene, which sees a crowd of people singing 'Santa Claus Is Coming To Town' in Central Park.

Will said: "When Buddy is in the back of the sleigh and everyone is singing in Central Park and there's enough Christmas spirit to get it lifted off, I'm like, 'Oh, I can't let everyone see me cry here at my own movie'."

It's a pivotal moment in the film - Saint Nick's sleigh crashes in the park due to a shortage of Christmas spirit, but the communal sing-along generates enough festive vibes for it to take off.

Then Mary Steenburgen's voice breaks and the film becomes a comedy again. Classic.

Featured Image Credit: New Line Cinema

Topics: Christmas, TV and Film, US Entertainment, Will Ferrell