The beloved comedy Charlize Theron called “fucking perfect”
She can do action with her eyes closed and has an Academy Award for her contributions to drama, so there’s no denying Charlize Theron is a versatile talent. However, if there’s one glaring omission in her esteemed filmography, she’s never played the lead role in a truly great comedy.
That’s not to suggest that every single one of her comedic efforts has been a disaster, but it’s still worth noting that she earned two Golden Raspberry Award nominations for ‘Worst Actress’ and ‘Worst Screen Combo’ when she aimed for the cheap seats in Seth MacFarlane’s A Million Ways to Die in the West.
Theron also notched Golden Globe nominations in the ‘Best Actress – Musical or Comedy’ category for Jason Reitman’s Young Adult and Tully, and while she was very funny in both of them, they were hardly films designed explicitly to tickle the funny bone. The humour was definitely there, but the narratives and the star’s performances were rooted more in pathos than pithiness.
The best conventional comedy she’s ever made is arguably Long Shot, in which she plays a politician gradually being won over by the irresistible charms of Seth Rogen’s journalist, who also happens to be the kid she used to babysit. It’s a good film and a very enjoyable one, but not quite worthy of greatness.
Of course, comedy is one of the most subjective art forms, and its merits are left entirely to the discretion of the beholder, but what’s much easier to agree with is Theron’s pick for pure comedic perfection. It’s a film that millions around the world rewatch every year and has been ranked among the finest efforts of its highly specific subgenre.
Theron has even made a festive feature in the past, albeit one that didn’t go to plan when she described John Frankenheimer’s Reindeer Games as one of the worst things she’s ever been in. That flick certainly isn’t one folks are queuing up to revisit every time Christmas draws closer, but Will Ferrell’s Elf most definitely is.
Naming it to Harper’s Bazaar as one of her favourite movies of all time, Theron succinctly summed up Ferrell and director Jon Favreau’s whimsical fish out of water caper as “fucking perfect.” It’s an opinion a lot of people would readily agree with, and even those who don’t get the hype can’t help but be drawn into its orbit once every 12 months.
Ferrell was so determined not to let the magic of Elf be sullied that he repeatedly turned down monstrous paydays to reprise the role of Buddy. That being said, if he ever changed his mind, Theron would no doubt jump at the chance to play a major supporting part.
