Things I Wish I Had Written

So I've been reading Alexandra Sokoloff and she has very interesting things to say about writing and structure and things like that. Being a person who loves structure, I found myself very interested in what she has to say. One of her suggestions was to make a list of around 10 books and movies you wish you'd written. For the next few days, off and on, I'm going to be talking about them.

First up, given the season, is Elf.

I've said many times before that I love Christmas. I even blogged about why I love Christmas just last week. I also love the idea of Christmas Elves, maybe because I used to be in banking and understand what it's like to do all the work and have someone else take all the credit for it. I love the movie Elf for many reasons--it's funny and a bit absurd. Buddy, the main character is a bit hyperactive, insanely happy and enthusiastic about everything he comes across. I love Buddy's heart, because as funny as Buddy and his adventures are, this really is a sweet movie. He sets off on this journey to find his birth father, who is on the naughty list for a good reason, but comes back to the man (or, um, elf) that raised him, realizing that family is more than blood.
Saving Christmas to the tune of a joyful soundtrack doesn't hurt, either.

Why do I wish I had written this movie? Because it's about Christmas, and having the Christmas spirit despite all the dismal people around you. Elf is about hope. Elf is also about adoption, and finding your birth parents, and adoption is something that is close to my heart. I was so happy to see that Buddy didn't forget about his real father after he found his birth father, and that's something the media just doesn't show us enough.

What do you think of Elf?

Toodles!