There are only a few cues in
Elf that Debney's
collectors will be unable to trace to origins in a previous effort from
him, but it's the uniquely retro personality of this work's thematic and
stylistic highlights that sets it apart. Aside from the 1950s whistling
and other imitations of television special music from a generation past,
the most distinguishing aspect of
Elf is the conscious effort by
the composer to spruce it up with a truly saturating holiday spirit. At
times, this Christmas jubilance seems overplayed, but given that
Elf is an intentionally innocuous and ridiculous comedy, the
flamboyant style of Debney's approach is arguably appropriate. While at
times inspired by John Williams'
Home Alone, the modern standard
for holiday film music, this music was clearly not meant to compete with
it. More often pilfered is Tchaikovsky's "The Nutcracker" and classic
holiday staples like the 1934 song, "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town," the
latter element giving the work a free-flowing spirit better for lighter
moods. (For whatever reason, James Horner's
Star Trek II: The Wrath
of Khan is referenced at the end of "Santa Claus is Coming io Town
(Pr. 2).") To comprehend Debney's approach to
Elf, all you have
to do is imagine any of the plethora of the decent but rather
non-descript scores for romantic comedies over his entire career and
apply a Christmastime filter to it. The sound of such streamlined Debney
comedy works well as the base for this context, with a decent, though
not particularly overwhelming theme for the manchild Buddy utilized very
consistently throughout the score. Teased at the outset, the Buddy theme
does receive some of the work's most orchestrally robust performances,
often with choir, during "Buddy's Journey to New York" and "Here Comes
the Sleigh," and it reduces well to tender woodwind solos, as in
"Buddy's Goodbye." It's heartwarming without being overtly obnoxious,
though you won't likely recall more than its mood after the conclusion
of the film. Perhaps more memorable than Buddy's theme is the whistling
theme for the elf colony itself. The film begins with three cues
featuring performances of this theme, all with sleigh bells ringing,
tambourines slapping, and a business-like snare keeping a steady pace
for the "whistle while you work" theme.
Chimes, bells, and a chorus are joined by a noble
trumpet for the North Pole scenes in
Elf, and with the cute
demeanor and diverse instrumentation of this whistling theme, you almost
wish the whole film had been located in that setting. In the regular
world, an uncredited accordion is used throughout the score, and while
that's not really a holiday instrument, it likely serves its purpose for
the film's later, brewing romance. An enhanced role for a sole tuba is
also notable. As Debney had done in his previous few scores, a light
choir was added to a medium-sized orchestral ensemble for an extra dose
of usual movie-going magic. Traditional Christmas carols are found only
in a few cues; first, a few bars of "Jingle Bells" open the score and
then, as the score weaves in and out of an on-screen performance of
"Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town," Debney dances in and out of that melody
in the surrounding score. The original album for the score offered a
suite of traditional tunes in "Christmas Medley," with jazzy, retro
variations on several mainstays. The score's attractiveness is slowed
considerably by several prancing comedy rhythms that poke around and
frolic during moments of cuteness in the story. The intense action cues,
comprising "The Frozen Battlefield" and "Showdown in the Park," could
very well be from Debney's
Sudden Death or
The Tuxedo, but
they refrain from electronic accompaniment and break up the often
monotonous, light comedy atmosphere. The few moments of suspense are
generally unconvincing. In the presentation of the score on its initial,
30-minute album from 2003, you'll keep coming back to the strangely
addictive, 1950s era whistling and singing elf theme existing at the
start of the product and, to a lesser extent, the two major performances
of Buddy's theme for the full ensemble. A 2021 expanded offering takes
the presentation to about 50 minutes, and the work struggles to sustain
that length, fizzling out without much fanfare in its middle passages.
That limited Varèse Sarabande entry does feature half a dozen of
the longer arrangements as heard on the prior album, and these remain
preferred. Any improvement in sound quality is not significant. Overall,
Elf is a slightly more dazzling take on Debney's typical output
in the comedy and holiday genre, and it certainly merits a suite of ten
minutes or so, but don't hold your breath for an overwhelmingly unique
experience.
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