Elf

Last night Pooteewheet and I went to see Elf at the Parkway Theater.  It's been a long time since I saw the movie, partially because my wife and kid have zero interest in Will Ferrell, despite his good politics and inclusiveness.  The problem with Will Ferrell, from my perspective, is that you can't convince anyone that a movie has minimal Will Ferrell energy when he's in it.  But Elf is pretty damn mellow.  It's got a serious Big vibe to it, but less problematic about the whole grown woman hooks up with faux man who's really a kid issue.  My primary complaint is that it feels rushed, so some of the tropes are assumed to land because the audience is familiar with them [dad learns to love his estranged/stranger kid despite minimal actual time together for instance, and brothers learn to like each other with pretty minimal interaction].

But we had a good time and I love that the Parkway can actually serve you a drink while you watch a movie.  

As a bonus, Leslie Vincent was playing pre-Elf Christmas music, including Pennies from Heaven [in the movie].  If you haven't caught her locally, I recommend it.  She's somewhere in the Venn that is Jazz, Lounge, Ukulele, and whatever fits the season.  Her album is in the album frame Kyle gave me as a gift so keen-eyed coworkers can pick it out amidst all the board games and knickknacks in my office.  She's got a load of events coming up for the holidays at Crooner's, Metronome, Volstead, and even a Dolly Parton event that includes Sarah Morris.

I did get my wife to walk next door to Town Hall so I could have tots and a follow on beer.  Wasn't a smart idea going to Elf on an empty stomach.