Walter Hobbs is the true hero of Elf, he by no means deserved the naughty checklist

By Joshua Tyler
| Revealed 1 hour in the past

Will Ferrell’s Elf is the most-watched Christmas film of the fashionable period and the most effective Christmas films of all time. It is a easy story advised in such an easy manner that Buddy Elf’s father, Walter Hobbs, is the one character with a personality arc.

We’re advised proper off the bat that Walter Hobbs (performed by James Caan) is on the naughty checklist. When Buddy meets him, every thing appears designed to verify that he deserves to be there. It is Walter’s character arc that drives the story, not Buddy’s. Buddy is identical particular person on the finish of the movie as he was in the beginning. However Walter is meant to go from being a villain to being a loving father who embraces the spirit of Christmas.

Besides that is not what’s occurring in any respect. Walter Hobbs was by no means a foul man. He should not have been on the unhealthy man checklist. He’s the true hero of Elfand I will show it.

We’ll begin by taking every supposed instance of Scrooge-like conduct, one after the other.

Walter Hobbs solely cares about his job

From the start, we’re launched to Walter Hobbs as a workaholic who devotes all his time to his profession and neglects his household. At one level, his son degrades him, accusing him of solely caring about cash. His spouse additionally assaults him, accusing him of neglecting his son.

Nonetheless, this isn’t what occurs on display. The Walter Hobbs we see in Elf is house on supper time each evening. In fact, as soon as, after having a very tough day, he wished to go eat in his man cave. The man was very burdened. Clearly, this isn’t the norm since his son reacts to his resolution to eat alone as if it have been a novelty by asking him if he may replicate his father’s conduct.

Consuming alone one evening does not make Walter Hobbs a satan.

The truth is, it is clear that Hobbs does not care about his job in any respect. The standard of his work is totally disgusting. He was caught deliberately signing the incorrect impression, a transparent signal that he does not care and hates working there.

Each time we see him at his desk, Walter appears to be like like he is wishing for demise.

So why is he there? Somebody has to pay the payments.

Walter Hobbs will get up day by day and works a job he hates to assist his household. He comes house each evening for dinner, which he apparently nearly at all times eats on the desk along with his household. What a monster.

Walter Hobbs does not settle for my boyfriend

When Buddy Elf exhibits up at Walter’s workplace, he’s understandably confused. He throws Buddy out repeatedly in shock over all of it. He has no motive to imagine it. The man is dressed like an elf and talks about Santa Claus. Clearly he is some sort of mentally ailing weirdo. Any affordable particular person would have thought he could possibly be harmful.

To make issues worse, Buddy’s manner of convincing Walter that he’s his son is by sending him attractive lingerie. This will need to have made Walter marvel if Buddy’s true objective might need an odd sexual connotation. Virtually anybody else would have known as the police, however not the great Walter Hobbs. As an alternative, he decides to present Buddy an opportunity.

Walter pays to launch Buddy from jail, takes him to a clinic and has him examined. A wise factor to do when a 40 12 months outdated man you’ve got by no means seen earlier than exhibits up at your door, claiming to be a detailed relative. When the check proves that Buddy is his son, Walter turns round and invitations this particular person, whom he doesn’t know in any respect, to his house.

All of this occurs whereas Buddy continues to interact in weird conduct that, if he had claimed a much less sort and fewer empathetic particular person as a father, in all probability would have triggered him to commit. It isn’t Buddy’s fault, after all. He means effectively, however Walter has no manner of figuring out that.

Regardless of Buddy’s strangeness, Walter sees by means of the particular person in him and decides to belief him along with his household. Walter is so forgiving that, apart from a joke about Buddy liking snow, he does not even flinch when Buddy begins destroying his home.

Her answer to Buddy’s destruction is to not throw him out, however to discover a approach to take care of him. He asks his spouse to remain house with him and watch over him. When she will’t, Walter Hobbs takes his grownup son to work.

Walter sticks a good friend within the mail room

Buddy Elf is an unemployed grownup with no place to dwell and no prospects. He wants a job, so Walter Hobbs makes use of his firm’s affect to search out him one.

Buddy has no work historical past or expertise, which implies he’s not certified to work anyplace apart from the mailroom. Walter finds him a job there.

In a manner, it is a success. Buddy has a great time within the mail room, he makes new ones friends and receives a wage. Nonetheless, he additionally embarrasses his father by getting drunk and dancing on tables.

Walter does not overreact. He places his head down and continues to dwell life as greatest he can.

Walter shouts to my good friend

Walter’s job is on the road, and he is aware of it. He is been preventing his manner by means of a thankless profession in an business he is clearly not minimize out for for years, and it is beginning to take its toll.

Walter’s staff are ineffective and lazy, however he has an answer. At nice expense, he brings in a proficient author to present them the pitch they should write a profitable guide.

Buddy, who would have been busy working within the mailroom and incomes his personal paycheck if he hadn’t been drunk, bursts in on the worst attainable second. Then, for no motive Walter can see, he begins insulting Walter’s visitor. It rapidly goes past shouting and turns into a full-blown bodily confrontation. All Walter can do is stand and watch in horror.

Walter’s presentation assembly is now ruined, his son was concerned in an assault on firm property, and all of it occurred in entrance of his staff. Add one more office humiliation to his popularity.

It was solely then, after days of shame, abuse and horror by the hands of a grown man he barely knew, that Walter Hobbs lastly turned offended. He yells at Buddy to get out, then after Buddy leaves, he tries to discover a approach to save his popularity and profession.

Walter Hobbs works on Christmas Eve

Okay, however what about his disinterest in Christmas? Issues actually collapse when Walter leaves for work on Christmas Eve.

Besides Walter by no means wished to be there in any respect. When his boss tells him he has to work on Christmas Eve, Walter instantly objects. He tries to refuse, however his boss threatens to fireplace him. Her selection is to go to work or take the gamble of discovering one other job to feed her baby. Nobody desires to be unemployed at Christmas, so he did his job. This is not grumpy conduct, it is being a accountable grownup.

That is when his youngest bursts in, declaiming that Buddy Elf has run away. Though he was humiliated in entrance of his boss, Walter stays secure. He defends his son when his boss speaks rudely to him.

In the meantime, Buddy Elf is a grown man. A grown man who proved he may care for himself by actually strolling from the North Pole to New York. He walks round New York once more, that is the fifth or sixth time he is completed so within the movie, and there isn’t any motive to suppose he is in any hazard.

The child eats an excessive amount of and Walter is aware of it. He additionally understands that his son is nervous, so he tells him that he’ll care for it and calmly asks him to attend exterior till he can end. His son refuses to obey his father and begins yelling at him, including one more skilled humiliation to his resume.

Every other mum or dad would have kicked their son out of the room and punished him for a 12 months after this tirade, however Walter, compassionate, relents. He realizes that his household does not appear to care about him or his job, and after weeks and weeks of being humiliated and degraded by them, he offers up making an attempt to make a residing and quits.

The actual villains of Elf

Walter Hobbs shouldn’t be a foul man. He is an introvert who does not share his feelings, however that does not make him a foul particular person.

Walter Hobbs is abused and humiliated, yelled at and touched inappropriately by a grown man in pantyhose who decides to present him an undesirable tickle. Walter by no means collapses. He stays the course and continues his troopers. He has a minor outburst after weeks of abuse and instantly tries to make amends.

Elf is stuffed with horrible folks. Miles Finch is a delusional egomaniac. Walter’s editorial group is made up of lazy courtiers. His secretary is a kitten-killing psychopath. His boss is an asshole.

After which there’s Santa, who knew all alongside who Buddy’s father was, however he dropped him off to be raised by an elf as an alternative of telling Walter Hobbs that he had a son. Including insult to damage, Santa places Walter on the naughty checklist and spends a number of a long time permitting the Elves to trick Buddy into pondering he is considered one of them whereas placing items of coal underneath Walter’s tree yearly.

There are unhealthy guys in Elf. Walter Hobbs shouldn’t be considered one of them.