Rialto Film Series Presents: Elf

The Rialto Center for the Arts is bringing Elf to the big screen on Tuesday, December 8, as part of the Rialto Film Series. It's a holiday classic that's easy to love, and seeing it in a theater is a different experience than watching it at home.

If you've seen it a dozen times, you know the setup: Buddy, played by Will Ferrell, is a human raised by Santa's helpers at the North Pole. He eventually makes his way to New York City to find his biological father, a modern-day Scrooge who doesn't even know he has a son. It's a fish-out-of-water story in the most literal sense, and Ferrell plays the wide-eyed, overly enthusiastic Buddy with a sincerity that carries the whole thing. The supporting cast is just as strong, with Bob Newhart, James Caan, Mary Steenbergen, Ed Asner, Amy Sedaris, and Zooey Deschanel filling out the world around him. John Favreau directed it, and it's one of those rare Christmas movies that works as well for adults as it does for kids.

It's held a lot of weight over the years, too. It picked up several award nominations, and Fandango once ranked it as the best Christmas film of the 21st century. Whether you agree with that or not, it's a movie that usually lands right where it needs to.

The screening runs from 7 PM to 9 PM at The Rialto Center for the Arts, 80 Forsyth St NW, Atlanta, GA 30303. Tickets are $7, and the film is presented with the Rialto's upgraded digital projector, screen, and sound system, so you'll get a clear picture and full sound for the whole run.