‘Bye Buddy, hope you find your dad!’ Milford theater brings back ‘Elf’ for 20th anniversary

It's been 20 years since the iconic holiday movie “Elf” was released and stole the hearts of many.

Angelica Toruno and Robyn Karashik

Nov 26, 2023, 11:15 PM

Updated 382 days ago

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It's been 20 years since the iconic holiday movie “Elf” was released and stole the hearts of many. The Cinemark Connecticut Post 14 and IMAX in Milford is honoring the film this holiday season.
The humorous movie first hit theaters in November 2003. It follows Buddy the Elf, played by Will Ferrell. Buddy is a human who was raised by Santa's elves and decides to journey to New York City to find his biological father.
Two decades later, it's still a holiday classic and a must-watch in many households.
"It's a real sweet movie with a lot of heart,” said Kurt Leng, of Hamden.
To mark the anniversary, the Milford Cinemark has brought it back onto their silver screens from Nov. 24 until Nov. 30.
"I was very excited because it's one of my favorite Christmas movies,” said Cooper Leng, of Hamden.
Moviegoers were in full holiday cheer to watch the movie on Sunday with many odes to the film like T-shirts with Buddy’s face on them or fan-favorite quotes.
The revamped screenings are bringing family and friends together with a certain holiday nostalgia.
"It just makes me happy just every time I watch it,” said Bevin Nealon, of Stratford.
"We all love it, except my dad,” said Kylie Zack, of Stratford. “He claims he doesn't love it, but we dragged him!"
If you're a fan of the movie too there's still time to grab some popcorn and plop into a seat. Showtimes will be running until Thursday.
“Elf” is also available on streaming services like Hulu, Max and Amazon Prime.