A son, aged 43, dressed up as Buddy from the movie 'Elf' to meet his biological father for the first

A man who was meeting his biological father face to face for the first time recreated the iconic Christmas film "Elf" by dressing up in full costume and singing the same song actor Will Ferrell performs in the movie.

2020-12-05T16:41:21Z
  • A man from Boston, Massachusetts dressed up as Buddy from the classic Christmas movie "Elf" to meet his biological father for the first time.
  • Doug Henning waited for his father at the airport in full costume and with him a sign that read "Dad." He even broke into the same song from the 2003 film.
  • His biological father, Raul, didn't get the joke because he hadn't seen the movie but was still happy to see Henning, telling him, "Oh my son, my boy," as the two embraced.
  • Earlier this year, Henning connected with one of his two biological sisters, and then his biological father, who had not known about him, after searching for them on Ancestry.com.
  • The family first connected on Zoom, but his father, Raul, flew in for Thanksgiving last week to meet face to face.
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A man who was meeting his biological father face to face for the first time recreated the iconic Christmas film "Elf" by dressing up in full costume and singing the same song actor Will Ferrell performs in the movie.

Doug Henning, 43, from Boston, Massachusetts, wore the identical costume Ferrell's character, Buddy, wore in the 2003 comedy while waiting for his father at Logan International Airport last week.

Henning, who was adopted at a young age, also carried with him a sign that read "Dad" and even broke into the same song from the film.

In a video of the heartwarming moment, which was filmed by Henning's daughter, he can be seen bouncing on his toes as his father arrives, singing: "I'm here, with my dad. And we never met, and he wants me to sing him a song!" 

"And now you found me, and you're here, and guess what: I love you, I love you, I love you!" Henning continued, according to the Associated Press.

His biological father, Raul, didn't get the joke because he hadn't seen the movie but still went on to embrace him, saying, "Oh my son, my boy," as people around them cheered.

Watch the moment below:

—GoodNewsCorrespondent (@GoodNewsCorres1) December 4, 2020

"When he came out of the airport, he probably thought I was a lunatic," Henning told Boston.com.

"It was a really good way to break the ice," he added.

Despite having "amazing" adopted parents, Henning spent years trying to find out more about his background and his biological family.

Cousins he met through Ancestry.com earlier this year eventually helped put him in touch with his biological father and one of his biological sisters.

Just like in the movie, his father didn't know about him.

The family first connected on Zoom and Henning's dad eventually flew to Boston for Thanksgiving after everyone in the family tested negative for COVID-19.

Before the meet-up, Henning watched the movie "Elf," which is how he got the idea that he should dress up as Buddy.

In the 2003 comedy, Buddy the Elf is raised at the North Pole but sets out to meet his biological father (James Caan), who doesn't know about him.

Henning is married and is also a father to two girls, making Raul a grandfather for the first time.

"We ultimately sat down as a family and watched the movie," he told Boston.com.

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