Surviving Christmas Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES
This year, Christmas comes early. Really early. Like... October 22nd.
Share the warmth
Drew Latham is an executive leading an empty, shallow life with only wealth on his side. Facing another lonely Christmas ahead, Drew wants to revisit his old childhood home and possibly relive some old holiday memories. But when he arrives, he finds that the house he was raised in is no longer the home he grew up in. Inhabited by another family, Drew offers a nice financial reward that has the family ringing. But is Drew's generous cash offer only the beginning of an annoying visitor whose a little too overeager to celebrate Christmas?
| Mike Mitchell |
4.80 out of 10 (5178 votes)
Visitor Reviews
A Good Movie at a Bad Time
posted on 21 Aug 2009Having a Christmas movie in the middle of October is like going fishing in a lake with no fish. Unless you don't want to catch a fish, having a Christmas movie in October would be OK. Call me crazy, but this was a good movie. The script has its ups and downs, but then again, the movie didn't have a completed script. Still, this was not the reason the movie did so bad. If it premiered in December, the movie would have been the #1 comedy at the cinema that week. The American people were to busy watching the Red Sox and debating who to vote for for President. Plus, nobody wants to watch a movie about Christmas, two weeks before Halloween. Overall, Surviving Christmas (which should have been titled: Buying Christmas) is a nice Christmas comedy, that should be at theaters in December.
Hilarious holiday fun
posted on 19 Aug 2009Although it was ripped apart by critics and Ben Affleck haters of the world, Surviving Christmas is a truly hilarious flick. I'll admit that I didn't want to see this movie originally (I got dragged to it by a signifigant other). Once in the theater, however, it was a different story. I found myself laughing so hard I couldn't breathe. A lot of it is was due to Affleck's supposed improvised lines, all of which were hilarious, but the concept itself is equally funny. People will say they don't want to see an Affleck movie, but no one has ever seen him perform like this. James Gandolfini is also very funny in a supporting role. Most holiday movies end very sappy, but this one remains funny all through out. Now, its not a great movie, but almost no great movies are laugh-till-you-cant-breathe funny. I would put this one up there with National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation and Scrooged as the three funniest holiday movies of all time.
Ben Afflecks Best, Worst Movie...If That Makes Any Sense
posted on 16 Jul 2009"Surviving Christmas" is quite possibly one of the worst reviewed film of 2004. This is what made me want to see this movie. For some reason, if the movie isn't well liked I tend to enjoy it. Ben Afflecks last 3 films have been extremely critically hated (Gigli, Paycheck, Jersey Girl) and this continues that lineup. And as much as I hate to admit it, I liked all these movies. This, is my favorite out of those. This film recieved Two Thumbs Down from Ebert & Roeper, and an F from Entertainment Weekly. Ben Affleck plays Drew Lathan.
Drew is a lonely executive who has just broken up with his girlfriend and has no one to spend Christmas with. He recieves a tip from a psychiatrist to write a list of his grievances and burn it in front of his childhood home. He does this and is hit over the head with a shovel by Tom Valco (James Gandolfini).
This his introduction to the Valco family. The family consists of Tom.Christine (Catherine O'Hara),
and Brian. They hate him right away, but after Drew offers them 250,000 dollars to let him stay with them over the holidays, they accept him...Somewhat. Then, Alicia (Christina Applegate) the daughter comes home and eventually falls in love with Drew. OK, so, they use a LOT of cliches in this movie. And I can plainly see why most people don't like this movie. But I personally thought this movie was hysterical.
James Gandolfini & Catherine O'Hara steal the entire movie, Gandolfini has a menacing prescense that he uses to be funny. Anyway, the best of Afflecks critically hated movies, B+.
Hilarious!!
posted on 12 Jul 2009When life's not going exactly the way he wants, Drew (Ben Affleck) decides it's time to go back to his childhood home for Christmas and recapture the magic and idyll of his past. The only problem? His relatives don't live in that house anymore, so reliving his glory days will be much more complicated than he expected. First, he must convince the family (headed by James Gandolfini and Catherine O'Hara) who call the place home to humor him.
We bought this movie last year when it first came out and found it absolutely adorable and very funny. Keep in mind what it is, it is an endearing movie about how incredibly lonely Christmas can be if you don't have family to share it with, it was certainly not intended to generate oscar buzz. Ben Affleck was, as always, outstanding. I just love it and will definitely watch it agaim this Christmas. Happy Holidays!
Better then expected but still not that good
posted on 12 Jul 2009Surviving Christmas is a sometimes boring and predictable comedy but it has a few laughs. Ben Affleck plays Drew Latham, a record executive who returns to his childhood home to spend the holidays with his family, only to find that they've moved. He offers to pay the family now living there to accept him into his home, but his new "parents" (James Gandolfini and Catherine O'Hara) will have to endure a lot of Drew's cheery holiday spirit if they're going to see the money. The plot had potential but they actors involved couldn't carry it out. Ben Affleck stars as Drew and I think he tries way too hard to be funny but he manages to be annoying which is what his character is supposed to be. I don't know why James Gandolfini agreed to be in this movie. He plays the man of the house who is usually depressed around Christmas and may be splitting with his wife soon. I think they could have found someone else to play this role as James wasn't that funny. Christina Applegate plays Alicia and she comes into the movie after Drew has already moved in. Christina is very pretty and she has some funny lines in it but mainly her character is boring. Catherine O'Hara is the last main part of the cast and she is the funniest character in the movie and manages to save this from being truly horrible. Mike Mitchell directs and he has made some better comedies in the past. The movie apparently had script problems and it shows so maybe they should have actually finished writing a script before they had shot the movie. The dialog is mostly a miss with a few hits and the movie is of course predictable. I don't really hate this movie because before I saw the film it didn't feel like Christmas at all too me. But when I was watching it I got a happy feeling which is why I enjoyed it more. Rating 5/10 not the best or funniest holiday movie but enough to get you happy.
Dull
posted on 04 Jul 2009Yet another new Xmas movie.Affleck pays a family to let him stay in their house over Xmas.This movie is rather similar to last year's Dickie Roberts. Affleck seems to play the same ego-centric character in all of his movies. Rather silly and predictable story with the daughter disliking our hero and then falling for his few charms. Even the visiting girlfriend's family raise no laughs. Only one good scene: the appearance of the mother on an adult website.Surviving Christmas is another weak festive movie.
A Total Disaster
posted on 20 Jun 2009This film is one of the worst movies I have ever seen. Affleck is terrible as is pretty much everyone else involved except for Udo Kier who has a small role. The writing is offensive. The direction is unbelievably bad. How did Dreamworks greenlight this? What is the world coming to? Painful to watch. Watch Bad Santa instead a WAY better film.
Why does Affleck keep getting roles?
posted on 04 Jun 2009Seriously - has he done anything worthwhile since Good Will Hunting? Even in that movie he was out-funnied by his brother Casey. High profile girlfriends and a poor hair transplant will only take you so far, and Benny is one or two big flops away from being nothing more than a question in a future edition of Trivial Pursuit.This movie was trash - pure trash. $11 million in BO receipts and a quick transfer to DVD is the best this movie could do? How sad. And the supporting cast wasn't very good either. James Gandolfini can't seem to shake his Sopranos character, and Christina Applegate needs better roles than this or Anchorman if she hopes to ever shed the stigma of being Kelly Bundy.
You can do lots worse than this
posted on 21 May 2009Ben Affleck is an easy target and I'm no fan but his wooden acting is somehow fun here. Applegate, Gandolfini and O'Hara are all good as is the supporting cast. Not a great film but it's no cup of hemlock like Gigli. I'd go 2 1/2 stars if I could.
A Yuletide Turkey
posted on 17 May 2009"Surviving Christmas" represents yet another entry in the Ben Affleck Bad Film Festival. Not even the Grinch could endure this offensive, unfunny holiday farce. Once again, Affleck desecrates the art of screen acting with a painfully wretched performance. James Gandolfini, on the other hand, deserves higher-quality material during his "Sopranos" hiatus. DreamWorks knew they had a straight-to-video turkey, but tried to foist the damaged goods upon suspicious moviegoers. They needn't have bothered.
greatest movie since jingle all the way
posted on 15 May 2009i went into this movie not knowing what to expect, actually i expected absolute garbage. But this movie turned out to be a great Christmas movie for the whole family. I recommend everyone to go out and see this movie. Affleck reaffirms himself as a powerhouse in Hollywood with this instant classic. Affleck dishes out an emotional and powerful performance. Gandolfini delivered another Oscar worth performance as a lovable grumpy dad. The kids of the family add a touch of heart with a whole bunch of comedy. Ohara proved she can act without the Waiting For Guffman crew. This was a fun filled adventure that could eventually replace a Christmas Story on TNT on Christmas Eve's to come. I highly recommend this 5 star epic.
I enjoyed the movie.
posted on 11 May 2009People, give this movie a chance! Stop listening to critics or making assumptions until you have seen the film for yourself.I totally enjoyed this movie. First of all, it is refreshing to see a movie that does not contain the "f" word in every other sentence. I don't recall much profanity at all. Second, there aren't any grotesque scenes; no one get slaughtered. I realize these eliments seem to be what gets a movie to the Oscars now a days. But this is a totally entertaining film. The scenery is beautiful and puts you in the Christmas spirit. And lets face reality folks, this is what a lot of real Christmases are like.Let's stop criticizing Ben because of J-Lo. He is a great actor and he is still young. He will be around for along time; a lot longer than some of the critics.
Subvert that genre!
posted on 29 Apr 2009Surviving ChristmasA ridiculous and perverse premise has somehow made its way onto cinema screens this Christmas. Just like Christmas With The Kranks and The Polar Express, Surviving Christmas winds towards a festive moral that aims to fill the audience with yuletide cheer. The execution of said moral in this particular seasonal release is highly questionnaire but unmistakably funny.Surviving Christmas has been slammed by the critics remorselessly. Nobody seems to have liked this twisted retelling of the story of Scrooge, and I believe I have found the answer: nobody likes Ben Affleck.Affleck plays a rich ad executive who pays a dysfunctional family to take him in and make Christmas just how it was when he was a child. This seriously strange idea could, in the right hands, been a gross out smash hit in the Farrely brothers style. Instead, Mike Mitchell decides to take the whole thing a little too seriously and what results is a comedy that is uncomfortable with itself. As a result the actors are left unsure whether to play their characters straight or exaggerated. This can be all be blamed on the script, or lack thereof. Filming took place without a finished draft, and thus, parts of the film were improvised and unfunny material remains in the final cut.Nevertheless, there are many positive attributes to this genre subverting film. James Gandolfini is very entertaining as the constantly resentful Tom Valco whose only vice, in true Christmas spirit, is money.Ben Affleck style in comedic roles is disliked by many, but his specific brand of humour is allowed to thrive in this unnatural plot and situation driven comedy. The character of the son (Josh Zuckerman) is underdeveloped, as is the family's relationship with its neighbours, but again the unfinished script can be held accountable.Surviving Christmas is by no means a great film, but it is certainly not as bad as it has been labelled. Unfortunately, most won't get a chance to decide for themselves until this film is released on DVD as it was grossly under marketed in the UK. An offbeat comedy and a genuine step forward for the Scrooge remakes that when given the chance to shine in its own right, works quite well.
Loved it
posted on 27 Apr 2009The movie hit all that a movie like this should. I walked out feeling great and wanting to tell everyone that this movie was great. I think many are just plain sick of bennifer! Guess what, they are no longer together. Give this movie a chance. If you anyone sees this movie and does not like a little bit, then you are a scrooge! It was predictable but so was "It's a Wonderful Life." Almost anything that is not a mystery is predictable in one way or the other. I liked that Ben's character fell for Christina's character, that made it sweet. The film never dragged and the acting was far beyond terrible. In many ways, this film is endearing and has all the qualities of a good holiday family film.
Feel Good Movie
posted on 23 Apr 2009I read some of the other reviews and I disagree. I enjoyed this movie very much. I thought it was very funny and heartwarming. Maybe some are too critical. Everything doesn't have to be a blockbuster movie to be good. It was just a good, enjoyable movie. It makes you feel good. What's wrong with that? Therefore, I think it did its job.
Some stars are worth watching, Ben is one of them
posted on 23 Apr 2009Drew Latham (Ben Affleck) is a rich ad man. However, he appears to have no immediate family and has never invited girlfriend Missy to visit with them, not even on Christmas. When Drew suggests to Missy that they jet to a warmer climate for the holidays, she severs their relationship. Ben, left alone, contemplates his situation. He can either spend Christmas watching television or he can travel to his childhood home and revisit some memories.When he arrives on the new owners' doorstep, Ben gets the brilliant idea of asking them if he can hang with them for the holidays. Fat chance, without a little palm greasing. The Valcos (Catherine O'Hara and James Gandolfini) are therefore bribed to make the holidays special for Ben. Their beautiful daughter, Alicia (Christina Applegate) and son Brian do their best as well. Will it really be a Merry Christmas, the monetary way?Ben Affleck is just such an attractive and charming star that he manages to pull this one off, even with some script weaknesses. O'Hara, Gandolfini, and Applegate, too, are all deft with comedy and they add to the film's enjoyment. Yes, it may be that the movie tries too much to be a black comedy and a sweet comedy at the same time. This aside, it has some funny things to say about the holidays, from gingerbread men with frowns to the ritual of singing off key while decorating the Christmas tree. The feel-good ending is heartfelt. Affleck fans, of which there are many, MUST see this film. Others who just want to tickle their funny bone, in between bouts of shopping, would enjoy this slight but sweet film.
Much funnier than expected
posted on 11 Apr 2009Why on earth was this movie released for Halloween. It's a Christmas comedy...it really is very funny. I usually never truly laugh out loud at comedies but this movie ,especially the first half is really laugh out loud funny. And not just once either.Ben Affleck can do comedy contrary to what many critics have written.The second half of the movie could have used a little more work but all in all its definitely worth trying. Considering that most of the movies passing for comedies these days are nothing more than filmed juvenile bathroom humour, this was a pleasant break from the Hollywood norm.
Reviewer: Big Zach! NOT A KIDS REVIEW! although a kid!
posted on 28 Feb 2009 This is a great movie I have no idea why it was a flop. It is a very enjoyable comedy. That will really get you into the christmas spirit. It is one of my all time favorite christmas movies. The stars in it were great also. Ben Affleck was hilarious! He was perfect for the role it really brings a different side to him and shows that he can also be funny besides doing movies like Pearl Harbor and Daredevil.
Christina Applegate(super Hot!) was also very good in this movie shes come a long way from Married with children.
Catherine O Hara(super Hot!) was also very good and very funny.
There was other great stars but I just dont feel like talkin about them.
Good Movie
posted on 31 Aug 2009Before i watched this movie i looked at the online ratings. Now that ive seen the movie, I know that most of the bad ratings came from Ben Affleck haters. If you are looking for a good Christmas movie and you are not a Ben Affleck hater, then watch this movie. Its as simple as that!