Genre: Comedy, Christmas, Black Comedy
Tagline: Share the warmth
Plot: Facing another Christmas alone, Drew Latham (Ben Affleck) decides to go back to his idyllic childhood home to spend the holidays with family. There is, however, one problem: the people living there now are not Drew’s family. Nevertheless, Drew has his mind set on an old-fashioned family Christmas, and the fact that the “family” in question, the Valcos, are complete strangers, isn’t about to put a crimp in his plans. Offering them a small fortune, Drew bribes his newfound “parents” (James Gandolfini and Catherine O’Hara) to let him spend Christmas in their home, pretending to be part of the family. Just when the Valcos begin to question if any amount of money is worth being dragged all over town on such traditional family holiday excursions as Christmas shopping and the requisite choosing of the Christmas tree, their eldest daughter Alicia (Christina Applegate) comes home for the holidays, with no intention of adopting a new
More Plot Descriptions
 |
Behind the Scenes:
Read more about the production
| |
 Discussion forum for this movie
|
| |
 In its first half-hour, ''Surviving Christmas,'' Hollywood's fizzled opening salvo in this year's seasonal sweepstakes, appears to have found a clever way to use Ben Affleck's disagreeable qualities.--Stephen Holden (The New York Times)
One of the film's most obvious flaws is its inconsistent tone. Surviving Christmas can't decide whether it wants to be a black comedy, dumb farce, or sentimental sit-com. Elements of all three make appearances, but the manner in which they are interconnected is inelegant.  --James Berardinelli (ReelViews)
It's just a by-the-numbers romance-farce-whatever that stars you-you-you in doo-doo-doo.--Desson Thomson (Washington Post)
While there's no doubt that 'Surviving Christmas' would have been better off excising the pointless romantic subplot that crops up in the last half of the film, the end product is still an average holiday comedy and far better than DreamWorks would like you to believe.  --Joe Rickey (Movie-Gurus.com)
...if you've always wanted to give Ben Affleck a second or third chance or even a first now you can. The film also stands as a testament to what truly talented actors can do with a production destined not to be remembered come next Christmas.  --Brandon Curtis (CultureDose.net)
Surviving Christmas will probably never be a holiday classic, mostly because it isn't very successful at ever achieving a sense of holiday cheer, family unity, or good will for one's fellow man. Instead, director Mike Mitchell's intent is to provide a few laughs, mostly crass, and try like the dickens to squeeze this into a suit of sentimentality by the film's finale.  --Vince Leo (Qwipster.net)
Sure, I found some parts of it enjoyable, albeit for the wrong reasons. But, did I ever think Surviving Christmas to be anything more than a bad movie? --Danny Baldwin (BucketReviews.com)
The film can’t decide whether it wants to be dark or merry, and it bungles nearly every attempt at doing either. D---Eric D. Snider (EricDSnider.com)
This may be the final career-killer for the long-coasting Affleck, whose cringe-worthy, over-the-top attempts at slapstick here add new resonance to the lyric from "Team America: World Police": "I need you/like Ben Affleck needs acting lessons."  --Lou Lumenick (New York Post)
|
| Directed by |
Mike Mitchell
Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo, Sky High, H.R. Pufnstuf |
|
| Written by |
Deborah Kaplan
Can't Hardly Wait, Josie and the Pussycats, Celebrity Profile: Jennifer Love Hewitt |
 | Harry Elfont
A Very Brady Sequel, Can't Hardly Wait, Josie and the Pussycats |
|
| Cast |
Ben Affleck
Good Will Hunting, Fahrenheit 9/11, Armageddon |
 | |
 | |
 | |
 | Udo Kier
Blade, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, Dogville |
 | Stephen Root
Finding Nemo, Office Space, Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story |
 | | |
[more] |
|
| So, really, there's no reason to see Surviving Christmas, especially if you despised Ben Affleck to begin with. All this movie does is fan the flames of hatred; hated for Affleck, hatred for stupid Christmas movies (bah-humbug), and hatred for humorless "family comedies." At the very least, Surviving Christmas, along with Gigli, would make a great masochist's double feature. --Jack Moore (The Movie Insider)
The fact that DreamWorks is dumping "Surviving Christmas" -- a holiday movie -- on the market in October should say it all. Perhaps the studio is being compassionate and releasing it early in an effort not to spoil our holidays.--Paul Clinton (CNN Showbiz)
When it's funny it's very funny. When it's not, it's still an OK dateflick.--Chuck Schwartz (The Cranky Critic)
You could forgive some of Affleck's graceless hamming if anything in the movie was remotely watchable. But "Surviving Christmas," meant as a bonny holiday-from-hell romp, turns out to be purgatory for viewers. Performing CPR on a drunken Santa stricken on the sidewalk after he ate a chili dog would be more fun. F--David Germain (TheJournalNews)
Audiences can expect to be offended, repelled and virtually lobotomized by Ben Affleck’s star performance. Never has comedy seemed so jarring and messy. D--Ray Dademo (TheCinemaSource)
|
|
Movie Database
In Theaters
