Surviving Christmas (2004)

So much average

Excellent, Without a doubt!!

When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

Surviving Christmas (2004): Dir: Mike Mitchell / Cast: Ben Affleck, James Gandolfini, Catherine O'Hara, Christina Applegate, Josh Zuckerman: Standard Christmas comedy about family. Ben Affleck wishes to rekindle childhood memories but another family now lives in his childhood home so he pays the family to represent his family and reprise old memories. Good idea but structured like a sitcom with sets to match. Directed by Mike Mitchell whose best element is the character development, which is surprisingly good. Affleck is surprisingly funny as he attempts to reprise old memories and driving this family up the wall in the process. James Gandolfini steals the film as his hired father who grows rapidly impatient with the whole ordeal. Catherine O'Hara is terrific as his hired mother in a role that is perfect for her comic talent. Their marriage is in trouble so Affleck makes her an offer that lands her in hot water. The only real weak character is the daughter, played by Christina Applegate whom Affleck will fall for. Since he doesn't have a sister, she will be placed as the maid. Applegate has great comic potential but her role here is too obvious. Josh Zuckerman plays Applegate's brother who will get lured into the predictable charade. The film's purpose is to celebrate family and surviving each other long enough to remember what it is all about. Score: 5 ½ / 10

Being something of a big Christmas movie fan, I came to this with some trepidation after reading other reviews - but decided to give it a go with no prejudices and you know what, it's fun - it does what it is supposed to in a Christmas film, builds up tension and drama but then gives you a happy ending - perfect, and the cast are top notch.Forget what you read about all the troubles with scripting etc etc and timing of release of the movie, the fact is that it is a very enjoyable Christmas movie - yes, it may be a little "join the dots/movie by numbers" but come on...it's Christmas, it isn't supposed to be or trying to be Citizen Kane for goodness sake!

So it's your average, run of the mill Christmas rom-com about a self-absorbed millionaire who selfishly decides to invade the Christmas of a family who now inhabit the home in which he once lived as a child. A way in which he can re-discover the Christmas spirit, and the common touch from which his hedonistic lifestyle has grown distant. His treatment though of the family (Gandolfini, O'Hara, Zuckerman and Affleck's eventual love interest, Applegate) is borderline exploitation, paying them to affect a Christmas experience to essentially cure his own guilt.Affleck has never much impressed me, and his performance here still carries that air of self-indulgence, even though he's basically playing a self-centred prick. Gandolfini and O'Hara develop a realistic chemistry of a couple who've grown apart in their day-to-day grind (the family are depicted as the typical urban battlers, to emphasise the contrast with Affleck's careless toff), and the remaining cast features some familiar faces in David Selby, Udo Keir, Stephen Root and Peter Jason among others.It's a pretty tame, but watchable Christmas outing, with a clichéd conclusion and message that always seems to strike the right chord when dressed in red, white and green and covered in mistletoe. Definitely an afternoon Christmas flick for the 23rd or 24th of December.

I recognised the title, then I spotted both the leading actor, old "Assface" himself (LOL) and how many stars the critics give this film, only one, so it being near Christmas I was willing to give it a go, from director Mike Mitchell (Sky High, Shrek Forever After: The Final Chapter). Basically executive Drew Latham (twice Razzie nominated Ben Affleck) is the rich playboy with a lot to be happy with, but living a shallow lifestyle and recently splitting with girlfriend Missy Vanglider (Jennifer Morrison) he faces another Christmas all by himself. Wanting to experience his childhood and have a family Christmas once again he phones many relatives with no success, so he decides to go to the house he grew up in, and meet the new Valco family living in it. Drew offers father/husband Tom (The Sopranos' James Gandolfini) a very high financial reward if he lets him stay in the house and pretend that he is part of their family, along with wife/mother Christine (Home Alone's Catherine O'Hara) and teenage son Brian Valco (Austin Powers in Goldmember's Josh Zuckerman). The overly eccentric millionaire house guest won't give the family a break as he is very annoying with with overactive enthusiasm to celebrate Christmas. Older daughter Alicia (Christina Applegate) comes home, and Drew is very irritated as he never had a sister and it doesn't go with his "script", so he does his best to work around it and pretend she is not there. He also goes to the trouble of hiring a fake granddad with actor Saul, or Doo-Dah (Bill Macy) to Drew, he wants his Christmas to be exactly as he remembers from his past. Slowly Alicia finds herself falling for Drew's lovable attitude to the approaching holiday, but of course his more vibrant personality stop her from giving into any real connection or feelings. Then Drew gets a phone call from Missy saying that she not only agrees to go to Hawaii with him, being tempted by his bracelet he gave her, but he is on her way to the Valco house bringing her parents to the meet the family. So the Valcos do their best to follow Drew's instructions and get on with the visitors, despite an understudy actor as Doo-Dah (Sy Richardson), and Alicia trying to get him caught out. Eventually Drew draws everyone away, and it looks like he is going to be alone after all, but a heart to heart solves everything, and he and the Valcos go to a diner for a friendly Christmas dinner. Also starring Ace Ventura: Pet Detective's Udo Kier as Heinrich, David Selby as Horace Vanglider and Stephanie Faracy as Letitia Vanglider. Affleck is the most irritating rich boy character you could come across with his constant smiling and shouting, Applegate's career time is wasted, and that of Gandolfini's and O'Hara's. The story is ridiculous and all over the place if it tries to patch up, any attempts by supporting actors with their less is more acting doesn't make any difference, and it just isn't the sort of thing that's going to create holiday cheer or laughs, an awful Christmas comedy. It was nominated the Razzies for Worst Picture and Worst Screenplay. Poor!