Review: Surviving Christmas


Self-absorbed ad exec Ben Affleck is dumped by his yuppie girlfriend at Christmas. Not wanting to suffer through Christmas on his own, he returns to the house of his childhood and rents out the family that actually live there so he can have the perfect family Christmas he believes only money can buy! The guy even writes scripts for family discussion at the dinner table, hires a local theatre actor to ‘play’ grandpa, and when it appears Mom (Catherine O’Hara) and Dad (James Gandolfini- who hates the idea but wants the money Affleck offers them) aren’t getting along so well these days, even that will not prevent Affleck from having his delusional perfect Christmas. Christina Applegate is the cynical, hardened daughter who takes an instant disliking to Affleck (and you know what that means, folks…)

 

2004 Mike Mitchell (whose “Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo” is actually a preferable film... Did I just say that out loud?) Christmas comedy starts out pretty badly, with one of the worst premises I’ve seen in a while, in terms of believability. Affleck is awful (he’s alright as the heartless bastard, but when he needs to become sympathetic…The Affleck don’t do ‘sympathy’ so well), Gandolfini surprisingly muted, and Applegate a shrill cow, even when she’s not supposed to be. It gets a bit better as it goes along, with O’Hara giving a terrific performance, both funny and surprisingly sad. However, you first must make it through the opening half hour, and that terrible central premise. I wouldn’t bother, personally.

 

Scripted by Deborah Kaplan, Harry Elfont, Jeffrey Ventimilia and Joshua Sternin, a large list of writers that has the expected underwhelming results here with this mediocre flick based on a completely stupid premise. There’s plenty of other, better Christmas movies out there, don’t waste your time with this one.

 

Rating: C

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