Surviving Christmas | | Cast : | Ben Affleck, James Gandolfini, Christina Applegate, Catherine O'Hara | | Director : | Mike Mitchell (VI) | | Studio : | Umvd/Dreamworks | | Format : | Color, Closed-captioned, Widescreen, Dolby, Surround Sound, Full Screen | | Released Date : | October 22, 2004 | | DVD Released Date : | August 23, 2005 | | Language : | English (Dubbed), French (Dubbed), English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), French (Subtitled) | | Audience Rating : | PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested) | | | BUY THIS DVD FROM AMAZON |
Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | July 26, 2005 | | Summary | It was better than I thought it would be! | Content
 | I didn't think much of this movie when I saw the ads on TV. I recently saw it on cable the other night. I have to admit that it was much better than I gave it credit for. The movie doesn't dwell on "the woe is me" attitude for too long, which is what I liked about it. Give this movie a chance, you might like it. |
| Rating | | | Date | July 11, 2005 | | Summary | Not good. | Content
| This movie has been widely reviled and rightly so. It's not an easily watched Christmas movie. Or even an easily watched movie. It's crass, demeaning and a little icky. You can only make jokes about what a teenage boy does in his room with a computer so many times. The love interest subplot between Affleck and Christina Applegate changes from "You're despicable, get out of my family home" to "Maybe we should make out." too quickly. Affleck goes from miserable selfish jerk to nice guy too quickly. Did I mention the ick factor?
But if you hate Christmas and you love (and can easily forgive) Ben Affleck, this is your movie. |
| Rating | | | Date | June 28, 2005 | | Summary | A Total Disaster | Content
| This 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. |
| Rating | | | Date | June 26, 2005 | | Summary | This film flat out stinks! | Content
| I'm sorry people, but this movie is just so stupid. Even if you believe in pixie fairies and happy marriages, this film is far fetched. Ben Afflack sucks period too. I don't like him, I think he's a talentless loon, much like Nicolas Cage, Tom Cruise, and Will Smith, but what do I know.
So anyway Ben is lonely on Christmas (like we care) and he returns to his childhood home. He hires the family living there to be his family. Then he hires an old dude to be his doo-da. Well everything is going along very stupidly with no humor, then the daughter (Cristina Applegate) comes home. Even if you haven't seen this movie (you are blessed) you can see where this goes.
This is just an awful movie. I'd rather smell the alcohol and salami breath on a mall Santa all day than be tortured with this garbage. Ben, you stink. Your films stink, and your career is a joke. |
| Rating | | | Date | June 19, 2005 | | Summary | It has its moments | Content
| Ben Affleck pays an eccentric millionaire who shows up at his childhood home and offers to pay the current residents $250,000 if they allow him to stay there during the holidays and participate in the Christmas festivities.
I think this movie would have been a lot better if the script was a bit more solid and if Adam Sandler played the part of Drew instead of Affleck. Still, the movie is good for a few laughs. Having James Gandolfini, Catherine O'Hara, and Christina Applegate as supporting cast members gives the film a definite boost. Fans of "The Sopranos" will delight in watching Gandolfini wear a Santa hat, pelt Affleck with snowballs, and grudgingly sing a rendition of "O Christmas Tree."
I'm glad I didn't spend money to see this in the theatre, but it's worth watching if you have HBO. |
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