IMDb RATING
5.5/10
30K
YOUR RATING
A lonely, obnoxious young millionaire pays a family to spend Christmas with him.A lonely, obnoxious young millionaire pays a family to spend Christmas with him.A lonely, obnoxious young millionaire pays a family to spend Christmas with him.
- Awards
- 2 wins & 5 nominations total
John 'B.J.' Bryant
- Cabbie
- (as John BJ Bryant)
Featured reviews
i know it's not Christmas season,but i thought i'd watch this movie anyway.i didn't really have any expectations going in,so imagine my surprise when this turns out to be a watchable movie.it's not really very funny,but it has some amusing moments and it's not boring.i guess this was supposed to be a Ben Affleck vehicle,but i thought James Gandolfini and Catherine O'Hara had the more interesting characters and added more to the movie than Affleck did.Affleck does okay here,but he really has less to do than Gandolfini and O'Hara.Christina Applegate has a small role in the movie.this is a movie that satisfies you for 90 minutes,and then is quickly forgotten soon after.for me,"Surviving Christmas" is watchable and entertaining.as a result,i'll give it a 6/10
Very nice and refreshing take on the christmas film genre - and funnier than most.
One for the ones who need a break from to much sappy and boring stuff.
Maybe not for the easily offended by anyone poking at traditional values, or those with grudges against the actors for some reason - but they are probably stuck rewatching the mushy stuff over and over again anyway.
Great cast.
For those hating Afflec in these Review - wake up. You're missing the point. He's not tryng to be funny or going for a Jim Carrey approach - and that's what makes this work.
Wonderful ladies, great to see Selby again, and Gandolfini is a gem.
My kind of christmas movie.
Good entertainment.
Thumbs up.
One for the ones who need a break from to much sappy and boring stuff.
Maybe not for the easily offended by anyone poking at traditional values, or those with grudges against the actors for some reason - but they are probably stuck rewatching the mushy stuff over and over again anyway.
Great cast.
For those hating Afflec in these Review - wake up. You're missing the point. He's not tryng to be funny or going for a Jim Carrey approach - and that's what makes this work.
Wonderful ladies, great to see Selby again, and Gandolfini is a gem.
My kind of christmas movie.
Good entertainment.
Thumbs up.
Don't listen to the critics - this film is truly hilarious and, more to the point, touching.
I am not a real fan of Ben Affleck - I am somewhat ambivalent about hi - but he knocks the comedy ball out of the park in this film. Gandolfini is also excellent, as always.
Is this a holiday classic? Perhaps not, but in the tradition of Bad Santa, this is going to become part of my DVD collection as soon as possible.
Do yourself a favor - go see this truly funny movie! The only downside is your sides will hurt from all the laughs!
Merry Christmas!
I am not a real fan of Ben Affleck - I am somewhat ambivalent about hi - but he knocks the comedy ball out of the park in this film. Gandolfini is also excellent, as always.
Is this a holiday classic? Perhaps not, but in the tradition of Bad Santa, this is going to become part of my DVD collection as soon as possible.
Do yourself a favor - go see this truly funny movie! The only downside is your sides will hurt from all the laughs!
Merry Christmas!
Online.. I've seen so many people talk about bad acting and just not funny. Sometimes I wonder if they're watching a completely different movie. This movie had me smiling from beginning to end. The acting was not poor at all. James Gandolfini was perfect and played off of Ben Affleck really well. Honestly.. I think maybe people might be just looking at reviews for like the box office and not even giving the movie a chance.. that's the only explanation I have for why someone would give this movie a bad review.
I came across this movie during the 2021 Christmas season.. I had heard about it before.. when it first came out and never had the opportunity to watch it. The movie kind of slipped my mind until I saw it available on a streaming service in 2021. Really enjoyed it! Had to be sure to watch it this year as well. :-). This movie will become a new Christmas tradition for me.
I came across this movie during the 2021 Christmas season.. I had heard about it before.. when it first came out and never had the opportunity to watch it. The movie kind of slipped my mind until I saw it available on a streaming service in 2021. Really enjoyed it! Had to be sure to watch it this year as well. :-). This movie will become a new Christmas tradition for me.
Ultimately this movie will never topple other Christmas classics as It's a Wonderful Life, A Christmas Carol, A Christmas Story or even Scrooged but I think it is one of the funniest, most entertaining Christmas movies out there. What is known about this movie is that it had no script when production began, it was shelved for a year and that it was one of quickest theatre to DVD turnovers ever. What seems to be mostly unknown is that it is, in addition to all of that, really very funny. Affleck has a certain charm. Many critics and audiences dislike him for a reason I can't really understand. I feel his choices undermine his talent. Forces of Nature is not good, plain and simple. There are many questionable choices on his resume and this may be why most dismiss his abilities. I will say that Glory Daze, Chasing Amy, Good Will Hunting and Changing Lanes show he has got some talent, not a lot, but some. What Surviving Christmas provides us with is an obviously over the top, "hammy" performance. There is nothing in this performance that says that he is trying for nuance, what he is doing is being goofy. The plot is a guy going back to his childhood home to relive Christmas he never had. This would, and should bring out the kid in anyone. I am a goofball when it comes to Christmas. Affleck is hamming it up the whole time with big toothy grins and throwaway one liners that make me laugh EVERY TIME I see this movie. I watched it twice today in fact. It is one of mine and my coworkers favorite holiday movies. The trailers were weak, the plot is laughable and the ending gets a bit overwrought thus making it difficult to get anyone to see it but it's been my experience that once someone DOES see this movie they like it. I work at a video store and I play it often and every time I play it, while it is on the screens, someone asks if they can rent it as they had been watching it, caught a funny bit and wanted to see more. They are shocked to find it is a Christmas movie, with Ben Affleck and it is funny.
Those who watch it will not be disappointed.
Those who watch it will not be disappointed.
Did you know
- TriviaThe production was shot without a completed script. As a result, there were many delays and arguments over what to shoot. James Gandolfini admitted, in a behind the scenes interview, that most of the film was "improvised".
- GoofsThere are no mountain ranges, such as the one depicted, within hundreds of miles of Chicago. However, it's possible that Drew, with his resources, "whisked" the family away to Colorado for the day.
- Quotes
Drew Latham: Please! Please, let me stay here!
Tom Valco: No!
Drew Latham: I'll pay you.
Tom Valco: My family's not for sale, pal.
Drew Latham: I'll pay you $250,000!
Tom Valco: Welcome home, son.
- ConnectionsFeatured in HBO First Look: 'Surviving Christmas': Unwrapping the Comedy (2004)
- SoundtracksIt's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year
Written by Edward Pola & George Wyle
Performed by Andy Williams
Courtesy of Barnaby Records, Inc.
By Arrangement with Celebrity Licensing
- How long is Surviving Christmas?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official site
- Languages
- Also known as
- Sobreviviendo a la navidad
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $45,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $11,663,156
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $4,441,356
- Oct 24, 2004
- Gross worldwide
- $15,125,687
- Runtime
- 1h 31m(91 min)
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content