Surviving Christmas (2004)

A lonely, obnoxious young millionaire pays a family to spend Christmas with him.

Director:

Mike Mitchell

Writers:

Deborah Kaplan (story), Harry Elfont (story),

Stars:

Ben Affleck, James Gandolfini, Christina Applegate

4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ben Affleck	...	Drew Latham
James Gandolfini	...	Tom Valco
Christina Applegate	...	Alicia Valco
Catherine O'Hara	...	Christine Valco
Josh Zuckerman	...	Brian Valco
Bill Macy	...	Doo-Dah
Jennifer Morrison	...	Missy Vanglider
Udo Kier	...	Heinrich
David Selby	...	Horace Vanglider
Stephanie Faracy	...	Letitia Vanglider
Stephen Root	...	Dr. Freeman
Sy Richardson	...	Doo-Dah Understudy
Tangie Ambrose	...	Kathryn
John 'B.J.' Bryant	...	Cabbie (as John BJ Bryant)
Peter Jason	...	Suit

Storyline

Drew Latham is an executive leading an empty, shallow life with only wealth on his side. Facing another lonely Christmas ahead, Drew wants to revisit his old childhood home and possibly relive some old holiday memories. But when he arrives, he finds that the house in which he was raised is no longer the home in which he grew up. Inhabited by another family, Drew offers a nice financial reward that has the family ringing. But is Drew's generous cash offer only the beginning of an annoying visitor who's a little too overeager to celebrate Christmas?

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Plot Keywords:

christmas | memory | childhood home | decoration | gift | 

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Taglines:

This year, Christmas comes early. Really early. Like... October 22nd.

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for sexual content, language and a brief drug reference

Details

Official Sites:

DreamWorks [us]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 October 2004 (USA)

Also Known As:

Sobrevivendo ao Natal

Filming Locations:

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$4,441,356 (USA) (22 October 2004)

Gross:

$11,198,345 (USA) (19 November 2004)

Company Credits

Production Co:

DreamWorks SKG, Tall Trees Productions, LivePlanet

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Filming did not take place in Arlington Heights, Illinois (a suburb of Chicago) because the weather was too cold.

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Goofs

On Christmas eve Alicia's hair changes frequently from wavy to curly as the night progresses. It seems to get curlier as it gets later.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Drew Latham: Folks, my firm's done a tremendous amount of marketing research and we've discovered two critical things, one; most Americans feel that Christmas is a time for family. Two; most Americans feel that in order to stand being around their family, for even one or two days, they need to swill as much alcohol as humanly possible.

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Connections

Featured in Bad Movie Beatdown: Deck the Halls (2012)

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Soundtracks

"Crash"
Written by Paul Court, Tracy Tracy (as Tracey Cratell) & Steve Dullaghan (as Stephen Dullaghan)
Performed by The Primitives
Courtesy of BMG UK & Ireland Limited
Under license from BMG Film & TV Music

User Reviews

Hilarious! Home run comedy folks!

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!