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Surviving Christmas 2004 DREAMWORKS ENTERTAINMENT, DIRECTED BY MIKE MITCHELL Starring Ben Affleck, Christina Applegate, James Gandolfini and Catherine O'Hara Some movies receive bad reviews for no reason. Others claim the exact opposite, maybe in part due to casting, the director or many other influential factors. Why some movies catch such a bad rap when put under a critics microscope I will never understand. Not all movies need to be serious. Not all movies have to rivet the heart and bring the audience to their feet. Sometimes, it’s the subtle messages that speak the loudest, and that is certainly the case with Surviving Christmas I don’t know anyone personally who has seen this movie, so unfortunately, I had to read internet reviews to determine if it was suitable for a movie review. Not surprisingly, Ebert didn’t care for this movie. But I cant place blame solely on Ebert head because many, many critics expressed distaste for this film. Some even claiming that this work showed that Ben Affleck’s career was in a downward spiral. That’s a pretty serious declaration. Drew Latham (Affleck) is your typical main character. He’s got everything a person could want. He has a high paying marketing career, a lavish apartment and a beautiful, high class girlfriend named Missy Vanglider. When Drew gives her a gift with the intent of “taking their relationship to the next level”, Drew finds that he couldn’t have been more wrong about a trip for two to Fiji on Christmas. Missy talks about being with family, and abruptly leaves. Drew rummages through his contact book, finding that everyone he knows has the same ideals. After tracking down a therapist, he’s instructed to head back to his childhood home, where he should acknowledge his grievances and forgive those that have left him lonely. Drew lands on his old doorstep, which is now the home of Tom (Gandolfini) and Christine (O’Hara) Valco. Drew’s bizarre behavior gets him a swipe to the skull with a shovel. He awakens inside the house, where he tells the Valco’s his intentions. After being shown the way out, he makes Tom an offer he couldn’t refuse: Allow Drew to be a member of the family throughout Christmas, and get $250,000. A contract is signed, and Drew turns the Valco house upside down with intense Christmas activities. We see a new and improved Drew, and his antics and passion for the Holidays only grows as the film develops. The Valco’s are hesitant. We learn that the household has been rocky, as Tom and Christine are on the brink of divorce, and son Brian cant pull himself away from internet pornography. Daughter Alicia (Applegate) joins the lineup and voices her opposition of the whole scheme. Problems arise, and Drew must continuously up the ante. When things come to a head with Missy in front of his “family”, Drew has to make choices, and amends. I don’t see why so many people hated this movie. While it wasn’t the greatest piece of cinema I have ever seen, I can assure you that its actually something worth watching. I believe it has everything that a typical Holiday movie needs to make a solid story, all the while keeping a steady comedic pattern the whole way through. I cant really say what could have made this film better. It was more or less just “there”. In my review of Christmas With the Kranks, I said that many Christmas movies hit a bull’s-eye, while others fall just a little short, and some miss entirely. This movie fell just a little short. Not quite the train wreck I was prepped for. I recommend this to anyone who, like I do, enjoys a good Christmas movie. Its by no means a classic, but its not a dud either. Surviving this Christmas isn’t too hard. MOUNT CRUMPIT RATING: 3 / 5 |
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