Synopsis
Trailers
Reviews (105)
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F
It was never quite clear if Affleck’s character was meant to be mentally challenged.
859 4 -
J
“Yuletide’s a bitch, ain’t it?”🥃 I don’t know what everyone else is on about but I thought this was a great movie❄️. Obviously the premise is batshit insane but the movie is fully aware of that & runs with it🤪. Lots of hilarious characters, especially the Doo-Dahs👴🏻👴🏾. Underrated!🎄
180 4 -
ཐ
Surviving Christmas is an underrated holiday movie ESPECIALLY if ur a fan of The Sopranos!!!
143 2 -
Z
I liked the bit when James Gandolfini hits Ben Affleck over the head with a shovel
413 1 -
N
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M
Dumped by his girlfriend because of his commitment issues, Ben Affleck’s ad executive has no one to spend Christmas with. So he travels to his childhood home and then pays its current owners (James Gandolfini and Catherine O’Hara) $250,000 to pretend to be his family over Christmas. Affleck seems to have recognized that the premise was deranged and decided the only way to play his character was as an actually deranged person. He grins constantly, wanders through the film with bug eyes, and delivers most of his lines in this off-putting, high-pitched voice. The strange thing about Surviving Christmas is for an hour of this 85 minute movie, Affleck isn’t paying these people a quarter of a million bucks for…
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L
Surviving Christmas is one of those movies you previously enjoyed, even though it was mostly forgettable. I saw it years ago and decided to revisit it. Man, the internet does not like this movie. Yeah, I can see the flaws, but it has moments. THE GOOD: * James Gandolfini, he’s the best thing about it * Catherine O’Hara, love her, especially in Christmas movies * Christina Applegate * The relatable premise of wanting a perfect nostalgic Christmas * Succeeds in giving cozy Christmasy feels * It made me laugh several times THE BAD: * Not having Christina Applegate appear until well into the movie * Ben Affleck seems to be straining himself trying to appear overly enthusiastic at times *…
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M
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we got a Christmas movie with THE Tony Soprano & yall have the audacity to give it a low rating? noooo like that’s actually unacceptable 🤨🤌🏼
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B
Getting $250,000 for allowing Ben Affleck to live with me sounds like fair compensation.
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A
Any studio comedy that commences shooting without a finished script basically guarantees some cursed Walt Becker energy, but consider this moment in time: Ben Affleck is circling one of his numerous career nadirs, and James Gandolfini is at the height of his power on The Sopranos. Gandolfini never phones it in, not even once, and Affleck—somewhat miscast in a role that feels more suited to an Adam Sandler type—is forced to abandon pride and give it his all for a television titan he surely adores. The resulting cinematic-clusterfuck-meets-demented-magic situation is exactly what I hoped for and is malignantly fascinating, never moreso than when Affleck eats the last of Gandolfini’s lunch meat. The gabagool!
196 5 -
H
Watched for Tony Soprano, they couldn’t even get the meat he obsesses over correct! Salami? Give me a break, WHERES DA FUCKIN GABAGOOL??
199 4 -
J
In the end “He is kissing his sister was a big star…”
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M
Not good
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BbarrykeAghan 7 月 27, 2026
this movie is just really horrible. didn’t think it could be bad given the folks in it. MR MOSEBY x CATHERINE OHARA x JAMES GANDOLFINI x BEN ben report 🫡 : his most deplorable character to date. again this was just really hard to watch. he was so fucking annoying
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DDenu 7 月 21, 2026
La mire en un avión no puedo decir mucho más.
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S
Buena para pasar el rato.
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E
This movie is not about incest but it’s the next closest thing.
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𝒦
i’m convinced ben affleck actually is this weird in real life — love him though
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S
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J
Feels like a Mr. Beast video: I just paid this family $250,000 to pretend be my family for Christmas
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H
Tony Soprano and his gabagool, Tom Valco and his salami. It rhymes, or something. The highlight here is rich autist Ben Affleck getting brained by a snow shovel; it’s unfortunate the movie continues for another hour and fifteen minutes after that. The second movie I’ve watched in a week featuring a dinner at the end where parents have to play pretend for houseguests, and this is very obviously the worse one by a wide margin. Also what the fuck is…
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P
Not bad. Wealthy millionaire tries to use his money to save himself from being lonely during Christmas time. But yea, lotta things not addressed after it took place, movie is almost entirely comical.
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G
probably the only person to watch and review this not during the christmas time i thought james gandolfini wasn’t half bad but ben affleck’s character wasn’t written very well with his personality always changing
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I would let Ben Affleck live in my house FOR FREE bro stupid movie 😢
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J
Did you know the only way to get through the holidays is with some spiked eggnog? In 2004’s Surviving Christmas, an eccentric millionaire treks back to his childhood home, then hires the people who live there to pretend to be his real family. This middling comedy isn’t exactly high art, but it’s amusing and cute enough in that early 2000s kinda way. Catherine plays the family matriarch, who gets a much-needed boost of confidence in a salacious photo shoot with Udo Kier as the photographer. Turns out, all this family needed was a rich man to bring them closer together.
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C
This used to be my favorite Christmas movie, but I’m sober now
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M
why is ben affleck even famous when his filmography is this
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Z
What was that lovers trope bro
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S
Look at this cast and wonder how it could not be great. It ain’t great.
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T
Unfortunately this is hilarious, actually. (1.5 hour long Tony Soprano dream sequence featuring Affleck committing arson, bribery, mayhem, stealing the last of the gabagool, and his attempted murder via snow shovel, a truly sickening and twisted tale) Tbh wish he got the opportunity to do more comedy at the time without the risk of critics showing up at his house with pitchforks, but oh well, Dunkin’ Super Bowl ads are cool too ig.
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A
So this is what Ben Affleck was doing while Matt Damon was making the Jason Bourne movies. That checks out.
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E
I was grossly unprepared for how funny and ridiculous this was. I mean it started at one star, how it managed to get three and a half more out of me I’ll never know. I guess shitty Christmas movies slap no matter what season it is and you guys are wrong for this abysmal average rating. Say what you want about him but nobody plays a rich asshole quite like Ben Affleck. Alicia was right, Drew is certifiably insane but…
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M
It’s not the best movie ever but it was enjoyable and funny I don’t know what everyone is on about. And watch your mouth about Ben afflect I don’t play about him ! He is great
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C
we need one ben affleck for each house
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U
Когда все забыли про развитие главного героя в фильмах, сняли это
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F
The most unlikable I’ve ever seen Ben Affleck this movie would have negative stars if Tony soprano wasn’t in it
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H
bad
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VValerioBrandi14 4 月 2, 2026
Dato che sta facendo un freddo natalizio… Comunque è incredibile: mi rivedo sia in Drew che in Tom. A seconda delle giornate..
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R
Surviving Christmas (2004) is a funny holiday film from my childhood. Great acting from Ben Affleck and James Gandolfini makes this film a fun watch every time and is not as well known as it should be. Christmas movies for adults can be difficult to pull off, however the writing and acting makes this film stand out. I rated Surviving Christmas an 8/10
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J
1/2 star for udo kier and 1/2 star for sy richardson. otherwise oh my fucking god this is probably one of the worst movies ever made
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F
A Year of Udo Kier 46/50 This movie has so much more incest than you’d expect. It’s pretty awful until it gets funny for maybe 10 minutes in the third act, then it’s right back to awful. Good cast though.
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C
hard watch, would like to have my life-time back
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S
the entire movie should’ve just been catherine o’hara’s photoshoot bts bc she was serving
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J
Did it want to be a black comedy, a sentimental rom-com, or a family drama????
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P
Here’s what I enjoyed: James Gandolfini and Catherine O’Hara shine through as Tom and Christine. Christina Applegate breaths life into Alicia. Bill Macy as Doo-Dah and Sy Richardson as Doo-Dah’s understudy are reliably funny. Drew’s apartment is impressively large & empty feeling.
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K
Wie überleben wir Weihnachten? – 6,5 – 7/10
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R
i kinda get him
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E
Best Christmas movie
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J
metrosexual schizophrenic man THREATENS tony soprano during christmas , may include displays of incestous behaviourism and vivacious mother figures
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D
Está bastante pelotuda, si no estaba Gandolfini capaz la sacaba a la mierda.
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𝓵
Please! Please, let me stay here No! I’ll pay you. My family’s not for sale, pal. I’ll pay you $250,000!💸 Welcome home, son Film boyunca bu adamın nəqədər zəngin olduğunu düşündüm. İstəsələrdi məndə ailənin bir parçası olmağa razı idim😔🙏🏻
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R
Why people watch shitty Hallmark movies during the holidays when they could watch Catherine O’Hara find herself again after years of an unhappy marriage is baffling
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A
Я уже вообще-то в пижаме
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S
Batman but he rents a family instead of crying about it
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S
How about the fact that I hate my shon ?
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S
Its another everything goes wrong setup with a twist, making Ben Affleck all the easier to hate, costarring the sopranos cast of all things its a hoot.
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M
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J
Too much wasted space in the apartment if you ask me
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S
good, rewatchable film. Catherine’s as beautiful as ever. shout out to MMM for good movie reccomendation.
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V
Didn’t watch this today but was looking through my watchlist and forgot to log this over Christmas. Ben Affleck you and Matt don’t need to hide anymore, it’s 2026. It’s legal.
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𝕮
Surviving Christmas is one of those chaotic holiday comedies that’s silly, messy, and weirdly charming at the same time. Ben Affleck plays a lonely rich guy who basically rents a family for Christmas, which is a ridiculous setup, but the movie leans into the awkward humor enough to keep it watchable. Some jokes land and the cast (especially James Gandolfini and Catherine O’Hara) bring fun energy, but the story feels uneven and a little forced, like it never fully commits…
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K
can ben affleck pay me 250k to live with me pls and thanks
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R
nostalgic watch wow
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R
I don’t like re-reviewing movies, but with the latest news I just had to scribble my thoughts for myself really. This movie sticks to me because I really enjoy the parents of it. Catherine O’Hara and James Gandolfini are perfectly cast as the aging couple lost between the cracks of the rotting American lower-middle class. Their son is apathetic and addicted to escaping via internet, their daughter is ambiguously successful and doesn’t visit often, and there is a palpable tension…
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N
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K
ben can get a discount if he also bring matt to my house😜
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D
Me lo ricordavo più divertente… deludente
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C
59/100
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A
милая новогодняя комедия
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C
Ok. That’s all?
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M
this character is better autism rep than whatever the guy in The Accountant was, he’s just also the worst person ever so it immediately cancels it out
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J
I miss you James Gandolfini.
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J
I relate to Tony Soprano so much in this
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T
“Yuletide’s a bitch, ain’t it?” The only way to survive Christmas is to spend it with someone else’s family
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Z
Two 1/10 reviews in the same month? What a late holiday treat. Holy shit this is one of the most awkward movies I’ve ever seen in my life. Just a horrible plot with horrible jokes and one of the most insufferable performances ever put to screen. I haven’t seen Gigli but this is the worst of Ben Afflecks’ many bad projects.
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N
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В
Коммерческое семейное кино с Тони Сопрано
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Z
Bear’s review: 1/5
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B
isn’t this just live footage of ben after the divorce?
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M
Christmas is all about magic but you lose it while growing up, that’s why I don’t want to grow up!!! But another thing is that you can be an adult but still be the child in the soul…
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T
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N
Started off kinda boring. Ended up laughing out loads with mom, really great christmas film. Messy, and weirdly charming at the same time ~ the humor was awkward enough to keep it watchable.
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S
“You know what we used to call this squeaky step…THE SQUEAKY STEP!” Dude it’s so silly just watch it.
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A
Very funny movie about the rich spoiled playboy played by Ben Affleck pays a family who lives in the house he grew up in to let him live with them for 2 weeks over Christmas. Fantastic performances from not only Ben Affleck but also James Gandolfini, Catherine O’Hara, and Christina Applegate. I think I’ve found a new movie to add to my regular holiday rotation.
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I
Проводжав Старий Рік стрічкою з правильною під це назвою. Все ще люблю його так само, як і в перший раз 💔
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D
A filmet nézve én éreztem magam kínosan. Katasztrofa.
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C
Fun fact Ben Affleck wasn’t even acting he’s just that crazy
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CCineNation Podcast 12 月 24, 2025
We’re finally finishing off our Christmas Comedy series with SURVIVING CHRISTMAS. Listen as Thomas and Brandon discuss this forgotten Christmas film from the mid-2000s. They discuss Ben Affleck’s wired performance, the film’s odd production design, it’s screenplay, why Spielberg hated Ben Affleck for a time, and so much more! Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/cinenation
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R
Декабрь 2025. Второй рождественский фильм на это рождество и тут какой-то провал. Я понимаю, что с этим фильмом может быть ностальгия, но с рождественским настроением этот фильм смотреть невозможно. Сценарий писал просто садист. Семья за гигантские деньги весь фильм ворчит, дочка бросается на героя с поцелуем без причины, точно так же легко прощает его в конце (он же миллионер, почему бы и нет), но при просмотре поочти вест фильм не покидает чувство стыда и неловкости.
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K
i would love to watch this again and i definitely will. very fun and cool to watch. gives the vibe that makes me feel at home?? i really dunno how to explain
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C
about 15 mins into this movie I stg I saw bens eyes go black & watched his soul physically leave his body as some demonic dark shadowy entity with dollar signs for eyeballs entered it and took over for the remainder of the runtime I know its been over 20 years but somebody really should check on him & make sure he’s ok
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А
джеймс гандольфини из любой хуйни сделает шедевр
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J
Haven’t seen Rental Family yet, but I sure hope it’s less psychotic than this.
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J
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. This movie is hilarious, I love it, give me 10 more
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F
“The stage is set. The lights die down. Bruce Wayne and Tony Soprano hover nervously over a contract. Moira Rose, paces in the background as Mr. Moseby reads out the terms. Is this the wildest crossover event of the early 2000s, or are they just Surviving Christmas.”
1 1 -
B
Surviving Christmas is the 2004 romantic comedy about a rich weirdo played by Ben Affleck shacks up with an exhausted James Gandolfini are sarcastic Catherine O’Hara, a skeptical Christiana Applegate and A teenager obsessed with masterbating for the holidays because he’s afraid of confronting his own family. The first half has moments that are misjudged and plainly unfunny, but that’s mainly down to Affleck’s big-kid performance that makes him feel awfully miscast. He’s trying to bring the material to life,…
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P
Underrated
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C
Kinda silly and unbelievable.
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L
Impressively shit. Bad vibes. Angry family, terrible script. It’s crazy Ben used to be not highbrow (or at least pseudo-intellectual sports movie guy). Maybe one of the objectively worst movies I’ve seen but it didn’t piss me off kinda.
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L
qjaajjaaj que cago de risa por dios
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T
Wait, Ben Affleck laughs???
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M
I don’t know what I was expecting before watching this but I’m glad it exceeded my expectations. Genuinely made me laugh and it’s a great family film. (First movie I genuinely enjoyed Ben Affleck’s performance) Ben Affleck is a better comedy actor.
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S
Najlaksi Bozicni film. Film koji je toliko prijatan za gledanje da se komotno moze gledati bilo koji dan u godini. Jedini promasaj u vezi filma koji je i najveci je sto se ovakva glumacka ekipa nije iskoristila da se napravi film za pamcenje, pored Ben Afleka i Gandelfinija napravili su film ispod proseka. Kako je to moguce? Pa ja mislim da je to zbog toga sto je scenario katastrofalan i tesko je da film sa Bozicnom tematikom napravis da bude medju najboljim. Svakako imate odlicnu paletu glumaca, vredno je zbog toga bar pogledati.
- Synopsis
- A wealthy executive, Drew Latham (Ben Affleck) has no close relationships and becomes nostalgic for his childhood home as Christmas approaches. When he visits the house and finds another family living there, he offers the residents, Tom Valco (James Gandolfini) and his wife, Christine (Catherine O'Hara), a large sum of money to pretend they are his parents. Soon Drew tests the couple's patience, and, when their daughter, Alicia (Christina Applegate), arrives, things get increasingly tense.
- Director
- Mike Mitchell
- Writer
- Deborah Kaplan, Harry Elfont, Joshua Sternin, Jennifer Ventimilia
- Studio
- LivePlanet, Tall Trees Productions, DreamWorks Pictures
- Country
- USA
- Language
- English
- Year
- 2004
- Runtime
- 91 mins
- Netherlands21 Sep 2004
- UK21 Sep 2004
- USA22 Oct 2004
- Italy03 Dec 2004
- Denmark10 Dec 2004
- Germany16 Dec 2004
- South Korea24 Dec 2004
- Ireland03 Dec 2004
- Austria17 Dec 2004
- Hungary22 Nov 2005
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