Surviving Christmas

2004
12A
1h 31m

IMDb RATING

5.5/10

28K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

768

922

Ben Affleck and James Gandolfini in Surviving Christmas (2004)

These 5 holiday movies might have flown under your radar, but they still have the makings of a classic holiday watch. For the romcom lovers, check out Queen Latifah in 'Last Holiday,' a story about living one's wildest dreams, or Netflix's queer-romcom 'Single All the Way.' For a surprising twist on a Christmas icon, see Angela Lansbury dazzle as 'Mrs. Santa Clause.' And for the comedy enthusiasts, '8-Bit Christmas,' or 'Surviving Christmas' starring Ben Affleck and James Gandolfini, could be the perfect holiday film for you.

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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.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

5.5/10

28K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

768

922

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 2 wins & 5 nominations

Trivia
The 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".

Goofs
There 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.

Connections
Featured in HBO First Look: 'Surviving Christmas': Unwrapping the Comedy (2004)

Soundtracks
It'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

User reviews166

Review

Featured review

This film is so underrated!

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.