Rating: B+
Although it came out in 2004, I had never seen Surviving Christmas starring Ben Affleck and Christina Applegate. So I grabbed the DVD from the library and watched it over Thanksgiving break. I know it got panned when it was released but I actually enjoyed it. Ben's character is a multi-millionaire now but had a pretty crappy childhood and basically ignored Christmas every year. Now, he decides he wants to buy a dream Christmas for himself, so he shows up on the doorstep of a family and offers them a lot of money to become his for the week. Of course, the family is having major problems - marital strife, cut-off-from-the-world teenage son, for instance - and needs the money so they are willing. Ben's character is eager to create a fantastic holiday and whenever the family is hesitant to participate in one of his activities, he just throws more money at them. He's met with strong resistance from Christina's character, who shows up late to the party and doesn't understand why her family agreed to this. Of course, by the end of the movie, the family seems to have reconciled and be better for the experience, while Ben and Christina's characters fall in love. Sure, it's a little hokey but it does have some funny moments. Plus, all the actors do a good job and it's light fare that is great around the holidays.
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