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{{Title|image=Surviving Christmas.png|director=Mike Mitchell|writer=Deborah Kaplan<br />& Harry Elfont {{s|(story/screenplay)}}<br />Jeffrey Ventimilia<br />& Joshua Sternin {{s|(screenplay)}}|release=October 22, 2004|runtime=1 hour, 31 minutes|available=DVD<br />VHS<br />Blu-ray|rating=PG-13}}
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{{Title
  
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|image=Surviving Christmas.png
  
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|director=Mike Mitchell
  
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|writer=Deborah Kaplan<br />Harry Elfont<br />Jeffrey Ventimilia<br />Joshua Sternin
  
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|release=October 22, 2004
  
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|runtime=1 hour, 31 minutes
  
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|available=VHS<br />DVD<br />Blu-ray
  
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|rating=PG-13}}'''''Surviving Christmas''''' is a 2004 comedy film, directed by Mike Mitchell and starring Ben Affleck. Despite being a [[Christmas]] movie, DreamWorks SKG released the movie towards the end of October. This was due to it being advanced from December 2003 to avoid clashing with Affleck's other film, ''[[Wikipedia:Paycheck (film)|Paycheck]]''. The movie received negative reviews and was a box office failure. It was released on VHS and DVD on December 21, 2004, just two months after its theatrical release.
  
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==Synopsis==
  
 
[[File:Surviving Christmas poster.jpg|thumb|250px|The poster for the theatrical release.]]
  
[[File:Surviving Christmas poster.jpg|thumb|250px|The poster for the theatrical release.]]
  ⚫
'''''Surviving Christmas''''' is a 2004 comedy film, directed by Mike Mitchell and starring Ben Affleck. Despite being a [[Christmas]] movie, DreamWorks SKG released the movie towards the end of October. This was due to it being advanced from December 2003 to avoid clashing with Affleck's other film, ''[[Wikipedia:Paycheck (film)|Paycheck]]''. The movie received negative reviews and was a box office failure. It was released on VHS and DVD on December 21, 2004, just two months after its theatrical release.
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Drew Latham is a wealthy advertising executive, driven by money, which results in him living a shallow, pointless life. After being dumped by his girlfriend, he faces the prospect of another Christmas alone, so he decides to visit his childhood home to rekindle his old holiday memories. Once there, he discovers that the house is now owned by another family, the Valcos. Not to be deterred, Latham offers them $250,000 if they will allow him to spend Christmas with them and pretend to be a member of their family. They accept and then have to put up with his annoying insistence upon doing traditional Christmas activities. After a while, Latham starts to care about the Valcos, and he attempts to repair their marriage. He also develops an attraction for the Valcos' daughter.
  
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==Summary==
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It's the Christmas season. Wealthy Chicago ad executive Drew Latham has long avoided the family traditions of Christmas, but has dreaded being alone on the actual day. So when his tropical Christmas vacation with girlfriend Missy Vangilder falls through with Missy breaking up with him in the process, Drew, in going through some self-therapy, decides what he really needs is to relive the memorable Christmases from his childhood, which includes spending time with his parents and younger brother. As that is not possible, he decides to rent a family, namely ones he's never met before, the Valcos - husband and wife Tom and Christine and their teenaged son Brian - who now live in Drew's childhood home in suburban Chicago. Tom initially wants nothing to do with Drew until an exorbitant sum of money is involved, all written in a contract which expires at the end of Christmas day. What Drew is initially unaware of, or what he chooses to remain ignorant about, is that the Valcos are going through their own family problems, which are only exacerbated by Drew's presence. For the Valcos, the questions become whether they can endure Drew's stay until the end of Christmas day, and if they can if the money will solve their family problems. In the process, Drew may come to an admission to himself of what he wants in life and perhaps how best to achieve it. The achieving it may be difficult if he doesn't fully know that life, and as external forces come into play to complicate matters.
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==Music==
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===Soundtrack===
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{|class="wikitable"
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|"[[It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year]]"<br>Andy Williams {{s|(Barnaby; Celebrity-licensed)}}
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|"Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies"<br>Ed Hartman {{s|(Sugaroo! o/b/o Wave Form)}}
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|-
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|"[[O Christmas Tree]]"<br>Traditional<br>Ben Affleck & James Gandolfini
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|"[[Jingle Bell Rock (song)|Jingle Bell Rock]]"<br>Chet Atkins {{s|(RCA Nashville; BMG-licensed)}}
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|-
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|"[[Santa Claus is Coming to Town (song)|Santa Claus is Coming to Town]]"<br>Lou Rawls {{s|(Capitol; EMI-licensed)}}
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|"[[Christmas Wrapping]]"<br>
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*As performed by The Hit Crew {{s|(Spirit; arr. TUtM)}}
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*As performed by The Waitresses {{s|(Universal)}}
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|-
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|"Disco Pimp"<br>David Hilker & John Costello {{s|(Marc Ferrari/Mastersource)}}
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|"What's Your Name?"<br>Lynyrd Skynyrd {{s|(MCA; UMe-licensed)}}
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|-
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|"Crash"<br>The Primitives {{s|(BMG UK; BMG-licensed)}}
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|"Cherry Pie"<br>Warrant {{s|(Columbia; Sony Music-licensed)}}
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|-
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|"[[Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas]]"<br>Judy Garland {{s|(MCA; UMe-licensed)}}
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|"[[Feliz Navidad]]"<br>José Feliciano {{s|(RCA; BMG-licensed)}}
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|-
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|"[[Happy Holidays (song)|Happy Holidays]] (Beef Wellington remix)"<br>Bing Crosby {{s|(Star Line Prod.-licensed: Original)<br>(Six Degrees; Rock River-licensed; arr. Ocean Park)}}
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|"[[Away in a Manger]]"<br>Nicolaus Esterházy Sinfonia<br>Peter Breiner {{s|(conductor)}}<br>{{s|(Naxos; arr. Source/Q)}}
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|-
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|"Coming Home"<br>The 88
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|}
   
 
==External links==
  
==External links==

Revision as of 04:08, 22 May 2019

Surviving Christmas poster

The poster for the theatrical release.

Surviving Christmas is a 2004 comedy film, directed by Mike Mitchell and starring Ben Affleck. Despite being a Christmas movie, DreamWorks SKG released the movie towards the end of October. This was due to it being advanced from December 2003 to avoid clashing with Affleck's other film, Paycheck. The movie received negative reviews and was a box office failure. It was released on VHS and DVD on December 21, 2004, just two months after its theatrical release.

Summary

It's the Christmas season. Wealthy Chicago ad executive Drew Latham has long avoided the family traditions of Christmas, but has dreaded being alone on the actual day. So when his tropical Christmas vacation with girlfriend Missy Vangilder falls through with Missy breaking up with him in the process, Drew, in going through some self-therapy, decides what he really needs is to relive the memorable Christmases from his childhood, which includes spending time with his parents and younger brother. As that is not possible, he decides to rent a family, namely ones he's never met before, the Valcos - husband and wife Tom and Christine and their teenaged son Brian - who now live in Drew's childhood home in suburban Chicago. Tom initially wants nothing to do with Drew until an exorbitant sum of money is involved, all written in a contract which expires at the end of Christmas day. What Drew is initially unaware of, or what he chooses to remain ignorant about, is that the Valcos are going through their own family problems, which are only exacerbated by Drew's presence. For the Valcos, the questions become whether they can endure Drew's stay until the end of Christmas day, and if they can if the money will solve their family problems. In the process, Drew may come to an admission to himself of what he wants in life and perhaps how best to achieve it. The achieving it may be difficult if he doesn't fully know that life, and as external forces come into play to complicate matters.

Music

Soundtrack

"It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year"
Andy Williams (Barnaby; Celebrity-licensed) 		"Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies"
Ed Hartman (Sugaroo! o/b/o Wave Form)
"O Christmas Tree"
Traditional
Ben Affleck & James Gandolfini 		"Jingle Bell Rock"
Chet Atkins (RCA Nashville; BMG-licensed)
"Santa Claus is Coming to Town"
Lou Rawls (Capitol; EMI-licensed) 		"Christmas Wrapping"
  • As performed by The Hit Crew (Spirit; arr. TUtM)
  • As performed by The Waitresses (Universal)
"Disco Pimp"
David Hilker & John Costello (Marc Ferrari/Mastersource) 		"What's Your Name?"
Lynyrd Skynyrd (MCA; UMe-licensed)
"Crash"
The Primitives (BMG UK; BMG-licensed) 		"Cherry Pie"
Warrant (Columbia; Sony Music-licensed)
"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"
Judy Garland (MCA; UMe-licensed) 		"Feliz Navidad"
José Feliciano (RCA; BMG-licensed)
"Happy Holidays (Beef Wellington remix)"
Bing Crosby (Star Line Prod.-licensed: Original)
(Six Degrees; Rock River-licensed; arr. Ocean Park) 		"Away in a Manger"
Nicolaus Esterházy Sinfonia
Peter Breiner (conductor)
(Naxos; arr. Source/Q)
"Coming Home"
The 88

External links

This page uses Creative Commons Licensed
content from Wikipedia (view authors).
Smallwikipedialogo
DreamWorks
"Spawn of Santa" • Surviving Christmas • The Madagascar Penguins in a Christmas Caper • Shrek the Halls • Merry Madagascar • Kung Fu Panda Holiday • Donkey's Caroling Christmas-tacular • "The All Nighter Before Christmas" • Dragons: Gift of the Night Fury • "Present Tense" • An Ichabeezer Christmas • A Christmas Play • Trolls Holiday • How to Train Your Dragon: Homecoming • "Spirit of Christmas" • "A Wanderer Christmas" • "Merry Cloudmas" • "Botty Holidays" • "Holiday Goose Chase" • Trolls: Holiday in Harmony • Happy Sniffmas • "Harmony Harbor Holiday Surprise" • "A CAT-Tabulous Christmas" • The Boss Baby: Christmas Bonus • "Festival of Might" • "Mermaid Christmas Cruise" • The Bad Guys: A Very Bad Holiday
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