Surviving Christmas 2004

John Monaghan, Detroit Free Press: Though introduced as a dark comedy, the movie quickly resorts to forced Hollywood humbuggery. Read more

Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald: To write off Surviving Christmas as Affleck's folly gives the actor too much credit: He's actually the best thing in the movie. Read more

Erik Lundegaard, Seattle Times: There's a lot to not buy in Surviving Christmas. I recommend not buying. Read more

Allison Benedikt, Chicago Tribune: As light, fluffy, cockle-warming holiday entertainment, this thing is pretty sweet. Read more

J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader: Pique on earth and ill will toward men permeate this mirthless comedy. Read more

Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle: Maybe the worst thing that can be said for Surviving Christmas is that it doesn't succeed even on its humble level of aspiration. Read more

David Germain, Associated Press: The movie is dead from the outset given the artificiality of the premise about a lonely rich guy who hires the folks living in his boyhood home to be his family for the holidays. Read more

Bill Muller, Arizona Republic: This is a dump job worthy of Tony Soprano. Read more

Wesley Morris, Boston Globe: Surviving Christmas is exactly what's wrong with Hollywood Read more

Kevin Crust, Los Angeles Times: The film is well cast, with James Gandolfini, Catherine O'Hara, Josh Zuckerman and Christina Applegate as Drew's rented family, but they're wasted on subpar material. Read more

Eric Harrison, Houston Chronicle: Is it just me, or does anyone else think it odd Dreamworks is releasing a Christmas movie before Halloween? Read more

Paul Clinton (CNN.com), CNN.com: It's just in time for Halloween, and it is a scary movie. Unfortunately it's supposed to be a comedy. Read more

Michael Booth, Denver Post: The surprisingly effective bleak humor earned scene by scene in Surviving Christmas reveals the proper formula that Affleck abandoned after Good Will Hunting. Read more

Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: Rarely has a happy ending felt less like a gift freely given or truly earned. Read more

Philip Wuntch, Dallas Morning News: It's appropriate that this would-be comedy should be released so close to Halloween. It's a real horror. Read more

Scott Foundas, L.A. Weekly: The ludicrous premise is but the latest expression of that bourgeois guilt that crops up in Hollywood like clockwork around this time of year, spawning films in which modern-day Scrooges learn that money, or at least money alone, can't buy true happiness. Read more

Gene Seymour, Newsday: Gandolfini and O'Hara are so gritty and wryly burned-out together that you want to express-mail them to another movie in time for next Christmas. Read more

Lisa Rose, Newark Star-Ledger: Even though store shelves are stocked with fright masks rather than tree ornaments, Hollywood is offering its first yuletide romp of '04, and with it comes the risk of early onset holiday depression. Read more

Jami Bernard, New York Daily News: Not since Scrooge got a look at Christmas future have the holidays seemed so shudderingly depressing. Read more

Stephen Holden, New York Times: The woozy, sinking sensation this Christmas comedy produces suggests a movie slapped together after the consumption of far too many gallons of spiked eggnog. Read more

James Berardinelli, ReelViews: Can't decide whether it wants to be a black comedy, dumb farce, or sentimental sit-com. Read more

Rick Groen, Globe and Mail: Bear in mind the Yuletide lesson learned by every kid with an earnest aunt: Some presents look a whole lot like punishments. Read more

Peter Howell, Toronto Star: Surviving Christmas is about as funny as a rubber crutch for Tiny Tim. Read more

Jessica Winter, Time Out: The moral is that money can indeed buy happiness. Read more

Claudia Puig, USA Today: Some screwball moments elicit a chuckle or two, but the script is weak and the characterizations cliched. Read more

Jessica Winter, Village Voice: This ghastly comedy emits the subliminal whine of a sucking chest wound. Read more

Desson Thomson, Washington Post: This latest movie is absolutely awesome in its relentless mediocrity. Read more