Viewers barely 'survive' lump of Christmas coal

"Surviving Christmas" is the Christmas season's first holiday movie, and it is a disappointment. The film offers an uninspired look at "real family life" as only Hollywood could bring it. For the first hour, it takes an effort to merely make it through the movie. The film actually does pick up in the last half hour as some of the over-the-top antics become somewhat amusing. Unfortunately, by then, it's a case of too little, too late.\nDrew Latham (Ben Affleck) is a rich advertising executive who believes the only solution to a problem is to throw money at it. This leads him to be a lonely man who has nowhere to go for Christmas. Drew's solution is to return to his childhood home to cleanse his soul. There he meets the Valcos, a broken family consisting of Tom (James Gandolfini), Christine (Catherine O'Hara) and Brian (Josh Zuckerman). Drew decides to offer $250,000 to the family on the condition that he stays with them until Christmas.\nWhat follows is a continual conflict between Drew and the Valcos. Drew begins acting like a little kid, forcing them to participate in the standard Christmas activities, such as tree shopping, sledding, etc. The tension escalates when Alicia (Christina Applegate) shows up, acting as Drew's foil/love interest. Drew's solution is to throw more money at the problem which only makes things worse. But don't worry, Christmas themes like love and fellowship will smack you in the face before the credits roll.\nThe problem with this film is that it is impossible to form any sort of connection with the characters. The acting is absolutely horrendous, as they all appear to be reciting their lines and trying to get through the script (which apparently was not finished until during the shooting, which could be to blame). It's odd to see a production with so many people "phoning it in." \nAffleck forces his cheesy smile in virtually every scene and continues his lackluster release pattern since "Good Will Hunting." Maybe he should consider a return to his Oscar-winning writing, since an acting Oscar does not appear to be in his future. Gandolfini can't escape his connection with "The Sopranos," no matter how much facial hair he adds. Also, the film's sexual humor is at best, worthy of a small chuckle, and at worst, extremely disturbing.\nTo give it some credit, the film does get a little better for the final half hour when Drew's current girlfriend and family show up, and the ensuing chaos results in some amusing humor. Also, the chemistry between Drew and Alicia is very good; their relationship is the highlight of the film. Too bad it had to take place in this movie.\nHowever, the negatives outweigh the positives in this lump of Christmas coal. For those who enjoy an early holiday start, this might be enough to last for a few weeks. Everyone else will be fine until the holiday season truly begins, when other Christmas films like "The Polar Express" and "Christmas with the Kranks" come out, to get their fill of yuletide cinema. In the end, a quote from the characters can be used to best sum up the movie.\nDrew: Not that bad.\nTom: Not that good either.