Surviving Christmas

A wealthy young advertising executive, Drew Latham, feeling lonely and alienated during the Christmas season, returns to his childhood home. Discovering his family has moved and his childhood home is occupied by strangers, he impulsively offers the current residents a large sum of money to let him live with them for the holidays as their son and brother. This leads to a series of comedic misunderstandings and chaotic situations as Drew tries to insert himself into their lives.

Surviving Christmas was met with largely negative reviews from critics, who found its premise contrived and its humor forced. Audiences were also generally unimpressed, leading to disappointing box office performance.

• The film's premise is seen as unoriginal and lacking in genuine holiday spirit.

• Ben Affleck's performance is criticized for being one-dimensional and unconvincing.

• The humor often falls flat, relying on predictable gags and awkward situations.

Google audience: Audience reviews indicate a mixed to negative reception, with many finding the film's humor to be forced and the plot uninspired. Some viewers appreciated the ensemble cast, but it wasn't enough to elevate the overall experience.

The film was originally conceived with Ben Affleck's character being a recently divorced man, but the script was rewritten to make him a lonely, albeit wealthy, single man.