Socially conscious comedian Bill Maher proclaimed it a new rule on a recent episode of his HBO series, Real Time: No more Christmas movies before Halloween. "Enough with the holiday creep," he griped. "Give us a few more weeks of no stress before the hellish season of peace begins."
I'm inclined to agree. Hollywood already bumped up summertime to around Easter, and until now the holiday movie season began before turkeys had a chance to thaw. Now we have to hear "Ho, ho, ho" before we hear "Boo!" I don't think so.
Which brings us to Surviving Christmas (PG-13), opening Friday and unlikely to live up to its title in an era when some films are lucky to last a month in theaters. A full review will be published Friday on Page 2B.
Surviving Christmas stars Ben Affleck as Drew Latham, a depressed rich guy hoping to recapture cheerier times by visiting his childhood home. The trouble is that another family lives there now, the Valcos, headed by grumpy Tom (James Gandolfini) and his overly patient wife Christine (Catherine O'Hara). Christina Applegate (TV's Married with Children) and Josh Zuckerman co-star as their children. The Valcos balk at Drew's initial request to spend the holidays as their guest.
Drew's solution is to offer $250,000 to the family. In return, they will indulge his childish whims, from snowball fights to tree decoration - all the holiday happiness the Valcos have lost touch with. Do you think they will recapture it before the end credits? Does Rudolph have a red nose?
If any movie star could use a hit, it's Affleck, whose career was derailed by tabloid gossip and underwhelming box office returns for Gigli, Paycheck, Jersey Girl and Daredevil. He has been remarkably good-natured about becoming a show biz punch line, and deserves a chance to turn the joke around. But couldn't this wait until Thanksgiving?
