Culture: A Cold, Tiresome Christmas ; Surviving Christmas Cert 12a, 90 Mins

Summary

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Bombing Stateside in October with a pathetic $11m, Americans had an early serving of turkey with this excruciating comedy that sees Ben Affleck playing Drew Latham, an obscenely rich Chicago advertising exec taken aback when shallow girlfriend Missy (Jennifer Morrison) dumps him for wanting to take her to Fiji for Christmas. Christmas is for families, she accuses, adding that she's never even met his.

So, to cut a tiresome set-up short, unable to get invited anywhere for the holidays, he decides to follow a harassed shrink's advice, revisit his childhood and confront his loneliness issues. Thus he duly turns up at the house where he grew up and, looking to relive happy memories, offers blue collar stiff Tom Valco (James Gandolfini), frazzled wife Christine (Catherine O'Hara) and internet porn addict son Brian (Josh Zuckerman) $250,000 to become his family for the festivities, contractually requiring them to be called mom and dad and recreate all the childhood traditions he remembers.

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Culture: A Cold, Tiresome Christmas ; Surviving Christmas Cert 12a, 90 Mins

Then, along comes daughter Alicia (Christina A...

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