# The “terrible” 2004 movie Ben Affleck can’t stand: “He hated himself for having made it”

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/the-terrible-2004-movie-ben-affleck-cant-stand-he-hated-himself-for-having-made-it/
- Published: 2026-10-28T22:29:49+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-29T02:06:27+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/terrible-movie-ben-affleck-cant-stand-hated-himself/
- Topics: Entertainment, Film

## Key points

- *Surviving Christmas* cost $45 million and earned barely a third back.
- Kevin Smith said Affleck regretted making the film.
- A meeting with his agents helped redirect his career.

## Summary

Ben Affleck’s 2004 comedy *Surviving Christmas* was a major box-office failure, deepening a difficult period in his career after several poorly received films. The article says the experience helped prompt a turning point: Affleck’s agents urged him to choose future roles closer to the work that had drawn him to acting.

The film, directed by Mike Mitchell, cost $45 million and earned barely a third of that from ticket sales. Affleck received a Razzie nomination for Worst Actor, and his friend and collaborator Kevin Smith recalled that Affleck knew the film was poor and hated having made it. The article links the meeting with his agents to the start of a gradual career recovery, which later included *Hollywoodland* and his directorial debut, *Gone Baby Gone*.

---
Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.