故事描述胡芬諾鎮中的每個人，都熱情迎接聖誕節的到來唯獨住在北邊的鬼靈精恨透一整個聖誕假期，於是他想個辦法來阻止聖誕節的到來，就在聖誕夜的前一晚，他喬裝聖誕老公公，偷偷潛入胡芬諾鎮。他趁大家熟睡時，把聖誕節所有會用到的飾品、禮物、玩具、食物...全都搬走，原以為鎮上的人會為此而傷心落淚，沒想到他們還是歡唱慶祝，鬼靈精這時才明白聖誕節的真正含意，只要我們心存善念，聖誕節永遠是我們的。

老刑警吴济堂枪击拒捕逃犯王彪，却误伤人质受到处罚。女儿遭强暴，他一怒之下又抓来劳改释放的王彪，可王彪又非作案者。王彪妻对吴济堂设下女人圈套，使吴遭受不白之冤。被停职检查。女司机遭劫，吴济堂奋勇相救，遭到罪犯枪击，生命垂危……

《生存家族》讲述了这么一个故事，突然有一天家里的电器全部无法运转，车，自来水，电池，手机和电视等等都不能使用了，在东京生活的铃木一家决定骑自行车去乡下，逃离东京…

The story follows a rich, comfortable household thrown into escalating turmoil after a shabby vendor of sweet potatoes suffers a stroke in their drawing room. His presence alone isn't much of a catalyst (although it does spark plenty of interest and attention from the victim's greedy and envious tenement neighbors), but serves instead to counterpoint the absurd behavior of everyone around him. A large cast of sympathetic and eccentric characters bustles constantly in and out of each (oddly lit) scene, but despite all the frenzied activity and sharp dialogue the film presents a rather quaint moral: too much money spoils true love.