A Mrs. Miracle Christmas

Hallmark fans will not be disappointed with this new installment of Debbie Macomber's Mrs. Miracle Christmas movie series. It is a warm and heartfelt story that touches upon heavier issues, for example, shining a light on adoption and the need for good homes for all children. The film too addresses the heartbreak of loss, and how this impacts relationships/marriage. The story also has a light-hearted side to it with some fun dialogue and scenes, which I enjoyed; I even had a few chuckles here and there. The story revolves around Laurel (played by Kaitlin Doubleday), a teacher who volunteered to bring back this year the school's Christmas pageant, and her family. After taking a financial hit a few years back, Laurel and her husband, Will (played by Steven Lund), moved into Nana and Pap's place (Laurel's grandparents). After the passing of her Pap a few months back, they stayed on to help take care of Nana (Helen, played by Paula Shaw) this holiday season. As Laurel and Will increasingly become concerned with Helen's well-being, Laurel decides to hire a caregiver for her Nana to keep her company during the day. And thus, the adventure begins with the arrival of Mrs. Miracle (Gloria, played by Caroline Rhea), Helen's new caregiver (and friend). As we soon find out, Gloria has everything the family needs this Christmas. By the way, you got to love her bottomless tote. The story is engaging from the start; it pulled me in. The script is well-written. The writers do a wonderful job of synthesizing the heavier drama elements of the story with the more light-hearted and witty ones. The writers also do a very good job of capturing a sense of loss in both Laurel and Helen's characters. These scenes are supplemented by entertaining, even funny at times, dialogue and one-liners, especially between Helen and Gloria. What made all of this work on screen, of course, was the acting. It was excellent, I thought. Doubleday and Lund both had convincing performances, especially, in portraying a family working through loss and emotional turmoil. Rhea, as the new Mrs. Miracle, had some big shoes to fill, taking the role over from the loveable Doris Roberts. With a cheerful, fun, and sort of quirky vibe to her performance, she will no doubt become a fan favorite as Mrs. Miracle. And finally, we can't forget Shaw's performance as Helen. She was brilliant again this year (last year it was Five Star Christmas), fun to watch on screen, especially her back and forth with Gloria. All in all, it is a wonderful new edition to Hallmark's Christmas movie line-up this holiday season.

Caroline Rhea plays Gloria Merkle aka Mrs. Miracle, who drops into the lives of a family grieving over two losses. It's the holiday season, but no one is feeling festive, but Mrs. Miracle may have the remedy for their malaise.

The cast does a nice job of portraying a family transitioning through turbulent emotions. Caroline Rhea likewise portrays a benevolent transformational force, holding the story together and keeping things light. The plot is somewhat predictable, but that's fine. This is a Hallmark dramedy with a story arc that satisfies. The film addresses the heartbreak of loss, and has some words of wisdom for anyone looking for relief.

Better then most hallmark films I actually enjoyed this one. It's just a cute film nothing special about it but that's what works. It's not trying so hard to be a hallmark Christmas movie with over the top acting.

This Mrs. Miracle episode is just the right mix of Christmas, optimism, and the bittersweet of life. A great treat for this season... for that matter, any season. Caroline Rhea is excellent as the "new Mrs. Merkle" as is all of the rest of the cast.

Miracles don't happen in a flash. They work their way into lives.

The Mrs. Miracle Christmas movies, based on books by mainstream novelist Debbie Macomber, were a cut above typical Hallmark Christmas fare. I was very happy to see a new one in the series with Caroline Rhea taking over the eponymous character. I was not at all surprised that she brought her own comedic talents, warmth and energy to the role. I am certain that this will be a yearly event now that they have their new Mrs. Miracle. And we got an extra bonus with the appearance of her daughter, "Mercy," charmingly played by Jordan Ashley Olsen.

In this one, Mrs. Miracle, comes to the rescue of a school teacher and her husband and the young woman's "Nana" who are all finding it difficult to move forward from grief. Lauren and Will from the loss of their foster child, and Nana from the death of her husband. Lauren also harbors hurt and abandonment issues because of a dead mother and an absent father. Although certain aspects are as predictable as usual, it does avoid some usual Hallmark conventions. For one thing, money is an issue. Lauren and Will started living with Nana because of financial problems. Loss of religious faith is touched on. The big 20-minutes-to-go-in-the-movie conflict over a new foster child is in no danger of escalating because the couple are married and love each other. So they communicate.

Once she settled into the roll, Lauren is ably played by Kaitlin Doubleday who is a dead ringer for a young Kelly Ripa. Steve Lund who is usually in lighter fare, is effective as her husband who is trying to get his wife to look forward and try again. It was not surprising that he was great in this more dramatic roll and they couldn't have cast anyone better than Paula Shaw as the funny, feisty Nana. All three are caught up in the force of nature that is Mrs. Miracle who is a firm believer that "Sometimes we don't know what we need until it is placed right in front of us." It is all capped off with a very satisfying "3 years later" epilogue.