Miracle à Manhattan

Hallmark specializes in Christmas movies, and this one punches all the emotional buttons. Indeed, the story of "Miracle in Manhattan" AKA "Debbie Macomber's Call Me Mrs. Miracle" is like a large jigsaw puzzle that miraculously resolves into a perfect Christmas snow scene for the holiday.

Jewel Staite ("Firefly") plays Holly, a pleasant young woman who works for Lindy Lowe (Lauren Holly), a designer of women's clothes who is the prototypical horrible boss. Holly meets store manager Jake (Eric Johnson) and somehow bumps into him again and again. At the center of this Christmas tale is Mrs. Miracle (Doris Roberts), a seasonal employee at Jake's store who may be more than just the nosy interloper she appears to be.

Those who are suckers for sappy Christmas stories with benign paranormal forces at work will appreciate the heart in this TV movie.

To my surprise, this turns out to be one of my favorites among the many "Made for Television" holiday movies. The cast is an ensemble that does this heart warming story justice. It has a number of inner stories that all seem to get tied together in the end. Obviously, the love interest, but also the father who has stopped celebrating, the child taken away from a father by the war, the up and coming designer trying to make a go of it, the son who is trying to show his worth, and a number of other little threads to get tied together. And, you cannot miss Lauren Holly as the fashion designer. She is hilarious. There is a little something for everyone. Just a simple Christmas story to sit back and make you appreciate the holidays and bring a smile or two. If you don't like this one, you should probably be celebrating a different holiday.

I really pity the unjustified Scrooge mentality of the 3 negative reviews of 4 before mine. I'm sorry they fail to realize that what one perceives as "plastic" in acting is often just as much a failure on the part of the viewer even to be WILLING to connect with the actor, a willingness I've had for some years with Eric Johnson/Jake & Jewel Staite/Holly and now appreciate having with Doris Roberts/Mrs. Miracle.

I realize the suspension of disbelief can be overused and often is, but in my viewing there was little needed on my part. I thankfully already knew Jewel Straite from Stargate: Atlantis days but was happy to find the two new "jewels" of Jake & Mrs. Miracle, though not realizing that Jake's Eric Johnson was the same old lovably affable self in Flash Gordon of a few years ago. Why they pass up wonderful guys like him for leads or cancel the shows in which they ARE leads is a sad testimony especially to the bad nature of the media and to some extent the viewers. Long story short, don't listen to the Scrooges that panned this jewel; be like Scrooge himself became, joyful adherent to the joys of Christmas by joining Jake and Holly and fellows in this warm-hearted "Merry Christmas" celebration movie. Don't miss it!

This movie has everything you need at Christmas. A great script. Fine acting and a Christmas spirit that can't be planned or written. This movie just works. Impossible to find btw. I had to buy it as a Region 2 DVD from Germany!

10/10 - a good Hallmark throwback that will get you in the spirit and make you eek out a tear or two