A Mrs. Miracle Christmas

I was really nervous for there to be a new Mrs. Miracle in town. Doris Roberts has always been my comfort actress, and while I love Caroline Rhea as well, I know she typically plays cheesy, over-the-top, zany characters.

I was insanely surprised and impressed!

The movie starts out with a twist not typically with Hallmark Christmas movies and gets better from there. Caroline's portrayal of Mrs. Miracle was the warm grandma-like hug I was used to with Doris. The plot is engaging, the writing is great, and the acting is nowhere near what you're used to with Hallmark.

No one can really replace Doris Roberts, but Caroline Rhea brings her own warmth and humor to the character. This was not the typical Hallmark love story. A family is in crisis and is need of a miracle. Mrs. Miracle! I enjoyed the movie.

Was it really necessary for Hallmark to bring back the character of Mrs. Miracle who was memorably played by the much loved Doris Roberts ?

After you see this movie, you will probably say yes, it was worth it.

So many things are done right here. First, the writers took Mrs. Miracle and made her younger, snappier, and more charismatic. Second, the story they wrote grabs your attention from the get go and doesn't let up until the end. Plus, the dialogue is, at times, very funny and, at others, very intelligent. People really do talk and act this way in real life. Third, the entire cast is excellent. Caroline Rhea plays Mrs. Miracle with a little humor and a lot of sincerity that is very enjoyable throughout. A few years ago, Hallmark discovered Paula Shaw and she always adds flair and charm to any movie that she is in. Here, as the Grandma in need of a temporary caregiver, she is given a lot to do and, once again, she is a joy to watch. In particular, the banter between her and Mrs. Miracle at the beginning of the movie is sharp, clever, and the actresses are fun to watch. Kaitlin Doubleday and Steve Lund, as the granddaughter and her husband, are excellent as they struggle with Grandma's care and the other issues that life has dealt them. Some of their scenes are so natural and well-played that they are quite moving. Lastly, the direction by Janet Munro is crafty and professional, with production values that are quite attractive. All in all, this is a fun, but engrossing, story that is extremely well written, acted, and produced, some of the best that Hallmark has to offer. A memorable Christmas movie, with really fine performances, that I could watch again.

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.

'A Mrs Miracle Christmas' was watched with mixed expectations. Really liked the idea of the story and Hallmark have done a lot of films with serious themes and mostly very well (the best of them being among their best work). Have liked the cast in other things and the themes were relatable. With a few exceptions, sequels don't have the best of reputations and Hallmark's follow ups are variable. Was not sure as to whether a Mrs Miracle film would work without Doris Roberts and the 2021 Hallmark Christmas output up to this point was very up and down.

Luckily, 'A Mrs Miracle Christmas' is very much one of the ups. It's not perfect, but as far as Hallmark follow ups go it's in the better half, and of the 2021 Hallmark Christmas films of the ones that had aired up to this point it to me is one of the stronger faring ones. Perhaps second best after 'Christmas in My Heart', another film to tackle a serious subject. Ranking it with the other Mrs Miracle films, they are actually quite close together in quality, with such a major casting change part of me of dreading it would be vastly inferior as is too often the case with films etc that have drastic cast changes (especially with Roberts being so good).

Is 'A Mrs Miracle Christmas' perfect? No. It is not hard to figure out how it is all going to map out, with what is covered being familiar ground.

Did think too that it was a little bit of a slow starter in terms of pace and that Kaitlin Doubleday's character was not easy to warm to straightaway.

However, a lot is great. The acting is very good, with Caroline Rhea being a more than worthy successor to Roberts, bringing the same amount of sincerity and fun and making it her own without straying too far. The other standout is Paula Shaw, who has great comic timing (which never jarred) and warmth. Doubleday and Stve Lund give moving performances and Doubleday's character did become a lot more relatable as the film went on. The chemistry is never awkward or disconnected and it was hard to not connect with the characters in such a difficult scenario that will resonate with anybody who's been through it.

Furthermore, it is an attractive looking film, nothing rushed or static looking whatsoever about it. The music is pleasant and appropriately festive and the direction accomodates while never stalling. The script is well meaning and avoids over-heavy melodrama, sugar overload and being juvenile. The story may be predictable and could have been tighter, but it is also very poignant and honest and that it tackled a topic like this while still making it accessible and heart-warming is laudable.

Overall, didn't amaze me but on the whole it left me very pleasantly surprised and impressed. 7/10.