Merry Good Enough

"Merry Good Enough" is a delightful film that really dives into the whole complex family dynamics storyline. It's got a perfect mix of engagement, heart, and holiday humor that just makes you laugh, cringe at times, and feel the festive holiday spirit.

Raye Levine totally owns it as Lucy, smoothly handling all the craziness of her quirky family. When Lucy's mom disappears on Christmas Eve, you can't help but root for her as she tries to bring everyone back together. I totally got where Lucy was coming from - wanting that close bond with her mom, even if it meant dealing with some clashes along the way.

The movie wraps up with a heartwarming family reunion, kinda like the chaotic but awesome gatherings I've had with my own family. "Merry Good Enough" is a must-watch, giving your holiday movie lineup a cool and fresh twist with its sweet storyline.

This is a film with great characters, that captures the complexities of family relationships - the love that ultimately overrides the messiness, and differences.

It is not a cookie cutter Christmas film so I appreciate some may not want this from a cosy feel good sugar coated holiday watch.. However, for me it had an authenticity and was relatable, which makes me connect more deeply and become more invested.

Ultimately uplifting and more indie vibes, with a note of quirkiness I'm always a suckered for!

Fabulous cast and performances.

I hope to see more films made by this director and will be recommending ot to friends I know appreciate films with these vibes.

Merry Good Enough is a great watch for anyone wanting to see the functionality of a dysfunctional American family during the holidays. Heart warming and sharp, the film deals with 'adulting' for both generations of a family of five plus the small town locals who they have all grown up with. What makes Merry Good Enough fresh is you can feel the film comes from the community where it's being made. Taking you to New England area, it's not an overly sappy or romantic view of the holidays but rather a grounded in reality experience that a lot of families go through over the holidays. Great performances from Raye Levine, Joel Murray, Daniel Desmarais, Comfort Clinton, Susan Gallagher and Sawyer Spielburg.

This movie had drama, mystery and romance but none of it was developed. Like at all. Ever. The acting was good but there was just nothing there.

The mom disappeared having left in her car. It was technically a mystery, but it was actually just a fact. No drama. No suspense. Toward the end of the movie there was a brief scene, maybe 30 seconds where the viewer might think something dramatic happened, but nope. Nothing.

There was a romance of sorts. Nothing led up to it and it went nowhere. It wasn't even displayed in a provocative way. Again, it was just a fact, not a developed thing stirring emotion.

This was supposed to be a Christmas movie. We're told in a line or two of dialogue that they were meeting for Christmas, but it really had nothing to do with Christmas.

I guess the movie was well named in that everything presented was "good enough" to say it has drama, romance, mystery, etc., but nothing was developed.

The only way a viewer will be stirred by anything in this movie is if a character might say a line or be in a brief scene that reminds the viewer of something in their own life that stirs emotion. It's not the movie itself that will stir it. There is really nothing to this movie.

Merry Good Enough is destined to become a Christmas classic. The story line and characters are familiar to us because we have all experience them. But they are reflected back to us with such warmth and humor that our attention never flags. There are none of the over-the-top plots or caricatured performances here, just sensitive, nuanced portrayals of our friends and families dealing with issues that seem to surface every holiday season. So why is the film so riveting? It is because we are drawn into a world that is deep within our personal experience, but not so intimate that our thoughts turn inward. Instead, we feel only love, and empathy for the characters and joy at their triumphs. The casting was superb. Each actor displayed a range of skills from comedic timing to genuine emotional vulnerability. The direction, editing and music were worthy of a big budget film. But, this is an "Indy" produced on a shoestring, making it worthy of "Christmas miracle" status.