Debbie Macomber’s Joyful Mrs. Miracle is the fourth Mrs. Miracle movie that Hallmark has adapted from author Debbie Macomber’s various books starring the original character. After being played by Doris Roberts and Paula Shaw, the role of Mrs. Miracle now lies with Rachel Boston. She is joined by Pascal Lamothe-Kipnes, Matthew James Dowden, and Max Lloyd-Jones, who star as three estranged siblings brought together by the death of their beloved grandmother and a task that will reunite them for Christmas. This movie might benefit from Debbie Macomber name recognition among Hallmark movie fans, but does that make it worth watching? Read on to find out!
DEBBIE MACOMBER’S JOYFUL MRS. MIRACLE: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?
The Gist: Adult siblings Charlotte (Pascal Lamothe-Kipnes), Benedict (Matthew James Dowden), and Henry Moorehouse (Max Lloyd-Jones) have been estranged from one another for the last year after. It’s only the death of their beloved grandmother, Vivian, that forces them back together in their expansive childhood home over the holidays. The siblings lost their parents at a young age and were then raised by their grandmother, growing up close until working at their influential family real estate business ended in deals gone wrong and bad blood.
Since then, they have gone their separate ways. Charlotte is a single mother raising her son, Cody (Logan Carriere), in New York City. While she is technically a lawyer, she hasn’t really practiced since Cody was born. Benedict lives in London, where he works in finance, while Henry is back in the U.S., saddled with various debts and promies to repay a slightly threatening New Jersey guy over the holidays. None of them are fully happy in their current lives, and when their grandmother’s will requests them to return to her manor to decide who should fill her position to lead the family company, they each jump at the opportunity. Each sibling wants the chairperson position for themself, but their grandmother needs them to all agree on who will take over by Christmas day, leading to even more squabbles.
Luckily, supposed estate planner Annie Merkel (Rachel Boston), AKA Mrs. Miracle, is there to keep peace, inject positivity, and bring some holiday magic. Charlotte also might find some extra magic in the form of a rekindled romance with her first love, Austin (Tanner Novlan). Austin’s family has long worked for the Moorehouses, a fact that may have put an early end to their teenaged relationship as Charlotte left for college and Austin for the U.S. Navy. But Austin returned last year to help Vivian take care of the manor, and now he is the executor of her will, giving him ample opportunity to bond with both Charlotte and fellow horse lover, Cody.
Can the Moorehouse siblings put their differences and old hurts to rest in order to fulfill their beloved grandmother’s last wishes? Will Charlotte have to choose between her son’s happiness and her own? Is Mrs. Miracle an omnipotent being from another world? I guess you’ll just have to watch to find out.
What Movies Will It Remind You Of?: Debbie Macomber’s Joyful Mrs. Miracle is kind of like a schmaltzy, Hallmarky Christmas version of the Knives Out plus the “charming, seemingly all-knowing, and borderline magical lady who’s great with children” aspect of Mary Poppins.
Performance Worth Watching: Rachel Boston stands out as the wise, whimsical, and angelic Annie Merkel.
Memorable Dialogue: “Everybody’s shady in Jersey.” “Well, Meryl Streep’s from New Jersey, she’s all class.” The latter remark from Annie Merkel is apparently the one thing that the Moorehouse siblings can all agree on. There’s no denying the greatness of Meryl Streep!
A Holiday Tradition: There’s an Annual Moorehouse Christmas Party hosted by Moorhouse matriarch Vivian at her lovely home each year on Christmas Eve. Since Vivian passed away this year, the party was seemingly canceled, but her three grandchildren made sure to host it in her honor, complete with festive decorations, formal attire, food, beverages, and plenty of dancing.
Does the Title Make Any Sense?: Debbie Macomber’s Joyful Mrs. Miracle may be a bit of a mouthful but it involves Debbie Macomber’s Mrs. Miracle character and she’s extremely joyful throughout the movie, so I’d say the title does make sense!
Our Take: Debbie Macomber’s Joyful Mrs. Miracle is not the most memorable or original movie in the world, but it doesn’t have to be. Fans of Debbie Macomber’s work or her recurring Mrs. Miracle character just want to see their faves well-represented onscreen, and this film seems to respect its origins as it gives an earnest attempt at a pleasant holiday movie with a message, supported by solid performances across the board.
If you’re a fan of love stories, there is a second chance romance between Austin and Charlotte to behold, but the movie isn’t really about them at its core. It’s about families, both born and chosen. It’s about forgiveness and growth, in every kind of love (familial and romantic). It’s about realizing that making other people happy doesn’t mean that you need to sacrifice your own joy, hopes, and dreams.
Is it a bit odd that these high-powered siblings would accept Annie and her ominipresence at their family manor without so much as a background check? I think so. Is it also strange that she’s effortlessly accepted into the family and even seems to have some vibes with both Benedict and Henry at certain moments? Kind of, yeah. But these are all the kinds of things that make sense in a cheesy, feel-good 90-minute Christmas movie (except Annie’s chemistry with everyone, that just might be a gift that Rachel Boston naturally exudes), so there’s really no need to think that deeply about any of it. Just relax, kick back, and enjoy that Mrs. Miracle magic!
Our Call: STREAM IT. Debbie Macomber’s Joyful Mrs. Miracle is a sweet and easily digestible family-focused film that commits to paying homage to the Macomber Mrs. Miracle legacy. The movie is likely not going to blow you away, but at the very least, it’s imbued by the feeling of togetherness so intrinsic to the holiday season that it still makes for a simple, festive stream.
The post Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Debbie Macomber’s Joyful Mrs. Miracle’ on Hallmark, Where An Earth Angel Reunites Estranged Siblings for the Holidays appeared first on Decider.
