Hallmark For All Seasons

Miracles of Christmas 2021

Debbie Macomber’s A Mrs. Miracle Christmas

“Debbie Macomber’s A Mrs. Miracle Christmas,” starring Kaitlin Doubleday, Steve Lund, Paula Shaw and Caroline Rhea, aired on November 6 during 2021’s Miracles of Christmas on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries Channel. The movie was filmed entirely in Victoria, Canada.

The script was by Nina Weinman, a Hallmark mainstay. Just look at her IMDb page of movies she’s written over the years! The script came from the novel (affiliate link)by Debbie Macomber. This is the first movie for director Ruby J. Munro, but the woman knows her way around a script because she has done script work for many popular TV shows, such as “Fear the Walking Dead,” “A Million Little Things,” and Kristoffer Polaha’s TV show, “Life, Unexpected” (officially making this a one degree of separation movie).

This movie poster is great because I love Caroline Rhea, but it screams catalog to me, which is weird to say. However, it is cheery, and bright, and adorable. And with the Christmas stuff popping out of the purse, it’s very Mary Poppins-esque as well!

In a nutshell

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. I was not expecting for it to have genuine STAKES for its characters, but it did, and it resolved them well!

The Plot of “Debbie Macomber’s A Mrs. Miracle Christmas”

When a family faces loneliness and loss of faith, Mrs. Miracle swoops in to renew their Christmas Spirit, and they experience a holiday of heavenly proportions.

Actors & Chemistry

This entire cast was outstanding. I didn’t take note of the casting agent for the movie, but BRAVO! EXCELLENTLY DONE! Caroline Rhea was delightful as Mrs. Gloria Merkel, the caretaker who magically shows up to help the family. I have loved Caroline Rhea for MANY years – her stand up comedy is so, so funny. She had a routine a long time ago about her mom going swimming but never getting her hair wet. I loved that routine. I tried to find a clip to post here, but it’s not online.

Kaitlin Doubleday was fabulous as Laurel, the grieving former foster mom unable to get past her disappointment at losing her foster child to his mother. Steve Lund – perhaps in his best Hallmark role to date – was amazing as Will, the husband who desperately wants to move past the grief and dip his toe into the foster parent pool again. And lastly, Paula Shaw was a pistol as Nana, Laurel’s grandmother grieving her own loss – that of her husband just a few months prior to the Christmas season.

The cast did such a great job mixing comedy and drama. And the movie did a great job bouncing between both as well. The scene where Laurel and Will approach the notion of separating was heartbreaking and so well played by both actors. And then the scene where Nana was calling Laurel to tell her that Gloria was stealing things (“You have 112 pieces of silverware – I counted them!”) was very funny. This truly might be my favorite ensemble in a Hallmark movie this year.

Tropes

There weren’t too many tropes in this one, believe it or not. Cute kids to start the movie. We had the marble laptop cover in this movie. Gloria and Helen visited a Christmas market. We came in at the end of a baking situation, and then they decorated the tree. And made hot cocoa (although we didn’t see anyone drinking it!). We had a children’s Christmas pageant/concert. And of course, we had some Christmas magic throughout the whole movie.

Did I Hear/See That Right?

Oh no, this movie had people dancing to a Christmas carol. Twice.

Um….since when does the song “12 Days of Christmas” offend someone so that “five golden rings” is replaced with “five balls of string?”

The principal had no business announcing that one teacher’s pregnancy before that actual pregnant teacher could announce it. Rude!

So, Gloria talked about her daughter Mercy, who she lost. And yet we met Mercy at least three times in the movie and they gave each other a wink and acknowledgement at the Christmas Eve candle service. So is Mercy a fallen angel (thus “lost”)? Or did Gloria LIE about Mercy in order to get in good with Will and Laurel? MAJOR problem with that whole thing but I’m willing to overlook it since it’s not a major part of the movie. But it did bother me enough to take note of it.

Feelgoods

So many feels during this movie. As I said at the beginning, there were genuine stakes in this movie when Laurel and Will were sitting on the front stoop discussing whether to go forward with their marriage. That is not a topic that Hallmark typically has in their holiday movies! And yet, Will left the house and went to stay with a friend to give Laurel some space while they figured out what they were going to do. I really felt that emotion from them during their front stoop discussion.

I also loved the scene when Nana was dancing with Art, who had also lost a spouse. His speech to her about moving on was lovely and heartfelt.

And let’s face it, the movie was FULL of platitudes and statements that could be cross-stitched onto a decorative pillow, but they all WORKED. Every line Gloria said was perfect and poignant.

Re-watchability of “Debbie Macomber’s A Mrs. Miracle Christmas”

Oh this movie is TOTALLY re-watchable. And it will be! Many times!

The Ranking

“Debbie Macomber’s A Mrs. Miracle Christmas” is Top 5 material, folks. The lack of tropes is probably what kept it from being in the 2nd or 3rd spot. Either way, this movie was a WINNER by all accounts.

The Santa Stakeout (air date: Oct 24) – 730 pts – weighted score: 122.3 (85.8%)
You, Me and The Christmas Trees (air date: Oct 22) – 716 pts – weighted score: 121.3 (85.1%)
Crashing Through The Snow (air date: July 10) – 705 pts – weighted score: 118.1 (82.8%)
A Mrs. Miracle Christmas (air date: Nov 6) – 688 pts – weighted score: 116.2 (81.5%)
Boyfriends of Christmas Past (air date: Oct 23) – 673 pts – weighted score: 116.1 (81.5%)
Next Stop, Christmas (air date: Nov 6) – 682 pts – weighted score: 114.7 (80.5%)
It Was Always You (air date: Feb 27) – 668 pts – weighted score: 114.2 (80.1%)
The Christmas Promise (air date: Oct 30) – 675 pts – weighted score: 114.1 (80.0%)
Gingerbread Miracle (air date: Nov 5) – 671 pts – weighted score: 114.0 (80.0%)
Christmas In My Heart (air date: Oct 23) – 675 pts – weighted score: 113.9 (79.9%)
You Had Me At Aloha (air date: June 5) – 675 pts – weighted score: 111.4 (78.1%)
Sweet Carolina (air date: May 15) – 648 pts – weighted score: 110.1 (77.2%)
Taking a Shot at Love (air date: Jan 2) – 641 pts – weighted score: 108.9 (76.4%)
Don’t Go Breaking My Heart (air date: Mar 27) – 636 pts – weighted score: 108.5 (76.1%)
Right in Front of Me (air date: Apr 18) – 637 pts – weighted score: 108.0 (75.8%)
As Luck Would Have It (air date: Apr 10) – 638 pts – weighted score: 107.7 (75.5%)
Her Pen Pal (air date: June 19) – 636 pts – weighted score: 107.1 (75.1%)
The Baker’s Son (air date: June 13) – 637 pts – weighted score: 106.3 (74.6%)
South Beach Love (air date: Oct 9) – 615 pts – weighted score: 105.8 (74.2%)
Love Strikes Twice (air date: Oct 2) – 608 pts – weighted score: 105.2 (73.8%)
Christmas Sail (air date: Oct 31) – 606 pts – weighted score: 105.1 (73.7%)
Christmas in Harmony (air date: Oct 29) – 605 pts – weighted score: 104.8 (73.5%)
A Winter Getaway (air date: Jan 23) – 620 pts – weighted score: 104.4 (73.3%)
Coyote Creek Christmas (air date: Oct 30) – 614 pts – weighted score: 104.3 (73.2%)
Love, For Real (air date: July 31) – 607 pts – weighted score: 103.6 (72.7%)
Rise and Shine, Benedict Stone (air date: Oct 1) – 595 pts – weighted score: 103.0 (72.2%)
Mix Up in the Mediterranean (air date: Feb 20) – 590 pts – weighted score: 102.5 (71.9%)
Advice to Love By (air date: Oct 16) – 599 pts – weighted score: 102.2 (71.7)
Two For The Win (air date: Jan 16) – 603 pts – weighted score: 101.8 (71.4%)
Taking the Reins (air date: Sept 28) – 574 pts – weighted score: 101.2 (71.0%)
Raise a Glass to Love (air date: Sept 18) – 590 pts – weighted score: 100.7 (70.7%)
Chasing Waterfalls (air date: Mar 20) – 570 pts – weighted score: 100.3 (70.4%)
Roadhouse Romance (air date: Sept 11) – 571 pts – weighted score: 100.2 (70.3%)
Sweet Pecan Summer (air date: ) – 576 pts – weighted score: 97.3 (68.3%)
Sand Dollar Cove (air date: June 26) – 557 pts – weighted score: 96.8 (67.9%)
Hearts Down Under (air date: Apr 24) – 547 pts – weighted score: 95.2 (66.8%)
Fit for a Prince (air date: Mar 6) – 546 pts – weighted score: 94.6 (66.4%)
A New Year’s Resolution (air date: Jan 9) – 516 pts – weighted score: 90.5 (63.5%)
Finding Love in Mountain View (air date: ) – 504 pts – weighted score: 89.5 (62.8%)
A Little Daytime Drama (air date: Aug 21) – 511 pts – weighted score: 87.7 (61.5%)
Baby, It’s Cold Inside (air date: May 8) – 495 pts – weighted score: 85.6 (60.0%)
Playing Cupid (air date: Feb 13) – 466 pts – weighted score: 82.6 (58.0%)
Beverly Hills Wedding (air date: Feb 6) – 431 pts – weighted score: 80.6 (56.5%)
Journey of my Heart (air date: ) – 450 pts – weighted score: 76.0 (53.3%)
Snowkissed (air date: Jan 31) – 402 pts – weighted score: 76.0 (53.3%)