Merry Good Enough

There's something so great the overall mise en scène of this movie and my guess it has to do something with the setting and where it was filmed (which I read was somewhere in Massachusetts). The cozy home interiors, snow dusted rural off roads, even the artificial decor of a Chinese restaurant, all of it, i believe, will elicit the nostalgic feeling of Christmas past in many viewers.

The cinematography is very good too. As well as costuming and art. It feels like a real Christmas.

Oh and the story is good too. None of that hallmark sludgy saccharine nonsense. Real enough to feel authentic without being too dark for the holidays. Just right. "good enough" one might say.

This is one of those films that's exactly what you want it to be. It's fun, funny, charming and heartfelt. A great balance of the spectrum of things we all experience over the holidays...Chaos and heartfelt family warmth.

This intimate story is full of great characters who each get a meaningful and/or hilarious moment to shine. And of course the story is propelled by the talented leads: Raye Levine, Sawyer Spielberg, Daniel Desmarais, Comfort Clinton and Joel Murray.

The story unfolds in such a way that it holds your interest all the way through, with sprinkled laugh out loud jokes mixed with tear jerking moments.

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.

A wonderful little movie that can be watched all year round but will particularly hit home watching during the holiday season! It's irreverent in a refreshing way, carrying some bite, but still finds tender moments of warmth and sympathy. You can tell a lot of love was poured into the making and writing of this.

The cast is great and the cinematography really captures the mood and season. Love the natural looking production design. A script with wit and self awareness. This isn't your typical holiday movie but that's what makes it special.

Definitely worth checking out! Can't wait to see what everyone involved does next!

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.