Mrs. Miracle

Seth Webster (James Van Der Beek) needs a miracle. Father to a pair of unruly twins, the widower must hire a nanny for Jason and Judd (Valin Shinyei and Michael Strusievici). Unfortunately, they have already scared off a long succession of live-in housekeepers, and with the days counting down to Christmas, so is the likelihood of finding any sort of caregiver.

Things aren’t going very well at the local school either. An accidental tumble off the stage has the staff scrambling to locate a replacement director for the annual pageant. The boys’ teacher Mrs. Preston (Chelah Horsdal) has a friend with past theatrical experience, but Reba (Erin Karplunk) has some negative associations with the holiday season that might make her unwilling to take the un-paid job.

Then Mrs. Mirkle (Doris Roberts) shows up on the Webster doorstep. Appearing more like an angel of mercy than an agency employee, the elderly woman soon settles a sense of peace over the household, takes on meal preparations and has the twins happily mispronouncing her name as Mrs. Miracle. Next, her presence at the Nativity rehearsal inspires Reba to take the director’s chair. And later, a convenient excuse for missing a pick-up at the school provides an introduction of the single dad to the lonely (and also single) pageant volunteer.

Things seem to be shaping up for a very merry yuletide indeed—yet the lovable Mrs. Merkle still feels she has work left undone. Intentionally meddling just a little too far, she stirs up Seth’s unresolved grief over the loss of his wife, and rekindles Reba’s burning feelings of unforgotten offenses from her estranged sister (Johannah Newmarch).

Based on a story by Debbie Macomber, this made for TV movie unwraps a tale of faith, family and forgiveness as the characters are forced to face their ghosts from Christmas pasts. Including only silly childish antics, social drinking and a term of deity used as an expletive, Mrs. Miracle serves up some divine magic that is sure to warm the hearts of those looking for holiday cheer.