Mickey’s Magical Christmas: Snowed in at the House of Mouse (2001)

Rated: G

Genres: Adventure, Animation, Comedy

Starring: N/A

Synopsis: Mickey and all his friends hold their own Christmas party at the House of Mouse, after being snowed in.

Review:  This is a movie for younger children who still enjoy the simplicity  of Mickey Mouse stories.  They’ll enjoy the various characters who appear at the party.  When they get snowed in Mickey decides to entertain everyone with videos of short stories.  This is one I think will bore most adults.

Scoring: 3

Mickey’s Once Upon A Christmas (1999)

Rated: G

Genres: Animation, Comedy, Family

Starring: Kelsey Grammer

Synopsis: A Christmas themed, three-part anthology-style video. The first part, "Donald Duck: Stuck on Christmas", is essentially a retelling of Groundhog Day (1993), with Huey, Dewey, and Louie reliving Christmas ad infinitum. Next is "A Very Goofy Christmas", in which Goofy tries to overcome his son's skepticism about Santa Claus. Finally, "Mickey & Minnie's Gift Of The Magi" recreate the classic tale of ironic Christmas selflessness. 

Review: This is a movie for young children.  The stories are good but not told in a way to be of much interest for adults.  There are good topics for family conversations.

Scoring: 3

Mickey’s Twice Upon A Christmas (2004)

Rated: G

Genres: Animation, Comedy, Family

Starring: N/A

Synopsis: In this sequel to Mickey’s Once Upon A Christmas, Mickey and friends gather again to discover the true joys of Christmas.

Review: Like the first movie, this is best for young children.  Older children and adults may not enjoy it as much.  The stories have a silliness that appeals to the younger Mickey fans.

Scoring: 3

Middleton Christmas (2020)

Rated: NR

Genres: Family, Romance

Starring: Eileen Davidson, Michael Pare, Kennedy Tucker, and Michael Varde

Synopsis: As two single parents try to save their teens’ high school and their alma mater at Christmas, a warm romance is kindled between them.

Review: There were times where the story felt like it needed some gaps filled but I loved it.  I was completely absorbed in the story, even though it took a little while for that to happen.  The characters are likable (if not a little too perfect) and relatable.  A story about giving and love.

Scoring: 3

Midnight At The Magnolia (2020)

Rated: G

Genres: Comedy, Family, Romance

Starring: Natalie Hall and Evan Williams

Synopsis: Longtime friends and local radio hosts, Maggie and Jack, fake it as a couple for their families and listeners in hopes of getting their show syndicated.

Review: The music is horrific, the acting is mediocre, but the story is wonderful. It saves the movie. It started out kind of blah and slow but once I got to know the characters and their stories, I was completely invested in how it ended. 

Scoring: 3

Midnight Clear (2006)

Rated: PG-13

Genre: Drama

Starring: Stephen Baldwin

Synopsis: The lives of an unemployed divorcee, his suicidal mother, and a couple, intersect during Christmastime. 

Review:  This movie is so dark and dreary. Unfortunately, it’s also horribly slow and boring. It was painful to have to sit through. 

Scoring: 1

A Midnight Kiss (2018)

Rated: G

Genres: Romance

Starring: Adelaide Kade and Carlos PenaVega 

Synopsis: With only one week to prepare, party planners land the biggest job in their company’s history; a New Year’s Eve party for a tech entrepreneur. 

Review:  Hallmark had this as a Christmas movie and the beginning of the movie is at Christmastime but most of it is about planning the party. It’s a sweet romcom that’s different than the typical one. Even though you know the kiss is coming it’s still moving. 

Scoring: 3.5

Mingle All The Way (2018)

Rated: G

Genres: Drama, Family, Romance

Starring: Jen Lilley, Lindsay Wagner, and April Telek

Synopsis: "Mingle All the Way" is a new networking app designed to pair busy professionals together for upcoming events, without long-term romance. Molly, founder of the app, is determined to prove to her family that it is a success. Therefore, she joins the app, and meets another busy professional, Jeff. As the pair gets closer, perhaps their business arrangement might turn into something more this holiday season.

Review:  This is very much like Hitched For The Holidays. Just add an app and make the people a little more Christmas movie-ish instead of every day relatable. It did have all the wonderful aspects of a Hallmark Christmas love story with a modern-day technology twist.

Scoring: 4

Miracle at Gate 213 (2013)

Rated: NR

Genres: Drama, Religion

Starring: Mackenzie Astin, Louis Gossett, Jr., Shirley Jones, Della Reese

Synopsis: Holiday travelers are stranded at an airport on Christmas Eve.

Review: This was a very sweet movie.  It teaches us how very similar we are and how all those things that seem to make us different are the same things we have in common.  It shows kindness, forgiveness, love, decency, and the Christmas spirit.

Scoring: 4

Miracle At Sage Creek (2005)

Rated: PG

Genres: Drama, Family

Starring: David Carradine

Synopsis: Two families overcome prejudice and tragedy in 1888 Wyoming when a special Christmas miracle saves the life of a small boy.

Review: Wow.  I thought it would be great to have a western-themed Christmas movie.  It’s just boring.  It feels like it starts mid-story, the effects are bad, and a lot of the acting is over the top.  It’s just not worth watching.

Scoring: 1

A Miracle Before Christmas (2022)

Rated: TV-14

Genres: Drama, Family, Fantasy 

Starring: LeToya Luckett

Synopsis: With a little help from an angel, Mercedes Wright, a fast-talking popular relationship therapist with all the answers when it comes to fixing everyone else's marriage, must now use the magic of Christmas to find the secret to save her own.

Review: This has the “It’s a Wonderful Life” tinge to it. She has to see that she’s be super successful without her family but happier with them. It just doesn’t have any magic. It’s very hum drum. 

Scoring: 2

Miracle in Bethlehem, PA (2023)

Rated: G

Genres: Family, Religion, Romance

Starring: Laura Vandervoort and Benjamin Ayres

Synopsis: Just before Christmas, Mary Ann adopts a baby girl to raise alone. She and the infant spend the Christmas stuck in Bethlehem, PA, due to bad weather. Her only choice when the inn is full is to stay with Joe, the brother of the innkeeper.

Review: If I had to describe this movie in one word, I’d say uplifting. It’s not overly religious but I just felt lighter and more at peace. I know that sounds weird. There’s just something about the story and the perfect casting that really moved me. 

Scoring: 4.5

Miracle In Motor City (2021)

Rated: G

Genres: Family, Religion, Romance

Starring: Tia Mowry-Hardrict, Smokey Robinson, and Mark Taylor

Synopsis: Amber finds herself in trouble when she promises to create the Christmas pageant no one will forget, with the special appearance of Motown legend, Smokey Robinson.  She and Eddie will go to great lengths, while reconnecting, to make it happen.

Review: This is a very sweet and heartfelt story about love and life.  As with so many movies, the little girl was the heart of the movie.  It’s not solely about religion but the purpose of the fundraiser is the church and Amber’s father is the pastor so it is subtly woven throughout.  The children signing is a special part of it.  It didn’t knock my socks 

off, but it left me with warm and fuzzy feelings.

                                                 Scoring: 3

Miracle Maker (2015)

Rated: NR

Genres: Drama, Family, Religion

Starring: Brian Krause and Jake Stormoen

Synopsis: Woodhaven, a tiny town on the edge of the American frontier, needs a Christmas miracle and it may have arrived in the form of a ragged traveler.

Review: While the religious message is not overt, it runs throughout the movie.  From acts of kindness to forgiveness to the metaphor of planting seeds.  It’s slow but well done with a lovely feel to it.

Scoring: 3

The Miracle on 34th Street (1955)

Rated: PG

Genres: Drama, Family, Fantasy, Romance

Starring: Macdonald Carey

Synopsis: One Kris Kringle, a department-store Santa Claus, causes quite a commotion by suggesting customers go to a rival store for their purchases. But this is nothing to the stir he causes by announcing that he is not merely a make-believe St. Nick, but the real McCoy.

Review:  This is pretty much exactly the same as the 1947 movie but shorter and missing the magic of the other movies. It’s like a Cliff’s Notes version of the story. The actors aren’t bad it’s just missing the parts of the story that allow you to feel Christmas and the beauty of their relationships. 

Scoring: 2

Miracle On Christmas (2020)

Rated: NR

Genres: Drama, Family, Religion

Starring: Erin Bethea, Jason Burkey, and Brett Varvel

Synopsis: The holiday spirit seems distant for the Boyce family until an unexpected visitor and miracle change everything on Christmas Day.

Review: Despite the negative storyline of illness and death, there’s a feeling of hope throughout the movie and never feels dark.  It shares a message of hope and of faith without being preachy.  I thought the acting was phenomenal.  I wouldn’t watch with young children as they may not understand some of the content but other than that it’s a good Christian family film.

Scoring: 4

A Miracle On Christmas Lake (2016)

Rated: TV-14

Genres: Family, Fantasy, Religion

Starring: Will Sasso, Kristian Wang, and Siobhan Williams

Synopsis: A teenager heads to the pond where he and his best friend, now deceased, used to play hockey together. He’s shocked to discover a magical, perfectly groomed rink, which only appears at night in his presence. 

Review:  The story unfolds slowly, sometimes too slowly, but with drama and feeling. I was really invested in the story and the characters.  Children most likely won’t be able to follow the story but teens will. It’s a beautiful story about recovering from loss and finding Christmas joy again. 

Scoring: 3

Miracles Across 125th Street (2021)

Rated: TV-14

Genres: Family, Religion

Starring: Nick Canon, Lil’ Kim, Chrisette Michelle, Tommy Davidson, and Luenell

Synopsis: After battling drug addiction, a Harlem rapper returns to his family’s church to confront his past on Christmas Eve.

Review: The beginning is rather dumb, the middle is sometimes moving and sometimes funny, the end is good and makes up for the weaknesses at the beginning.  It just goes back and forth between exaggerated and funny and super serious to quickly.  The story needed some fine tuning.

Scoring: 2