Melissa McCarthy is the magical Genie named Flora we all wish that we could have during Christmas. Bernard, played by Paapa Essideu, is the one who finds her trapped in an old jewelry box. As luck would have it, Bernard found Flora at the perfect time, as his wife had just left him and taken his daughter to her mothers.
After Bernard realizes that working so much caused such damage to his family dynamic, Flora is there to help him become the family man he dreams of being. As it goes with any tale of a genie, she can not change the way his wife feels about Bernard, but she can change Bernard into a man his wife would respect again. First, Bernard gets a lot of father-daughter bonding time in with his daughter. When he thinks this will win his wife back, she decides the separation may be what caused the change and that it is good for the family.
While Flora certainly helps guide Bernard, it is ultimately up to him to fix his own mistakes. In return, Bernard gives Flora a Christmas surprise of her own.
Marc Maron plays a surprise role as Lenny, a doorman in Bernard's building who is immediately struck by Flora. Flora and Lenny spend a lot of time together while Bernard works on fixing his family relationships alone.
McCarthy's comedy is rather low key in this film, not her usual slapstick, but still amusing. It was toned down to make the movie a true family flick. I don't see this becoming a traditional Christmas movie to watch every year, but it was a good watch and keeps the audience entertained.
Available to stream on Peacock
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