It is tough to create a modern Christmas-themed movie that overcomes the endless cliches where hardened hearts learn to appreciate the happiness that comes during this time of year. Even more difficult is capturing the feel of the holiday season without being phony or cloying. Caroline Keene and Dan Kennedy’s “Merry Good Enough” does very well in balancing the dread some feel spending time with their family with authentic Christmas spirit.

Written by Keene, the film is smoothly crafted to be a realistic portrayal of familial crisis at Christmastime. Much in the manner of writer/director Edward Burns’ undervalued 2012 gem “The Fitzgerald Family Christmas”, Keene and Kennedy’s film is a story of a family told with honesty and truth.

Raye Levine is terrific as Lucy, a single woman coming back to her small Massachusetts town to be with her family on Christmas. The dynamics within her clan are dysfunctional, but not overly so. Lucy is hoping to make it through well enough and get back to her droll life until, after a small argument over a wedding album (Lucy is divorced), her mother (Susan Gallagher) vanishes on Christmas Eve, causing the somewhat-distant family to band together. Mom’s vanishing isn’t a cause for too extreme a worry, just more of a concern for her happiness. As her older brother Tim (Daniel Desmarais), says, “It isn’t a ‘CSI’ type thing.” Along with her younger lawyer sister Cynthia (Comfort Clinton) and the sudden appearance of their father (Joel Murray), the clan begins their search of the town.

“Merry Good Enough” is not the usually cynical unhappily-ever-after family drama that permeates most modern holiday-set pictures. Lucy’s brood loves one another. There are the familiar judgments and squabbles found in any family, but it all plays naturally thanks to Keene’s smart and involving screenplay and the good performances from the cast.

The ensemble skillfully navigates the sharp dialogue, each performance giving the characters and their relationships a lived-in believability. Levine, Desmarais, and Clinton exude genuine affection as the siblings, while Joel Murray finds a realistic balance of loving father and narcissist. The well-cast supporting players add to the film’s character, with Sawyer Spielberg a supportive standout as Sam, an old crush of Lucy’s who becomes an emotional ally and a budding romantic partner. As with the rest of the relationships, Lucy and Sam’s connection is organic and plausible, playing out naturally as these two souls are just what each other needed. Caroline Keene and Dan Kennedy and their actors assure the dramatic beats and patches of humor aren’t overdone, finding the ever-so-fine middle ground between sentiment and sincerity.

The filmmakers give the picture a believable holiday ambience and fill the soundtrack with classic songs of the season, never hammering the audience over the head with the music choices (as Hollywood Christmas films do so infuriatingly). Each chosen work has its place and is used just enough to give the film its festive surroundings. Any motion picture that uses the Kitty Wells version of “Silent Night” gets major kudos.

“Merry Good Enough” is more than good enough. We care about these people and it was a pleasure to spend time with a family crafted with such honesty. This an affectionate and warm-hearted tale rich in feeling and character; a moving tribute to connection, family, and the holiday spirit.