Raye and Sawyer Spielberg on the set of Merry Good Enough in Boston

“We kind of felt at home when we worked there,” she added, noting that as an East Coast native, she was already “very familiar” with the warm, welcoming vibe. cold New England.

Directed by Caroline Keene and Dan Kennedy, “Merry Good Enough” focuses on Lucy Raulie, played by Raye Spielberg, and her dysfunctional family as they try to get through the holiday season. Things quickly become chaotic when matriarch Carol (Susan Gallagher) disappears on Christmas Eve, forcing Lucy, her siblings and estranged father George (Joel Murray) to reunite at their family home. Sawyer Spielberg, who also stars in the Apple TV+ World War II series “Masters of the Air” and is the son of director Steven Spielberg, plays Sam, Lucy’s neighbor and eventual love interest.

In addition to Boston and Wayland, “Merry Good Enough” was filmed in Beverly, Danvers and Peabody, with the Raulie family home at the center of the action, filmed in Lynn. One scene featuring bright Christmas lighting took place in front of “a real residence” in Woburn, according to Raye Spielberg, noting how a nearby neighbor offered them hot chocolate to heat while they filmed outside.

“Everyone in Boston opened their doors to us and the holiday spirit was alive and well while we were making the film,” Sawyer Spielberg said. “We completed the film two days before Christmas. Everyone in the neighborhoods we worked in was so generous with their spaces.

The film, which is streaming now on Tubi and coming to Roku before the Thanksgiving holiday, marks the first time Raye and Sawyer Spielberg have worked together on screen. The couple met while attending a drama course in New York and have since performed in a few plays together, including the stage play “Leviticus,” which they performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2018.

“It was the first time we made a movie together and shared the screen together,” Sawyer Spielberg said of working on “Merry Good Enough” with his wife. “So the newness of that fits well with the newness of Sam and Lucy’s relationship.”

“We were both a little embarrassed,” Raye Spielberg said. “And it fits perfectly with the relationship between Sam and Lucy because Sam and Lucy have a certain familiarity with each other, but also an awkwardness because there are feelings that arise.”

Although there’s a love story lurking beneath the surface of this holiday film, much of the focus is on Lucy’s strained relationship with her mother and siblings. Raye Spielberg describes Lucy as a bit of a “Scrooge” when viewers first meet her, as she is not only depressed with her family, but also trying to get over a divorce that pushed her back home.

“I really felt a lot of compassion for Lucy,” she said, explaining how the character hit a wall in life and feels overwhelmed by “her family’s grief” during the period of holidays.

Since it’s not always easy caring for loved ones this time of year, Raye and Sawyer Spielberg hope audiences can relate to this dysfunctional family story.

As Sawyer Spielberg says: “This movie is inspired by what really happens when you come home for the holidays. »

“Merry Good Enough” is now available to stream on Tubi and to rent or purchase on Amazon Prime Video, Apple, DirecTV, YouTube and other platforms.

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Matt Juul can be contacted at [email protected].