SALEM — Residents of the North Shore had the opportunity to see some familiar faces and places on the big screen Thursday night.
Cinema Salem hosted a special advance screening of “Merry Good Enough,” a movie filmed in Lynn and other communities in the region.
At times, cheers came when the audience recognized various places in the film.
Members of the audience reacted positively to the movie, praising elements such as its lighting.
The movie, filmed primarily at a West Lynn home, is a dark-comedy holiday film.
It tells the story of a dysfunctional family during the holidays. The movie is centered around the disappearance of the family’s mother, which forces the siblings to come together with the help of their estranged father to find their mom and come together as a unit again.
Caroline Keene, the writer and co-director, was asked what her inspiration was for the story.
“My mom never ran away on Christmas,” Keene responded, eliciting laughter from the audience. “There’s a lot of personal emotions in it. I loved ‘Home Alone’ as a kid, and I love Christmas films.”
One scene in particular struck a chord with a number of audience members.
In the scene, Lucy, the main character played by Raye Levine, has a conversation with her former gym teacher, Frank, played by Kevin O. Peterson, regarding his friendship with her missing mother.
“I feel like that scene is so important to the plot and Lucy’s arc,” Keene said, adding that it was filmed early in production and prior to the arrival of several of the lead actors. “Kevin came in and was really bringing it in that scene. He kind of got us ready for when the adults were coming. There was some real stuff happening in that scene between the generations.”
Peterson, who attended the Thursday screening, credited Keene.
“It was great writing,” Peterson said. “I’m happy that I was able to bring that character to life.”
Another audience member said that he was particularly struck by the dialogue in the movie. He said that conversations between Lucy and her mother were similar to those that he has with his own mom.
The filmmakers on the panel were asked why they chose Massachusetts for the location of the film.
“How could we not?” Co-Director Dan Kennedy said.
Keene added that it was a natural choice since she grew up in Massachusetts and Kennedy grew up in New Hampshire.
The movie will be shown again on Dec. 12 at the Somerville Theatre and next weekend in Vinton, Iowa.
It will be available to rent or buy on multiple platforms, including Apple, Amazon, and Dish, on Dec. 19.
