Christmas On Call
Reviewed by L. Sue
Well, dear readers, it happens to the best of us. Based
solely on the picture above (and no trailer), I assumed this movie would be
about an Emergency Room Doctor and an EMT-and it is. However, the IMDB photo
doesn’t prepare one for the fact that this is an ensemble cast, which means
there is a lot of plot to get through in 90 minutes, tons of characters, and
multiple couples to follow. I wasn’t prepared and that’s on me for not doing my
homework and watching the trailer.
Now, for the main couple: ER doc Hannah is new to Philly,
working long hours. She has to work on Christmas, which she was somewhat okay
with to keep herself busy and not think about being back home in Seattle with
her dad. While I'm not sure, I think her mom is out of the picture. Into the ER
comes EMT extraordinaire Wes, who is not only mentoring his new trainee Julia
Sanchez but is also a veteran, a community advocate, and a qualified
firefighter. Wes, being the Philly connection, takes Hannah for an authentic
cheesesteak served by none other than Donna Kelce, who I hope is truly enjoying
her well-deserved moment in the sun.
Wes also has the station decorate a fallen comrade’s house
for Christmas, ensuring that high school senior Scott and his mom have a happy
holiday. On Chris’s orphan meter, Scott lost his dad, which leads to Wes
discussing how he lost his dad. And while I’m not 100% certain about Hannah’s
mom, it seems like there are plenty of missing parents around. Considering this
is hospital-centric, we were kind of expecting a higher than average death and
illness count.
Wes then links us to the next couple, local police officers
Sanjay and Danielle. It turns out Danielle and Wes are cousins, and Sanjay just
got transferred to this precinct to help with staffing shortages. Apparently,
Danielle and Wes went on a date a while back, but each ghosted the other.
Spoiler: Sanjay had the wrong phone number for Danielle, so some random
stranger has been receiving texts meant for her. Plus the wrong number is also
ghosting Sanjay, so there’s that.
Sanjay and Danielle are called to investigate a neighborhood dispute—a Cowboys-loving Bah Humbug wants his Eagles-loving neighbor’s Christmas inflatables toned down. Philly takes its sports as seriously as cheesesteaks, but this isn't news. It turns out Mr. Scrooge is just struggling to be merry this year and was taking it out on his cheerful neighbor. But Mr. Scrooge realized that the decorations brought joy and happiness to the neighborhood and finally understood that his anger was really with himself.
Kudos to this Hallmark movie; amidst the myriad of plot
lines, it recognizes that for many, this isn’t the holly jolliest season. Being
around all this holiday cheer can make some folks feel more depressed and
withdrawn. It is through reaching out, accepting help, and being part of a
welcoming community that Mr. Scrooge realized he too can enjoy the season. And
that is the true spirit of Christmas—not finding a significant other through a
perfect kiss, a magic scarf, or an enchanted timepiece. By being part of the
community and helping others, one can find contentment. I know, for shame I
even wrote those words, do forgive me. I digress—but we’re back on track,
Christmas is all about finding love.
Another person to experience the joy of the season is
Hannah's patient, Betsy, who has chronic asthma, no job, and no family—it’s no
wonder she isn’t taking care of herself. After her second ER visit, Hannah
tells Betsy that she will continue to prescribe inhalers, but only Betsy can
take care of her own heart. This strikes a chord with Betsy, who reflects that
it’s been a long time since someone cared about her, and even longer since she
cared about herself. She learns to accept help and starts going to the
community center Wes recommended, finding a reason to get better. This
impresses and pleases the head of the ER, Dr. Stanfield, who for no particular
reason looks like Santa.
Next up is head nurse Emerson, whose daughter is serving in
the military and stationed abroad, unable to come home for Christmas. Thanks to
Wes’s magic (apparently, he served with the same CO), her daughter gets to
surprise her. This movie is bringing mothers and daughters together, ensuring
sick people receive care, and spreading love! All while having the requite tree
trimming, cookie eating, and mistle toe shenanigans.
The big break in this movie doesn’t involve Wes or Hannah directly, nor even the cops. In the middle of the big Station House Christmas pot luck, they get a call, and the Chief rushes into a burning building to save someone…but it’s the Chief who gets hurt. They rush the Chief to Hannah and Dr. Stanfield, who take excellent care of him, ensuring he’ll be okay. We prefer it when the big moments are more relationship-focused; when it gets this heavy, it feels like a deviation from the formula. With the Chief on the mend, Wes and Sanchez return to finish their shift. Danielle and Sanjay get to celebrate Christmas, with Danielle gifting Sanjay tickets to the New Year’s Eve ball. Finally, Hannah and Wes get a break, share a kiss, and continue saving lives the next day.
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