Christmas on Call

Another Christmas movie that I was not familiar with prior to sitting down and watching it here in 2024 as part of my December month of Christmas movie marathon.

And since I had not heard about it, of course I didn't know what I was in for. But I assumed, from the cover of the movie, that it would be an archetypical sappy Christmas movie, for better or worse.

Writers Chris Sey and Jennifer Barrow put together a script and storyline that didn't really particularly capture my interest. The narrative was simply too mundane and uninteresting. And, in all honesty, it was a boring and difficult movie to sit through, especially since the narrative failed to bring that particular special sappy Christmas feel to the screen.

I wasn't really familiar with the cast ensemble, though I do recall having seen leading actor Ser'Darius Blain somewhere before. And I had to look him up here on IMDb, and saw he was in the newer Jumanji movies. I wasn't familiar with leading actress Sara Canning. The movie also failed to entertain me, as there wasn't really any believable chemistry between the leading actor and actress, and with this supposed to be a sappy Christmas movie, chemistry is a key ingredient. I will say, though, that the acting performances in the movie were fair.

"Christmas On Call" just didn't have that special and unique Christmas magic to it, you know, the kind you see in the archetypical sappy Christmas movies. And that is one of the major reasons for why the movie failed to deliver.

This is by no means a movie with the contents to be a Christmas movie. Nor is it even a movie that I will ever return to watch a second time, nor is it a movie that I would recommend you to waste 84 minutes on watching.

My rating of director Jeff Beesley's 2024 movie "Christmas On Call" lands on a three out of ten stars.

I went into this movie with low expectations. After watching the previews, I didn't think I would enjoy it, but not only did I love it, but my husband did as well.

All the storylines were great. We laughed a lot. The chemistry between the two leads was solid, and their interaction was cute.

I even teared up a couple of times.

It was an excellent cast, and her neighbor was a hoot. The karaoke scene with the head nurse was great.

Donna Kelce popping in was great. She was busy this season in Hallmark movies.

I'm happy I gave this one a chance. It's definitely worth rewatching-in fact, we've done so a few times already. It's not a meh movie.

This Hallmark holiday romance takes place in Philadelphia, where a paramedic's job brings him into contact with a hospital physician. Wes (Ser'Darius Blain) is a native son of the City of Brotherly Love, and unattached. Hannah (Sara Canning) is new to the city. They both have demanding jobs with difficult schedules. When sparks fly between them, they have difficulty finding time to socialize, but they persevere.

There is a second story, about two cops who lost track of each other after a promising New Year's connection. Sanjay (Erik Athavale) says that he texted her later, only to be ghosted. Danielle (Reena Jolly) says she was ghosted by him. When work brings them together again, things are frosty for a while, but they warm up as they spend time together. Eventually, they solve the mystery of their earlier estrangement.

Though all four main characters have jobs that entail some stress, the film has a light tone. And it never feels like there is a lot of pressure to bring the couples together. The easy-going tone makes this an enjoyable film. And the surrounding cast fits well into this narrative.

Hallmark, we need to talk. Are we making real movies now? Ones with multiple, complex storylines that develop characters and aren't focused entirely on being cheesy? It seems that way! Christmas on Call gives us several storylines from the City of Brotherly Love that dip into real movie territory. It's a recommended movie.

Hannah (Sara Canning) is an ER doctor, which would seem really impressive until we meet her love interest Wes. Wes (Ser'Darius Blain) is an EMT, but also a veteran, volunteer at everything, singer, former firefighter, and all around good guy. Hannah is in her first year in a new city-Philadelphia-and a little homesick. Wes spends December apparently never sleeping, and showing Hannah what the city is all about.

You might remember Canning from Holiday Road (7 stars) or Wes from the Jimanji movies. These are legit actors, who turn in great performances.

We also follow Sanjay (Erik Athavle) and Danielle (Reena Jolly) as police officers who dated once. Despite all the crime in Philly (come on guys) they spend their patrol refereeing a neighborly dispute over lawn ornaments. Athavle is one of my favorites from Santa Summit - and he rocks a great stache in this one.

The cast in this movie is huge, but it's easy to keep track of. We get a father/daughter story (twice), a college-hopeful kid story, an EMT finding her way, an asthmatic patient who is going through a rough time, and a nurse whose daughter is in the military overseas.

You also can't miss Donna Kelce, yes Travis' mom and Taylor Swift's bestie, serving cheese stakes. I love that they actually call her Donna and she's wearing a Jason Kelcee Eagles jersey.

One note I'm sending into the world. Stop making Christmas karaoke a thing. It's not a thing and bad singers aren't fun.

Funny line: In one scene Hannah tells her dad, over the phone "I met someone" and she describes him a bit. And dad replies inquisitively and very loudly, "He?!" Like maybe the last person she met wasn't a "he." It was super awkward. I'm here for it, but the lead couple being two women seems like a million miles from where Hallmark plays. Prove me wrong, Gold Crown!! Prove me wrong.

Measuring Christmas Magic: Absolutely. Lots of establishing shots of Philadelphia, and scenes that are dripping in Christmas lights and joy.

Cast Kudos: Ser'Darius Blain as Wes. This guy does everything!

Alternative titles: Christmas and Cheesesteaks; Philadelphia Christmas; Philadelphia Med, Fire and PD for the holidays.

7.6 stars.

I found myself enjoying the experience of 'Christmas on call' from the first minute. I've always been a sucker for ER shows and movies. While this story doesn't particularly focus on the emergency room doctor's trauma care (lead female) or the first responder's ambulance rescues (lead male), there's just enough of both to make it feel like a bona fide hospital drama.

Of course, it's done in typical Hallmark style, which I found quite interesting, because I feel like this is something new for Hallmark, although I'm not absolutely certain. I'm trying to recall any ER doctor characters in Christmas romances and I can't.

So basically this was something original and the actors did great. There is decent chemistry between the leads as well.

I found this entertaining and fun with a few good moments. There are a couple of supporting characters who are police officers, and their side story is entertaining too. I'd like to see more of this kind of change from the norm.