I don’t normally like a lot of shows or movies that happen in hospitals, especially around the holidays. Call it all the trauma of time in hospitals over the holidays. I am also aware of the fact that there are a lot of people who have no choice but to spend their holidays in the hospital. The More The Merrier is a testament to small towns, first responders, relationships, and the wonderment of family.
Living in a small town is not for the weak. There are a lot of things that you wouldn’t have to face in a city – the resources, the experts, the overbearing weight that family can bring. Now, small towns and hospitals are different. In small towns, everyone knows everyone. But things will always be changing, and that is the life of a small town.
The More The Merrier feels like a behind-the-scenes look at hospitals. It feels like all of the fear, the joy, and the wonderment of the holidays are right there, waiting for you to hold onto them.
Part of the joy of Christmas is seeing the excitement in people’s eyes. All of these people are stuck in the hospital due to a storm, and it forces them to learn about each other.
Alice is a doctor whom everyone wants to know, but she tells no one about herself. She loves the town she lives in, but has decided that moving is for her. She loves her community, but feels as though moving around is in her blood since she was a military brat.
Brian is fresh off a divorce and has moved home to this small town. He is a renowned cardiologist and very well known. He and Amy see things very differently. He’s somewhat a Scrooge, and well, I don’t understand why. Maybe he’s let the stress get to him.
The weather forces Alice and Brian to work together. He doesn’t understand the way that the town operates and the overabundance of Christmas decorations. She doesn’t ever give up and makes sure that she takes care of as many people as she can – while never losing her way.
Now, I will say that the only drawback of this movie was that it was a commercial for Abbott Pharmaceuticals for a lot of it. I was glad to learn about Abbott’s Heartmates program, but I am also glad that programs like that exist.
A night of delivering babies and other random emergencies sets Alice’s world on a course that she didn’t expect. She is running on empty, and though no one knows the reasons that she wants to be on the move, but here we are.
Brian’s sister, Dr. Spencer, has even given birth after proclaiming that Christmas was one of the rarest birthdays ever. Her baby girl is beautiful, and she’s lucky that
Alice is asked this question that I think that we should all be asked – Do you really want to go, or are you afraid to stay. For once, we get to know Alice. She’s afraid that she’s in a place where one day, someone that she loves will be someone that she is unable to save.
Alice doesn’t feel alone in the hospital – not with everyone around and not with the changes that happen in a hospital. There’s death – yes. But there is also life and miracles that happen. There is new life and saving lives. No one wants to be in a hospital, but when you’re there and stuck, people making it better in any way is one of the most special things that can be done.
One of the things that I can appreciate is the doctors and nurses who sacrifice everything for the people of their communities. The ones that give of everything, and when people are spending their time giving of themselves, no matter what. I think that doctors and nurses are some of the best types of heroes. I know that i would not be alive without them.
As the morning comes and the roads are plowed, the day crew is coming in, and you are reminded of just how close the hospital employees are. They rely on each other and show each other the way.
Brendan Penny and Rachel Boston are Hallmark staples, and I have to admit that I love them. Besides the overuse of product placement, The More The Merrier was a great movie to remind you of what is important in this world. It was a look at family, circumstance, and opening one’s heart to possibilities.
Spoiler Alert: Opening your heart remains supreme.
