In Hallmark’s The More The Merrier, an ER doctor and newly-arrived hotshot cardiologist are among the only staff snowed in at a local hospital on Christmas Eve. The two find themselves delivering an extraordinary number of babies overnight (hence the film’s title) while also juggling the rest of their patients. Though they began their relationship on somewhat icy terms (pun intended, she slips, he catches her) they eventually develop deeper feelings for each other in the latest Countdown To Christmas title.
The Gist: Dr. Alice Rogers (Rachel Boston) is the attending emergency room doctor at Pine Ridge Community Hospital on Christmas Eve, and she’s not mad about working the holiday shift. Dr. Rogers actually loves to bring holiday cheer to her patients, delivering Christmas cookies, decking the halls and everything else. But this Christmas is a little different, because there’s a blizzard headed for town.
The hospital’s new cardiologist, Dr. Brian Davis (Brendan Penny) is also working on Christmas Eve, but he’s not supposed to stay all night; however, the blizzard strands him there. Dr. Davis is a lot less jolly than Dr. Rogers — he’s a cynical city guy and doesn’t really understand why she wants to make Christmas Eve so special.
Over the course of the night, the hospital sees an influx of patients – Dr. Davis sees a young patient with a heart problem, a boy with a head injury arrives, and two women, including the hospital’s OB/GYN, who go into labor. (To add to the complexity, that doctor in labor is also Dr. Davis’s sister, she’s another reason he stays at the hospital all night long.)
It’s kind of unusual for movies like this one to have a prominent B-story, but in a pretty major subplot, another young pregnant woman who can’t get to the hospital due to the snow is taken in by the owners of a local bakery. These scenes are set at the bakery rather than the hospital, and as they coach her through the early stages of labor, they realize that she’s the birth mother to their soon-to-be-adopted baby. Soon, a kind man name Jake with a snow ploe (who keeps showing up throughout the movie) helps get them all to the hospital where the baby is born.
Despite Dr. Rogers’ love for this hospital, it’s revealed that she’s planning to relocate, having just received competing job offers elsewhere, so while she juggles her new role delivering babies, she’s also got a heavy decision weighing on her… and a handsome, flirty doctor to contend with, too.
Allister Foster
What Movies Will It Remind You Of? The More The Merrier is a slightly more grown-up version of another “trapped by a storm on Christmas” movie, Netflix’s Let It Snow, about a group of high schoolers coming to terms with their feelings for each other one snowy Christmas Eve.
Performance Worth Watching: Rachel Boston is such a perfect lead actress for this movie; despite the fact that her character is often criticized for being intensely private and not letting people get close to her, she manages to come off as wonderfully warm and generous toward everyone she meets.
Memorable Dialogue: When Dr. Rogers asks how three older local residents know each other, they respond, “The three of us play cards twice a week because none of us care for pickleball.” (It’s a funnier delivery in the movie than it is in print, and a commentary about how everyone‘s playing pickleball now.)
A Holiday Tradition: Hospitals don’t necessarily scream “holiday tradition” but Dr. Rogers wants to ensure her patients get to experience some of the joy of Christmas by getting them to decorate trees while munching on Christmas cookies during their stay.
Does The Title Make Any Sense? The arrival of four new babies in one night at the hospital might seem overwhelming, but not on this jolly, snowy holiday. The more the merrier is really true in this case.
Our Take: Have you ever wished you could spend Christmas in the hospital? Probably not, but The More The Merrier sure makes it look fun. Of course, most people wouldn’t want to miss out on spending the holidays with loved ones or in the comfort of their home, but if you had to end up giving birth or needing X-rays on December 25, you’d want it to be at a place like Pine Ridge, where the staff and other patients feel like chosen family.
The real success of a movie like this one, which is essentially the movie version of a bottle episode of TV where the characters are trapped in one location, lies in the chemistry of the characters. Here, while some of the characters know each other, many are strangers, and yet by the end, a bond has been forged between all of them as they share this intimate space, experiences, and holiday together. (If only all the strangers we meet were so kind and lovely! But that’s the idyllic universe created here.) Thanks to Dr. Rogers’ careful holiday planning, everyone’s time in the hospital is festive and positive rather than dour and disappointing. As Dr. Rogers points out to the newly-arrived cardiologist Dr. Davis, their mission is right there in the name of the Pine Ridge Community Hospital; they’re part of a community. While their romance is central to the story, this is mainly a story about choosing to contribute to your community in ways big and small.
Our Call: STREAM IT! There’s a tremendous amount of warmth and realistic humor embedded throughout The More The Merrier that keeps it from entering maudlin territory. It’s got the perfect blend of wit, tenderness and charm, the ideal holiday comfort watch.
Photos: Everett Collection, Photo Illustration: Dillen Phelps
It’s the most wonderful time of the year! (At least, that’s what Andy Williams promised.) The holidays are a time to celebrate with family, friends, food, and, let’s not forget, fun things to watch. Whether you’re huddled up with the whole family in your living room or cozying up under the covers with your tablet, let Decider be your guide to all things festive this holiday season.
Liz Kocan is a pop culture writer living in Massachusetts. Her biggest claim to fame is the time she won on the game show Chain Reaction.
