Christmas Rescue (2023) – Movie Review/Summary

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General Information

Director(s)	William Givens-Jensen
Screenplay By	Robin Givens, William Givens-Jensen, and Shateka “SJ” Johnson
Based On Work By	N/A
Date Released	December 14, 2023
How To Watch	BET Plus
Genre(s)	Comedy Romance Young Adult Holiday
Film Length	1 Hour 24 Minutes
Content Rating	Rated TV-14
Noted Characters and Cast
Chelsea	Samantha Neyland Trumbo
Keith	Cameron Bailey
Dwayne	Catfish Jean
Charles	Donny Carrington
William	Mario Van Peebles
Kym	Raven Goodwin
Rose	Robin Givens

Content Rating Explanation

• Dialog: Nothing notable
• Violence: Nothing notable
• Sexual Content: Nothing notable
• Miscellaneous: Drinking

Plot Summary

Three is the magic number in “Christmas Rescue.” It has been three years since Chelsea’s mom, Rose, died, three years since she has seen her ex, Keith, and his best friend, Dwayne, and three years since Chelsea’s current fiancé, Charles, had his company listed as a Fortune 500 company. But, despite the time that has passed and Chelsea moving on, Keith, with Dwayne, decide to kidnap Chelsea on her wedding day, likely with help from Chelsea’s best friend Kym, to the dismay of Chelsea’s father, William.

Now, as you can imagine, since Dwayne and Keith pulled a fire alarm and kidnapped Chelsea, Charles is worried, but with William having an idea who did it, and with Keith getting Chelsea to agree to give him 24 hours to win her over, the cops aren’t called. However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t major issues between all parties that may not lead to 9-1-1 needing to be called.

Character Descriptions

Please Note: This character guide is not an exhaustive list of every cast member, and character descriptions may contain what can be considered spoilers.

Chelsea

Chelsea is a marketing wizard who was supposed to get married to her father’s business partner, but then she was kidnapped by the man who abandoned her around the time her mom died three years ago.

Keith

If you go by William’s opinion, Keith is a dreamer. He was a sweet kid who he didn’t mind having around the house, especially since his mom and dad weren’t an active part of his life. But as for being with, even marrying his daughter? Keith wasn’t seen as good enough.

Dwayne

Dwayne is Keith’s best friend, who is a chef, speaks French, and is a known mother’s boy.

Charles

Charles Duncan owns a Fortune 500 company that William is working with in hopes of keeping the company afloat.

• The actor is also known for their role in “Rolling Into Christmas.”

William

William is Chelsea’s father, who is a widow, owns a construction company and works with Charles to keep his business afloat.

Kym

Chelsea’s best friend Kym is pro her getting back with Keith.

• The actor is also known for their role in “Single Black Female.”

Rose

Rose is Chelsea’s mother and Keith’s surrogate mom, who was encouraging and inspiring in Keith’s life.

• The actor is also known for their role in “Never Heard.”

Review

Our Rating: Mixed (Divisive)

Highlights

Eventually, You Move Past The Grays Of The Relationship

Yes, this is that type of Christmas romance movie – the kind where a person is already in a committed relationship, in this case at the altar, and then someone swoops in, and you are expected to get on board.

For most movies, it is hard to get past the jumping around from relationship to relationship, but what “Christmas Rescue” does is make sure you are taking the intruder’s side and, on top of that, giving the intruder history with the person they are trying to win back.

To add to the situation, Keith and Chelsea have known each other since they were 9, and Chelsea’s mom LOVED Keith like he was her own. William? Not so much, but you get it – no one could potentially be good enough for his daughter. And the more you learn about them, the more you see how Chelsea’s mom could act as a bridge to them reconciling, and the easier it gets to try to move past the fact that he literally kidnapped this woman to get a chance to talk to her.

Low Points

Dwayne and Charles

While Kym is a comical character you can appreciate, Dwayne and Charles are just caricatures. Charles is the prissy rich boy who doesn’t like to get his hands dirty and couldn’t imagine anyone not wanting him. Then Dwayne? When I say I sighed and rolled my eyes every time that man was on the screen.

You see, the problem with Dwayne is that he is extra in the worst way. He’s a momma’s boy, has a slew of fat kid jokes that he doesn’t always feel in on, and he also acts as a means of slowing down Chelsea and Keith reconnecting. Whether it is interrupting their moments, not coming through for things Keith asked him to do, or being unnecessary comic relief.

On The Fence

Forgiveness In 24 Hours?

Let’s play out the entire scenario: Keith and Chelsea have been friends since they were nine. Keith has spent every Christmas with Chelsea and a lot of time beyond that since his mom is gone and his dad worked a lot.

With the foundation established, they eventually dated for a long time, but with William making Keith feel less than and pushing Chelsea to do better and be better, they didn’t get engaged or become something more. Then her mom dies, and Keith disappears until three years later when Chelsea is about to be locked down by marriage.

I don’t know about you, but 24 hours doesn’t seem like enough to unravel the abandonment and then all the drama that comes from us learning what led to Keith’s disappearance. It just isn’t enough time, and then when you add in he kidnapped her? Which is CRAZY?! If you don’t find this couple cute or Keith endearing, you may struggle to overcome the obstacles many Christmas romances put in place.

Who Is This For?

“Christmas Rescue” fits the mold for those who love a messy romance.

Recommendations

If you like this movie, we recommend:

1. Something From Tiffany’s
2. A Christmas Stray

Check out our movies page for our latest movie reviews and recommendations.

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