House Calls

A respected but weary physician and new widower who returns from mourning to face a maze of hospital politics. He vacillates between pursuing a relationship with Ann and maintaining professional integrity, even as he helps expose Willoughby’s incompetence. His charm masks a conflict between loyalty to colleagues and duty to patients, and he ultimately weighs truth against self-preservation.

The senile chief of staff whose mismanagement and antiquated methods jeopardize patient care. He clashes with Charley, and his grip on the hospital’s power is central to the plot when Charley reluctantly nominates him for chief yet later challenges his authority. His incompetence is the catalyst for the moral questions the film raises.

A divorced, sharp-witted woman who bakes cheesecakes and becomes Charley’s love interest. She pushes Charley toward commitment by offering warmth and honesty, but she also insists he take a stand against hospital politics. Her presence tests Charley’s balance between personal happiness and professional responsibility.

The wealthy widow who threatens a multi-million-dollar lawsuit and tests Charley’s appeal on both professional and personal fronts. She uses shared background and charm to manipulate conversations, but remains determined to sue regardless of Charley’s attempts to win her over. Her pursuit underscores the film’s tension between empathy and self-interest.

Charley’s loyal friend who recognizes the hospital’s broken state and helps plot reform. He shares Charley’s concerns about Willoughby and supports efforts to restore competent medical care, even as he navigates the limits of what they can realistically achieve within a flawed system.