How does it go? “Faith without works is dead.”
And on Lifetime‘s Faith in the Flames: The Nichole Jolly Story, we witnessed the harrowing tale of a talented nurse whose faith was tested during one of the worst wildfires in California’s history.
Paradise was anything but as Nichole and many other first responders worked tirelessly to save the residents of this small town and survive themselves.
Lifetime Combines Faith with Terrifyingly Realistic Natural Disaster Awareness
Wildfires are absolutely terrifying. I was glued to the screen in abject horror during the latest fires in California, or the horrific one that wiped out beautiful Maui.
I can barely handle when the smoke gets bad in Western New York because of Canadian wildfires — something we’ve been battling for the past couple of summers now.
I’m in awe of anyone who can push through fear and navigate wildfires in the many areas of the country they plague, so watching this film, because of that alone, had me gritting my teeth and the adrenaline pumping.
Of course, this film was off to a great start, kicking off Lifetime’s faith slate featuring powerful female characters who lean into their faith during times of adversity and overcome those moments in extraordinary measure.
And this one? It just so happens to star This Is Us star Chrissy Metz as Nichole Jolly.
Chrissy Metz Brings Heart and Strength as Nichole Jolly
It’s been great to follow Metz’s journey since the series’ end. She’s been in a few unique projects, and she excels here, capturing the complexities of a woman with a strong will, leading with compassion, empathy, and an endearing softness.
Nichole was a force to be reckoned with as an experienced nurse who rarely took “no” for an answer, took charge of every situation she was in, and, like many women, struggled to balance her work and home life.
One of my biggest criticisms of the film lies in its inability to properly incorporate her family beyond establishing that it’s something she struggles with.
Nichole and Nick’s dynamic, though fraught at times, felt very realistic — they exuded the type of marital woes and issues that come naturally with any healthy couple who have been together for some time.
And I liked Metz and Moss’ chemistry well enough, especially during the earlier moments of the hour, when Nick came across as a genuinely loving husband who just wanted to spend more time with his wife and have her more involved in the family.
The Jolly Family Plot Serves Narrative with Mixed Results
When it came to those moments with her family, the film was very honest, and that authenticity struck the right notes.
Even Nick’s initial worry as the fire spread.
He got that call from Nichole, who was preparing to die.
I could feel the conflict in him as a father wanting to protect his sons from the reality of what was happening on that line and as a man terrified of losing his wife and going at life alone.
I loved Moss’ vulnerability in those moments.
But outside of that, every break for Nick and the kids felt a bit empty and pointless. They weren’t organically incorporated into the story, especially since the bulk of their experience was waiting in the car for help.
Beyond establishing Nichole’s family in the beginning and the seriousness of her life in peril, by the middle of the film, they were just … there.
And by then, it was simply a matter of waiting until the film’s conclusion when the happy Jolly family had their reunion.
In some ways, it was a similar situation with Nichole’s mother, whom I had forgotten about through most of the film.
Harrowing, Gripping Moments Add Edge
But alas, this film was about Nichole and her hair-raising ordeal that had her fighting for her life and helping others in the process.
As is the case with films like this, it didn’t go without those moments that had you shouting at the screen.
After they made such a deal over how her patient had given her that beautiful scarf she had knitted, I spent much of the movie wondering if Nichole would somehow pull it out and use it to cover her mouth at any point, rather than rawdogging smoke and embers.
And any time some soul harped about turning back around, sitting and waiting, or anything else, my blood pressure probably spiked.
But it’s easy to armchair quarterback a situation from the couch because you aren’t in it, and the stakes aren’t high for you.
Nichole wasn’t one for giving up, and it was her most admirable trait throughout this. She especially wasn’t one for it when her husband gave her that pep talk, making her apply the same pearls of wisdom she often dropped on all of them.
The Film Brings Acute Awareness about Wildfires
The effects of this fire were stressful to watch. We could tell that the wind was largely responsible for the entire city going up in flames. It was incredible to see how dark it had gotten by ten in the morning.
By then, it looked like nightfall!
We had a lot of Nichole staggering through the flames, smoke, and darkness, or in cars surrounded by those, as mentioned earlier.
Her moments with the doctor, who, presumably, we’re led to believe, was neurodivergent and also willing to die, were particularly nerve-wracking.
And Nichole collapsing in the middle of the street with flames encircling her was also stressful.
She had many close calls, even when she returned to the hospital, and she, Pamela, and Emily had to orchestrate their plan to score meds and supplies to serve the community out there waiting for them.
It’s only later that we learn that outside of her worrisome coughing from all that smoke inhalation, she had sustained second and third-degree burns on her calves and hadn’t even noticed.
She was running on pure adrenaline and the determination to save others.
Faith in the Flames Barely Scratches the Surface of Capturing Nichole Jolly’s Journey
Sadly, she lost the sweet patient who gave her the scarf, and it was one of the few moments of the film where the severity of what was happening landed because there was consequence — and we saw that the barely recognizable patient would never survive that — they could only make her comfortable.
Fortunately, Nichole reunited with her best friend and soul sister, Kristin. I probably would have lost it a bit if she hadn’t.
Many little touches in this film struck the big notes when it came to the severity and devastation of what transpired—a patient’s death. Kristin’s stethoscope burned to her neck, and all of those burns.
But honestly? I wish the film had delved much deeper into the sheer devastation that surrounded Nichole and all the other first responders.
When you read up on the real Nichole Jolly’s story and hear all those little details (her shoes melting to the pavement as she ran, the dozens of residents painstakingly making their way back to the hospital, the number of dogs she had to help too, and her family genuinely believing she was dead for some time before she saw them again) — Lifetime barely even scratches the surface of encapsulating that devastation.
While Nichole’s heroics felt dialed down a bit in this film, it nevertheless still does a serviceable job. Strong performances, intensity, and lots of feels.
Watch Faith in the Fire: The Nichole Jolly Story Online
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