Review: “A Holiday Romance” (1999)

Fancy banner done in a navy ground. On either side, Hollywood red curtains tied back with pearl-white cords. In the center of the banner are four gold-navy-&-red art deco-styled brackets framing out the words “Books by Alicia Presents” (in gold), an art deco element beneath, then “Christmas Romance Reviews” (in pearl white).

Basic banner of navy ground and very light gold art-deco brackets in the upper left and bottom right corners. In bolded pearl white, a movie title is written. This one says, “Christmas Recipe for Romance.” Beneath it, in gold, is the date (2019) the movie came out sandwiched between two gold art deco elements.

~ A Small-Town Christmas That Proves Love Has No Age Limit ~

Section Header: Basic banner with a pearl-white ground. In the center, in navy, are the words, “Movie Details” that are sandwiched between gold art-deco elements.

Naomi Judd as “Lily Waite”
Gerald McRaney as “Caleb ‘Cal’ Peterson”
Alison Pill as “Fern Peterson”
Andy Griffith as “Grandpa Jake Peterson”
Jayne Eastwood as “Margie”

Location: Bethlehem, Kentucky

Platform: Tubi

Date: November 19, 2025

Classic Cinema Scale: Fancy banner with a thick gold border. In the center, in Hollywood red, the words, “Classic Cinema Scale.” Beneath it, three film reels—the top in gold, middle in silver, bottom in bronze. Each has words done in navy. For the gold reel, “Golden Age Worthy: Exceptional performances, chemistry, and production that capture the magic of classic Hollywood.” For the silver, “Matinee Material: Good entertainment with solid elements, though not quite reaching classic status.” And the bronze, “B-Movie Blues: Missing the mark despite potential.”

Matinee Material — Romance serves as subplot, but the whole story works beautifully

Tissue Box Scale: Fancy banner with a thick gold border. In the center, in Hollywood red, the words, “Tissue Box Scale.” Beneath it, a column of tissue boxes, all in red, gold, and navy—the top is a single box, middle is two, bottom is three. Each has words done in navy. For the single box, “One Box: Keep a tissue handy, but your makeup is safe.” For the duo, “Two Boxes: You’ll definitely need those tissues, but you’ll still be presentable after.” And the trio, “Three Boxes: “Is pepperoni okay?” territory — don’t even bother with mascara!”

One tissue — Some genuinely sweet moments

Section Header: Basic banner with a pearl-white ground. In the center, in navy, are the words, “First Impression” that are sandwiched between gold art-deco elements.

I’ve never seen Naomi Judd act before, but everything I’ve heard suggests she’s a genuinely nice person — and that warmth translates to the screen. Gerald McRaney I already like, so I figured this would be good. Spoiler: it was.

Gold-framed banner with Art Deco brackets in top corners. The banner reads: “Reality Check: Bethlehem, Kentucky actually exists, but filming took place in Toronto, Canada, and Port Hope, Ontario, where producers found the small-town feel they wanted.”

Section Header: Basic banner with a pearl-white ground. In the center, in navy, are the words, “The Chemistry Test” that are sandwiched between gold art-deco elements.

Naomi Judd and Gerald McRaney create lovely chemistry built on eggshells. He’s drawn to her effervescence but afraid to get close since he’s there to cut jobs — and hers might be the one he eliminates. That tension adds depth to their connection.

Judd doesn’t seem QUITE as natural as the veteran actors surrounding her, but she holds her own admirably. Andy Griffith and Jayne Eastwood create their own charming romance as Grandpa Jake and his girlfriend.

Young Alison Pill (who must be a real-life musician) sings and plays piano throughout. While I wasn’t initially a fan of her singing voice, her final song impressed me — and WOW, can that girl play piano!

Section Header: Basic banner with a pearl-white ground. In the center, in navy, are the words, “Behind the Scenes” that are sandwiched between gold art-deco elements.

Christmas decorations remain subtle — trees and boughs in town buildings, possibly a tree at the school. Nothing overtly festive stands out, but the small-town atmosphere creates its own holiday warmth.

Subsection Header: Basic banner with a pearl-white ground. In the center, in Hollywood red, are the words, “Wardrobe & Styling” that are sandwiched between gold-&-red art-deco elements.

OMG — actual Christmas clothes! My cup runneth over! Coats, scarves, boots, hats, gloves, sweaters... everything appropriate for a Kentucky winter. And at the finale’s school Christmas program, Naomi Judd wears a stunning red velvet dress that perfectly captures the season.

Section Header: Basic banner with a pearl-white ground. In the center, in navy, are the words, “The Romance Formula” that are sandwiched between gold art-deco elements.

This is primarily a family story with romance woven in. Cal arrives in Bethlehem as the budget-cutting “hatchet man” for a struggling school, bringing his grieving niece Fern (whose mother recently died). Fern bonds with music teacher Lily, whose job ends up on Cal’s chopping block — just as he’s falling for her.

The formula follows family tumult surrounding the school’s music program rather than straight romance.

Section Header: Basic banner with a pearl-white ground. In the center, in navy, are the words, “The First Kiss” that are sandwiched between gold art-deco elements.

Cute and appropriate — Cal kisses Lily after walking her home. Simple but effective.

Section Header: Basic banner with a pearl-white ground. In the center, in navy, are the words, “The Second Kiss” that are sandwiched between gold art-deco elements.

Absolutely adorable! At the finale, Lily leaps into Cal’s arms, her legs bent at the knees and feet in the air as he holds her off the ground. They kiss in front of the whole town — the perfect public declaration of love.

Section Header: Basic banner with a pearl-white ground. In the center, in navy, are the words, “Christian Corner” that are sandwiched between gold art-deco elements.

Jesus is worshipped as the Reason for the season. No swearing. And our WWII veterans receive proper honor. Completely family-friendly and faith-affirming.

Section Header: Basic banner with a pearl-white ground. In the center, in navy, are the words, “Final Cut” that are sandwiched between gold art-deco elements.

A timeless feel-good movie that works on every level. The romance subplot enhances rather than dominates, and the family dynamics ring true.

Subsection Header: Basic banner with a pearl-white ground. In the center, in Hollywood red, is the words, “Highlights” that’s sandwiched between gold-&-red art-deco elements.

Romance between older couples — refreshing change!
Gerald McRaney and Naomi Judd’s eggshell chemistry
Andy Griffith’s charming grandfather role
Proper winter wardrobe throughout
That red velvet dress finale
Alison Pill’s piano skills
Faith naturally integrated

Subsection Header: Basic banner with a pearl-white ground. In the center, in Hollywood red, is the word, “Lowlights” that’ sandwiched between gold-&-red art-deco elements.

Minimal Christmas decorations visible
Naomi Judd slightly less polished than veteran co-stars
Some of Fern’s earlier singing

Section Header: Basic banner with a pearl-white ground. In the center, in navy, are the words, “Personal Notes” that are sandwiched between gold art-deco elements.

My favorite aspect? The romances center on older folks — Judd and McRaney, plus Griffith and Eastwood. This creates an entirely different vibe than typical young-people stories with their sexual-frustration angst. There’s a maturity and warmth to watching people who’ve lived full lives find connection. More Christmas movies should follow this example!

Have you watched this Kentucky Christmas gem? Share your thoughts on mature romances versus young-love stories, and whether more movies should feature older couples finding love in the comments below!

Related topics: Christmas romance, Naomi Judd movies, Gerald McRaney, Andy Griffith, mature romance, small town Christmas, Kentucky Christmas, music teacher stories, family Christmas films, seasonal entertainment

This review is part of “BBA’s 12 Days of Christmas Movie Reviews” series. Check back daily for a new review!

Love Christmas movies? Don’t miss a single review! Sign up for my newsletter (below 👇) to get notifications of new posts and exclusive holiday movie insights!

Color photo of me, Alicia, authoress and writer of this blog. Because these specific posts are all about Christmas romance movies, I enhanced my photo with a Santa hat and with a bough of holly bracketing the bottom right. In the center of the holly bough are two candy canes crossed like lovers in a romantic embrace. (See what I did there? 😊)

Alicia Strickland

As a romance novelist with expertise in fashion, interior design, and a deep love of classic Hollywood, I bring a unique perspective to holiday romance reviews. Join me in exploring the magic (and occasional missteps) of Christmas movies!

Facebook

Twitter

Tumblr

Alicia Strickland

Hi! I write across multiple genres under various pen names. But for nonfiction, I write as myself. As a designer with a love of Old Hollywood and all things creative, I bring diverse perspectives to my storytelling... and to my blog. In the unlikely event that I’m not writing, I enjoy crafting, gardening, or spending time with my flame-point Siamese, Hunter.

Want to stay updated? Sign up for my newsletter(below 👇) to receive exclusive content and be the first to hear about new releases!

YOU MIGHT LIKE