"A Christmas Romance" was filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia. That provides one of the pluses of this film, which really needed more - real snow, and lots of it. The filming location is pertinent in my comments because the sense and feel of the screenplay is that this film is set somewhere in the Blue Ridge or Appalachian Mountains. It's never really made clear in the movie.
The other plus for the film is the two young girls, whose characters provide much of what is enjoyable about this film.
Olivia Newton-John does well with her role as Julia Stonecypher. But Gregory Harrison's Brian Harding is hard to take. It may have been written that way, which makes the screenplay itself mostly at fault. While the story has a somewhat different plot for the year-end type of Christmas romance films, it's not a very good or interesting one. Again, the screenplay and the role of Brian Harding are bad. There is no chemistry between the leads, and any blooming romance isn't believable. Indeed, his character is so dull, and poorly acted, that his sudden turn around isn't believable.
The musical background throughout tries to imply comedy, but it turns more on hokeyness. Except for Daisy the ewe birthing its lamb and a couple of good lines in the script, this film doesn't have much of interest. Here are those lines.
Deenie, on her mom lettering the five-year-old Emily Rose go out into a blizzard by herself, "You let her go out there, all by herself?" Julia Stonecypher, "She'll be all right." Deenie, "Sure."
Brian Harding, eating some of Julia's Christmas cake, "What it this flavor in here? I can't get enough of it." Julia, "Bourbon." Brian, "What is it?" Julia, "Bourbon. I use artificial flavor for the Methodists and the Baptists. The Catholics and the Episcopalians like the real thing. That cake is Episcopalian."
