Father and child sit together smiling while looking at a smart phone.

Want more recommendations for your family?

Sign up for our weekly newsletter for entertainment inspiration

Parents' Guide to

A Very Country Christmas

By Barbara Shulgasser-Parker, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 8+

Family-friendly holiday romance has mild language.

Movie PG 2017 84 minutes
A Very Country Christmas Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

See all

There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.

What's the Story?

In A VERY COUNTRY CHRISTMAS, Zane (Greyston Holt) is a famed country singer who, for undisclosed reasons, leaves a concert before getting on stage. Instead of running home to Florida or to his California ranch, he hides in the small town where he went to music camp as a boy. Jolene (Deana Carter), who used to run the camp and remains Zane's good friend, puts on the town's Christmas show every year. She recruits Jeannette (Bea Santos), busy single mother of little Quinn (Raven Stewart), to help design the stage for the coming performance. Jeannette holds down several jobs while finishing her degree in interior design, so even though she's attracted to Zane, she tells him she's too busy to date. Zane is a great guy and wins over Quinn first. Then through a series of "non-dates," he persuades Jeannette that his feelings are real. Soon after his brother-agent (Greg Vaughan) finds him, the entertainment press pours in to harass him. Will he stay or go?

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say Not yet rated
Kids say (1 ):

A Very Country Christmas does the job it sets out to do, providing a family-friendly, cookie-cutter, predictable romance in an attractive holiday setting. Nothing here will challenge anyone or offer any original thoughts about anything, which may make this some viewers' idea of perfect holiday fare. Two nice people meet nicely. That's about it.

There's one standout moment, but it doesn't have much to do with the plot. With only a couple minutes of screen time, Kelsey Lamb (as a character called Kelsey) sings a moving version of that solid and reliable Christmas carol, "Deck the Halls." Kids may not be necessarily interested in a holiday romance, but if they walk in when someone else is watching this, there's nothing to worry about.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the story's emphasis on the importance of family. How does Zane prove to Jeannette that he cares about family? Do you think he's sincere? Why?

  • Jeannette talks about being a good mother. What are some qualities good mothers have that she displays?

  • How does this movie characterize small-town living versus big-city living? Which do you prefer, and why? Why do so many movies compare these two locations?

Movie Details

Inclusion information powered by

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended movie lists

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate