Karen Kingbury's The Christmas Ring
Introduction. I generally don’t consider Christmas romantic comedies (“romcoms”) as worthy viewing material. Most of them are trite and formulaic with mediocre production values. Most of them also go directly to streaming and never see the inside of a movie theater. While on the surface my 2025 Christmas movie recommendation appears to fall into the same category, it is really a cut above the rest.
For one thing, it is based on a new bestselling novel from #1 New York Times author Karen Kingsbury. That means the story is deeper and more well developed than most Christmas romcoms. There is also the fact that Kelsey Grammer is prominently featured. He is best known for his role as Dr. Frasier Crane in two classic and award-winning sitcoms, "Cheers" (NBC, 1984-1993) and "Frasier" (NBC, 1993-2004). However, the audience for this movie may also relate to his role as pastor Chuck Smith in the movie “Jesus Revolution”—a mature father figure. (Even when he was much younger, he seemed to exude maturity and gravitas.)
Released nationwide to theaters on November 6, 2025, the movie became available for streaming in December. It is available on Amazon Prime and Apple TV at a premium price of $13.99 to $14.99.
Storyline synopsis. From IMDb: “While searching for her family's long-lost heirloom ring, a military widow meets a poetic antique dealer. The two forge a deep friendship that could become a breathtaking romance.” And yes, ultimately, the friendship ultimately becomes a romance.
Why I recommend this movie. Part of what appeals to me about this movie is its portrayal of military families. The “ring” in the title dates back to the heroine’s great-grandfather who found a ring laying on the ground in France on D-Day in WWII. Most of the characters in the movie come from military families associated with a nearby army base. Many of these families have lost loved ones in recent overseas conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. I happened to be viewing the movie with a retired Army chaplain and his wife. They very much appreciated the sensitive portrayal of the struggles of military families and the camaraderie they have with each other.