Appearing on the big screen this month, The Christmas Ring isn’t just another Christmas movie. It’s a story of grief, grace, and the redemptive spirit of the season. Written and produced by New York Times bestselling author Karen Kingsbury, and starring Jana Kramer, the film explores love after loss, the enduring strength of motherhood, and how a long-lost ring becomes the key to healing a wounded heart.
"From the beginning, we wanted it to be theatrical, so it had to be different," says Kingsbury. "This had to be a date night. It had to be special. We needed elevated everything. Our set, our color. We didn't want to be red and green. We went to golds and evergreens and that kind of vibe."
The Christmas Ring was inspired by a true family event in the Kingsbury household. "My mom lost a ring that my dad had given her, and it had been in the family for a long time," says Kingsbury. "She had looked everywhere. She had a plumber out to dismantle the sink underneath in case it had gone down there. One day, my sister, who lives with her, was praying about this ring. She prayed, 'Lord, you know where it is, so can you please show me?' And all of a sudden it landed in her head to look under the couch. Of course, they had already looked under the couch and checked all of the cushions. But she felt it so strongly. She moved the couch and it was right there, like it had been placed there. So it was like this little miracle."
From that spark came the question: What if this ring had a longer journey? What if it had been found on the beaches of D-Day? That “what if” became the foundation of The Christmas Ring, which opens with actual WWII footage and a paratrooper discovering a ring buried in the dirt.
Kingsbury says writing for the screen is very different than writing a novel. "I really love screenwriting. I always knew I would, and the last several years, it's become more of a thing. I love novel writing too. That will never change. The difference is in novel writing, I'm in charge of giving you all the things - the actors, the set, the weather, the conflicts, it all comes in the novel. It's so much easier and deeper because I can go places I can't go with a movie. And there's no budget needed for that."
For Jana Kramer, taking on the lead role of Vanessa, a widowed mother, was personal. The actress, singer, and Franklin local was immediately drawn to the character. “The second I read it, I loved her,” Kramer says. “I’m a mom, so that connection hit me first. Vanessa is a widower, so she’s very strong. She’s been through a lot, and yet she still chooses to care for everyone around her.”
Though Kramer hasn’t lost a spouse, she related deeply to the emotional weight of single motherhood. "I've been divorced. I've had some really traumatic things happen, and there's hope for those people who are going through what I went through. And that's what I just love that Vanessa did as well."
Kramer says preparing for a role that carries such emotional weight is a lesson in self-regulation.“I have this toolbox of past trauma that I open up when I need it for a scene,” she says. “But once I bring it out, the emotions keep coming. I continued to cry after the scene of putting the ring away. Once you bring it up, you've got to let it out."
Kramer leads the ensemble with vulnerability and strength, but The Christmas Ring boasts several big names, including Kelsey Grammer, who plays Howard Miller, a pivotal character who connects the past to the present.
“I was a huge *Frasier* fan,” Kramer says. “I used to watch it with my dad. Kelsey was just lovely. So kind, humble, and completely committed. He believed in the story.”
According to Kingsbury, Grammer fit the role perfectly. “He told me, ‘Pray that I find the true lie,’” Kingsbury says. “It’s such a poetic idea that an artist can bring something so real that people forget it’s fiction. And that’s exactly what he did.”
Other cast members include Benjamin Hollingsworth as a poetic antique dealer, and newcomers Debbie Winans and Jessie James Decker, who round out the star-studded cast.
The Christmas Ring was filmed entirely in Franklin. It infused the production with local charm and authenticity. “We actually filmed in real antique shops,” Kingsbury says. Stores like Winchester’s in Downtown Franklin became stunning sets, providing what Kingsbury calls “a $10 million look” without the price tag. “There’s no way you could recreate that depth and texture. The store owners were so gracious."
Both Kramer and Kingsbury agree—Franklin wasn’t just a filming location. It was part of the story.
“To be home, filming, and then get to tuck my babies in at night? That’s a dream,” says Kramer, who lives in Franklin. “It felt like everything aligned, family, work, community.”
Kingsbury, who’s lived in Brentwood since 2011, shares that connection. “We love this town. It’s the most beautiful small town in America, and it still feels like a community,” she says. “When I go into a shop or ask the city to close a road, it’s always, ‘How can we help?’ It’s not just about the look of Franklin—it’s the heart.”
Kramer hopes audiences feel a sense of hope and reflection this holiday season. "I think some of my favorite movies are Christmas movies because Christmastime is a beautiful time of the year. I think people want to feel happy around Christmas. And so I think people go to these movies to feel good and to have hope and to see light. I love watching Christmas movies, I get so excited. And this movie to me is just a good classic one."
“We wanted it to feel like an event,” says Kingsbury. “Something you mark on your calendar. It’s a beautiful, cinematic experience.”
The Christmas Ring premieres in theaters nationwide this month. KarenKingsburyProductions.com
Rapid Fire with Karen & Jana
Your favorite classic Christmas movie.
Karen: While You Were Sleeping.
A Christmas tradition in the Kingsbury household you never miss.
Karen: Never miss making our Gingerbread houses.
Real tree or artificial?
Karen: Artificial. Fire risk.
What's your go-to Christmas comfort food or dessert?
Karen: We do my great-grandmother's Christmas cookie recipe, so it's those.
One word that sums up what Christmas means to you.
Karen: Hope.
Your favorite classic Christmas movie?
Jana: The Holiday. But if you want a classic-classic, It's a Wonderful Life.
A Christmas tradition in your household that you never miss?
Jana: Baking cookies with my kids.
Real tree or artificial?
Jana: Both.
My husband makes fun of me. He's like, "Does every room need a tree?" And I said, "Absolutely." I mean, literally every room has a tree. I love the lights. And it's something where my therapist and I remember when I got divorced, I said, "I'm so sad about this upcoming Christmas." And she goes, "What do you love about Christmas?" And I said, "The lights." And she goes, "Then light up your house." And so that year I had put a tree and lights in every room and it just filled me up with so much joy and happiness. And then I've just carried that tradition on where it's like, you get a tree. You get a tree. The dining room gets a tree. Everybody gets a tree.
What's your go-to Christmas comfort food or dessert?
Jana: Oh, that's a really good question. I would say my grandpa's stuffing. That was a good one. I also love a good apple cider. Yeah, like a hot apple cider.
One word that sums up what Christmas means to you.
Jana: Hope.
"I love playing a mom because I know the heart that mothers have." -- Jana Kramer
"I love that we were able to not only be so close to home, but show people how beautiful this little part of town is." -- Jana Kramer
"When we opened Kingsbury Productions in 2022, the goal was to be able to create movies closer to what I saw in my head." -- Karen Kingsbury