A Holiday Romance

A Holiday Romance (released in the UK under the title A Song for the season) is a 1999 American made-for-television Christmas romantic drama film directed by Bobby Roth and starring Naomi Judd, Andy Griffith, and Gerald McRaney. This film has been released on DVD. Plot At the beginning of the holiday season, a school administrator, Cal Peterson (Gerald McRaney), is sent to a financially troubled school to find a way to keep it from closing. After reviewing expenses, he decides that the best way to save money is to cancel the music program in which his niece Fern (Alison Pill) is enrolled and let go its teacher, Lily Waite (Naomi Judd). News of his decision leaks out prematurely, causing resentment among the students. After realizing how much the program has benefited his shy niece, he regrets his decision, but can think of no better alternative. In a subplot, with Peterson's help, a long-time lady friend secretly arranges a reunion of his father Jake Peterson's WWII squadron, as a Christmas present. He is so happy that he decides to propose. The film ends with a concert by the music department's students, where Peterson hears his niece perform and then announces that the townspeople have donated enough money to keep the program going.