There are musical Christmas movies, there are Christmas movies that have music in them, but are any of them Rock n’ Roll Christmas (2019)?  Actually, there is only one Rock n’ Roll Christmas.  Or, is it Rock and Roll Christmas?  The latter is how the International Movie Database (IMDb) renders it, even though the company that produced it, Lifetime, has the colloquial “n’” in place of the “and.”  Who knows?  Who cares?  It is all the same to me and I am heartily tired of these movies.  Only one more to go. . . .

Ashlyn Rose (Beverley Mitchell) has been asked to perform a Rock n’ Roll Christmas on stage after a bit of a hiatus.  Bonnie Rose (Catherine Mary Stewart) has been asked to perform a Rock n’ Roll Christmas on stage after a bit of a hiatus.  This former mother and daughter duo does not know it yet, but they are appearing together for the first time in fifteen years after a bitter breakup of their once hugely successful act.  The reunion has been orchestrated by their one-time manager and friend, Bret King (Michael Dickson).  Once the set is played and he is faced by an angry pair of Rose women, he explains that the record label wants to see them collaborate once more, and is prepared to offer them a large amount of money to do so.  It does not look likely as Ashlyn feels as if Bonnie drove her daughter away by being controlling and demanding, and Bonnie sees her Ashlyn as irresponsible and in need of protection.  It is the promise of a financial windfall that is Ashlyn’s real motivation.  She is experiencing a lack of funds, worsened by the fact that her ex-husband will not pay child support for their daughter, Riley Rose (Kelaiah Guiel).  Riley provides an added incentive in that the following morning she informs her mom that for Christmas, she wants to see her mom and grandma together for the Holiday.  For Bonnie, despite accusing her daughter of continued stubbornness, the elder Rose allows herself to be persuaded by Bret, who clearly is in love with her.  Once they are in the studio, they are helped by an on-site musician named Smith Carter (David Pinard), who has been a fan of the Rose sound for many years.  The two women are asked to record a few classic Christmas songs, and one they have written on their own.  They have prepared none of it, but with some inspiration provided by Smith, are able to get to work.  There are a few early missteps as neither are willing to let go of the past, each time especially effecting Riley, who is quick to accuse her mom of not trying to be better with grandma.  Regardless, Bret is able to arrange a promotional photo shoot for Ashlyn and Bonnie, which seems to go over well with them.  Their love lives are also improving.  From the moment they first lock eyes, it is evident there is an attraction between Ashlyn and Smith.  Eventually, she agrees to watch him perform, but it is to a retirement home audience, further endearing him to her.  As for Bonnie, she goes out to dinner with Bret, and as they reminisce, it becomes clear that there is chemistry between them.  Following their camera time, Riley invites everyone over to bake cookies.  Everything is going well until she gets a text from her father saying that he is going to be in town and that he wants to spend time with his daughter.  Ashlyn is disconcerted by the timing, but is open to letting this happen.  Bonnie, on the other hand, thinks this is a mistake, just like Ashlyn’s decision to marry and leave her mother fifteen years ago.  Once more, the old wounds have resurfaced and they are back to not wanting to speak to one another, arguably worse than ever.  Bonnie’s situation is made worse when Bret comes over to try to soothe the woman he loves, only to be told that she does not need his help.  She can partially see her error, and her first step in trying to make things better is to get into the studio and complete their contract.  Smith is on hand for yet another disaster as they attempt to record a song of Ashlyn’s creation, only to have Bonnie be critical and it turn into a generational bashing session.  Worse yet, Bret strolls into the booth in time to hear Ashlyn accuse Bonnie of ignoring the feelings Bret evidently has for her mother.  Everyone leaves, and Bonnie takes a stroll through town where she is encountered by a group of carolers who recognize her.  Their appearance triggers a happy memory she has of time spent with Bret, and she uses the chorus to apologize to her daughter for her behavior.  Ashlyn accepts, and with some input from Riley, they are finally able to produce their original song.  Ashlyn also seeks forgiveness from Smith, and they become an inevitable couple.  The music they make is a hit, and a year later they are back where we started the film, this time having Riley on stage to help them play their single.

That the Rose women are on stage at the end of Rock n’ Roll Christmas is somewhat of a Christmas miracle.  I might have misrepresented how we get to that point to a certain degree in my synopsis.  Throughout the feud between Ashlyn and Bonnie, Bret points out how they are being stubborn in equal measures.  Personally, I find that Bonnie is more to blame.  She says some things that one would expect of a Christian mother, such as her desire to protect her child.  What does not seem to scan is her doing so past the age of consent.  Ashlyn got married and started a family, doing so at a time she felt right for her.  The way it is portrayed, it looks as if the only real reason for Bonnie’s objection is that it took her daughter out from her control.  Bonnie is ultimately proven correct when Ashlyn’s husband leaves her.  In the wake of that hurtful moment in the life of her daughter, all the way up until present day, all Bonnie wants is to be told is that she was right about Ashlyn’s poor choice of spouses.  That is not Christian behavior.  Ultimately, Ashlyn does the more adult thing by forgiving her mother.  In doing so, she explains that she had to make her own mistakes before finally realizing how much she needs Bonnie.  This reminded me of 1 Corinthians 13:11, “When I was a child, I used to talk as a child, think as a child, reason as a child; when I became a man, I put aside childish things.”  This verse is a Biblical foundation for learning from our mistakes.  As adults, we can put aside the trial-and-error approach to life because we have already matured.  Then again, as we see in the movie, that is not true for everyone.

So, is Rock n’ Roll Christmas any different from any other Holiday film I have seen this season?  Nope!