Despite the 92-degree weather breaking record highs in mid-October, it felt like Christmas in Regal Opry Mills.
Under ribbons of classic red neon lights hung from the ceiling of the movie theatre, the cast of “The Christmas Heartbeat” walked down the red carpet for their first-ever cast and crew screening of the film. They sported glittery ballgowns, Christmas sweaters, snazzy suits and even a festive Scottish kilt down the hallway, as members stopped to shoot photos in front of the banner.
“The Christmas Heartbeat” team filed into the theatre, buttery popcorn in laps and little assortments of cookies made by local baker Nadia Simmons sitting on plates. Right before the lights went low and the movie began, Franklin-based filmmaker Carrie Romero gave a tearful, heartfelt speech.
“I just can’t stop smiling,” she said into the handheld microphone, dressed in a black floor-length sequin gown, cherry-red heels and a matching purse. “We poured our literal hearts and souls into it.”
The movie follows the story of Julia Winters (Brittany Curran), a Manhattan food blogger who goes into cardiac arrest. After a permanent defibrillator is inserted into her heart, she’s told she needs to take it easy for a while, news she does not take well. Her editor sends her back home to Franklin, where her mother (Beverly D’Angelo) has turned her childhood home into a totally wacked-out year-round Christmas hotel, complete with a yard full of reindeer, plenty of fake Santas and a mighty fine pastry chef played by retired professional wrestler Mick Foley.
For Carrie Romero and her husband, Gus Romero, this film is much more than just another holiday movie.
“The Christmas Heartbeat” was written based on Carrie Romero’s own personal experiences with sudden death, defibrillators and the strength it took to overcome the challenges associated with her heart condition.
“I was 28 when everything happened to me. This was unheard of at the time, but honestly, I didn’t fully grasp what was happening until I had survived sudden death,” she told the Williamson Scene a couple of days later.
“The first episode happened while I was in procedure, and then they put me on medication. The symptoms sort of recurred, and I was hospitalized almost immediately. I wasn’t allowed to leave until I got my defibrillator. My doctors, Dr. Keith Churchwell and Dr. Walter Clair encouraged me and told me that I was given something that was truly the best thing for my life.”
Adjusting to life with a defibrillator was difficult for Carrie Romero. She felt worried that people would see her as broken, or as a liability, because of her heart condition. It wasn’t until she met her husband and filmmaking partner, Gus Romero, in 2005 on the internet dating website match.com that she really felt that she could be loved despite her condition.
Writers Lance Smith and Chuck Fusca worked alongside the Romeros to create a narrative that felt just as fun as it was true to Carrie Romero’s life. In 40 days, they were able to write a script that heavily tied her narrative into a fictional story that, Carrie said, was meant to spark joy just as much as it’s meant to raise awareness.
“We wanted to tell the story, but we wanted to make it Christmas. Everybody loves Christmas,” Carrie Romero said. “It’s evergreen. When we created the film, we just wanted people to have an amazing time, and leave better than they came in.”
Much of the film was shot in Williamson County and the surrounding areas, including the primary filming location in Leiper’s Fork at a beautiful private residence owned by Mark and Cathy Burket.
For 10 days out of the 16 they filmed, the Burket’s residence turned into The Noel Hotel, the Christmas-themed bed and breakfast. A few other local easter eggs are hidden in the film, like a moment inside East Nashville Mediterranean restaurant Lyra and a shot of beloved eccentric taco stand Mas Tacos.
Carrie and Gus Romero have lived in Franklin for 20 years, and they’ve raised their two boys in the community. Co-writer of the film Lance Smith also has sentimental ties to Franklin, having grown up in the heart of Williamson County. He has fond childhood memories of going to the Franklin Theatre, his parents running a store just across the street on Main.
“There are so many references to my family, my southern family,” Smith said in a quick interview on the red carpet at the movie’s screening at Regal Opry Mills. “Beverly D’Angelo, who plays the mom of the movie, wanted to have a Southern accent in the film, which made sense, considering we’re in Tennessee. A lot of her dialogue I wrote around what I heard from my family growing up.”
“The Christmas Heartbeat” was released on streaming services Sept. 29, 2026.