A Biltmore Christmas
In today’s episode, Girls Gone Hallmark takes on the challenge of reviewing “A Biltmore Christmas.” The film, set in the grand Biltmore Estate, is a feast for the eyes and heart, with stunning costumes, a musical scene, and a charming storyline.
Listen to Girls Gone Hallmark’s Review of A Biltmore Christmas
If you’re a fan of Hallmark movies, or just looking for a heartwarming holiday film to watch, you won’t want to miss this episode. Tune in to Girls Gone Hallmark and get ready to be swept away by the magic of “A Biltmore Christmas.”
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About A Biltmore Christmas
- Director John Putch has an extensive list of directing credits including “A Holiday Spectacular” and “You Had Me at Aloha.” He has also directed a good mix of television sitcoms including “Cougar Town,” “Scrubs,” and “American Housewife.”
- Marcy Holland wrote “A Biltmore Christmas.” She is a prolific Hallmark writer with credits including two of the “Hannah Swensen” mysteries and several movies in the “Time to Come Home” series. Hallmark fans will be excited to know that Holland is returning to write the sequel, A Grand Biltmore Christmas, which is set to premiere during the 2026 Countdown to Christmas.
- “A Biltmore Christmas” was filmed on location at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina in early 2023.
- Costume designer Keith Nielsen (known professionally as Keith Costumes) designed on four movies during the 2023 Countdown to Christmas season. He recently appeared on an episode of Girls Gone Hallmark to help review “Mystic Christmas.”
- Bethany Joy Lenz stars as Lucy Hardgrove. Her role as Haley James Scott on “One Tree Hill” remains her best-known project, but she has become a genuine Hallmark favorite since then. More recently she starred in Savoring Paris (2024) and currently leads the Hallmark+ prequel series Hope Valley: 1874 (2026). She also published her memoir Dinner for Vampires in 2024, which got a lot of attention and is well worth a read.
- Kristoffer Polaha stars as Jack Huston. Since A Biltmore Christmas, Polaha has stayed very busy both inside and outside the Hallmark universe. On Hallmark, he starred in A Grand Ole Opry Christmas (2025) and Missing the Boat (2026). He also made his feature directorial debut with the indie film Mimics, released in February 2026, and landed a series regular role in the MGM+ prestige drama American Hostage, opposite Jon Hamm and Giovanni Ribisi. His Hallmark fans are clearly not the only ones who have noticed how good he is.
- Jonathan Frakes plays Winston. His resume is packed with television credits — so much “Star Trek,” as Wendy will tell you. The exciting news for A Biltmore Christmas fans is that Frakes is returning to reprise his role as Winston in the sequel, A Grand Biltmore Christmas, which began filming at the Biltmore Estate in January 2026 and is set to premiere during the 2026 Countdown to Christmas.
- Robert Picardo plays Harold Balaban, bringing even more “Star Trek” to this cast. With well over 200 acting credits, he has had one of the longer careers of anyone in this movie.
- Mary McDonough plays the director of the His Merry Wife! reboot. This appears to be her first Hallmark movie. Her very first role was on “General Hospital” in 1963.
Who Was in “A Biltmore Christmas?”
The following is a list of actors who also appeared in “A Biltmore Christmas.”
- A.K. Benninghofen (Margaret)
- Annabelle Borke (Ava Hayward)
- Colton Little (Claude Lancaster)
- David Alexander (William West)
- Jennifer Cortese (Peggy)
- Jason Saucier (Security Guard)
- Tommy Cresswell (Michael Balaban)
- Alphie Hyorth (Head Angel)
- Ray Ficca (Gus)
- Caity Brewer (Becca)
- Heather Shore (Secretary)
- Philena Gilmer (Woman)
Our Thoughts on “A Biltmore Christmas”
This post is a synopsis of the ideas we discuss in greater detail on “Girls Gone Hallmark.” If you haven’t yet, we invite you to become listeners of the show!
What We Liked
This may be the greatest Hallmark movie we’ve ever seen. Christopher Polaha’s 1940s voice deserves its own Wowie Zowie designation. He was made for a 1940s role with his perfect jawline, slicked-back hair, and seamless slide into the 1940s dialect.
One of us doesn’t typically enjoy time travel or sci-fi genres but found ourselves fully invested in the romance between Lucy and Jack. The story worked for us, making us worry about how Lucy might alter the present day.
The slight change in color tone when Lucy flips the hourglass to time travel impressed us. The warmer, yellowy vintage tinge was a smart choice, steering clear of black and white, which would have made things confusing due to the original movie scenes we saw earlier.
The scene where Chris and Joy sing “Jingle Bells” at the piano blew us away. We don’t usually love that song, but their performance was stunning. We didn’t know they could sing so well, and it took our Wowie Zowie scale to the next level.
Keith Costumes, the costume designer, deserves a standing ovation. The period-appropriate outfits added so much to the movie, with Lucy’s black and gold dress being a particular showstopper. The detailing, the sparkly tulle, and how the dress showed transformation in the period were chef’s kiss.
The side-by-side filming of the past and future scenes was incredibly well done. The scene towards the end of the movie where Lucy and Jack return to their rooms, 80 years apart but in the same space, was a technical marvel.
That final moment when Lucy turns around and sees Jack at the top of the stairs gave us full-body chills. It was shot beautifully, and the emotional impact delivered was palpable.
What We Wished For
We had just one wish. In the faux movie “His Merry Wife,” there’s a guardian angel element. Initially, we thought superfan Margaret or even Jack might be the guardian angel. Though not necessary, it would have been a nice touch to tie the story together with a guardian angel element.
Additionally, the brightly colored Hallmark and Biltmore advertisements on screen during some pivotal moments were distracting. They interrupted the immersion in the film, taking us out of these otherwise beautifully crafted scenes.
Did You See That?
- Did you catch the scene where Lucy’s stole magically appears on her shoulders as she’s running from Balaban? We sure did!
- Our favorite costume designer, Keith Costumes, made another cameo, this time as a sailor at the train station. We love spotting him on screen!
- We also enjoyed the cameo from Rachel Boston and Wes Brown. Their appearance didn’t overshadow the scene and added a fun in-joke for Hallmark fans.
Rating
We gave “A Biltmore Christmas” a five-star rating, which is no small feat. This might just be the most cinematic Hallmark movie we’ve ever seen.
Thank you for reading our review. If you liked this post and want to dive deeper, catch our full discussion on the “Girls Gone Hallmark” podcast. We’re churning out Hallmark Christmas movie reviews left and right, so make sure to follow our podcast and never miss an episode! If you love our reviews, please leave us a five-star rating and a review. We’ll be back next week with more reviews. Bye!
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