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.
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 59 directing credits including last year’s “A Holiday Spectacular” and before that, “You Had Me at Aloha.” He has also directed a good mix of television sitcoms include “Cougar Town,” “Scrubs” and “American Housewife.
- Marcy Holland wrote “A Biltmore Christmas.” With 41 writing credits, Marcy is a prolific Hallmark writer including two of the “Hannah Swenson” mysteries and several movies in the “Time to Come Home” series, including this year’s “A Time for Her to Come Home for 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 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 appearance on the CW series “One Tree Hill” is probably the biggest project in her 43 acting credits, but she made a big impression paired with Tyler Hynes in “An Unexpected Christmas” in 2021.
- Kristoffer Polaha stars as Jack Huston. His 76 acting credits include his beloved role on the “Mystery 101” series, a role in the recent Amazon Prime Video book adaptation Harlan Coben’s “Shelter,” and of course roles in Hallmark romances like “We Wish You a Married Christmas” and “A Dickens of a Holiday!”
- Jonathan Frakes plays Winston. His resume of 96 acting credits reads like a list of things Wendy won’t watch. So much “Star Trek.” He got his start on a series called “The Doctors” in the late 70s in which he appeared in 90 episodes.
- Robert Picardo plays Harold Balaban. With 245 acting credits and even more “Star Trek” on this resume! He has five upcoming projects including the horror films “Crimson Shadows” and “Werewolf Game.”
- Mary McDonough plays the director of the His Merry Wife! reboot. This appears to be her first Hallmark movie in her 47 acting credits. 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!
What Christmas Movies Will Girls Gone Hallmark Review this Year
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