Pour The Wine, It's Rom-Com Time

Hallmark's A Biltmore Christmas

• Garry & Amy

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On this episode of Pour The Wine, It’s Rom-Com Time, Garry & Amy take you on a nostalgic journey with Hallmark’s A Biltmore Christmas. This holiday romance mixes time travel, Old Hollywood charm, swoon worthy chemistry, and festive magic. When screenwriter Lucy Collins (Bethany Joy Lenz) is tasked with rewriting a cherished 1947 Christmas movie, she’s unexpectedly whisked back in time via a mysterious hourglass and right into the arms of Golden Age heartthrob Jack Huston (Kristoffer Polaha). Whether this film is already a holiday favorite or a new discovery, grab a glass and tune in for a heartwarming episode celebrating Christmas magic that truly transcends time.

Send us an email to pourthewineitsromcomtime@gmail.com! We'd love to hear your thoughts!

Music from #Uppbeat

https://uppbeat.io/t/abbynoise/mood-of-summer

Amy:

Welcome to Pour the Wine. It's rom-com time where we'll sip some wine and review all things rom-com on the Hallmark Channel. I'm Amy.

Garry:

And I'm Gary and I'm pouring wine.

Amy:

You're pouring wine. What are you pouring?

Garry:

Cab Cab. Yes, our favorite, our favorite. I love doing our Tinsel Tuesdays podcast, don't you? Yes, I do, I enjoy it.

Amy:

We love doing them year round, right it keeps christmas, because we love christmas, and we are actually coming up on our very first countdown to christmas podcast season, so we're so we're really looking forward to that, that's going to be a lot of fun. It's going to be a lot of work, I fear we can do it we can do it so we're really looking forward to heading into that season, but in the meantime, all year long, we're bringing you tinsel.

Garry:

Tuesdays yeah, yeah, bringing you that little bit of christ.

Amy:

Yeah, so today we're going to be reviewing A Biltmore Christmas. It aired on the Hallmark Channel on Sunday, november 26, 2023. You can find it from time to time on the Hallmark Channel, but it's always streaming on Hallmark Plus. Yes, it is. Yes, it is.

Garry:

And we would love it if you would click that follow button on your favorite podcast platform so you don't miss any of our episodes. Click that follow button on your favorite podcast platform so you don't miss any of our episodes. And if you listen on Apple or Spotify, you can also leave us a review. And guess what? You can also find us on YouTube and all social media.

Amy:

Send us an email to pourthewineitsromcomtimeatgmailcom and let us know your thoughts about Biltmore Christmas. I'm sure you have some. I hope so, because it's been out for a while and it's one of their most popular Christmas movies. Yes, it is. Or let us know about anything Hallmark related.

Garry:

Maybe we'll read it on the pod. We sure will read it on the pod. Yeah, we've done it before. We've done it before. So what do you think? What do you think? What do you think? What do you want to do?

Amy:

What I think? What do I want to do? What do you mean? What do I want to do? What do you want to do? What are you talking about?

Garry:

You look crazy, right now, I know you want to talk about who's in it.

Amy:

Oh sure, bethany Joy Lenz. She plays Lucy Collins. Where am I Give me a sip of wine? She, of course, is a Hallmark fave. Bethany has been in several of their productions. She was in Savoring Paris. An Unexpected Christmas, five Star Christmas Just my Type A Valentine's Match and Bottled With Love, to name a few Bottled With Love. Some of her other work includes so Cold the River. She was in an episode of Good Sam and two episodes of Grey's Anatomy. She was in five episodes of Dexter.

Garry:

Ooh.

Amy:

Dexter. We just finished Dexter Resurrection, so good.

Garry:

No spoiler alerts here.

Amy:

Oh my gosh, no, I digress Outside of Hallmark. She's probably best known for her role as Haley James Scott on One Tree Hill. Yeah, yeah pretty cool. Christopher Palaha plays Jack Houston. He, of course, is a Hallmark staple. Some of his numerous Hallmark credits include the Christmas Quest, which was last year, right 2024? I believe. So All Out the Holly. We Wish you a Married Christmas. A Dickens of a Holiday, small Town Christmas. And he plays Travis Burke in the Mystery 101 movies.

Amy:

Oh, okay, oh okay, okay, mystery 101 movies. Oh okay, oh, okay, okay. Recently it was announced that he will be in the countdown to christmas 2025 movie, a grand ole opry christmas, which they are currently filming in nashville, tennessee I bet that's probably going to be really good. Yeah, some of his other work includes one episode of landman harlanlan Coben's Shelter. He was in that for four episodes. That was on Prime Okay. He was in two episodes of Little Fires Everywhere and four episodes each of the TV series Castle and Mad Men.

Garry:

Oh, both of which we loved. Yes, we did.

Amy:

Robert Picardo plays Harold Balaban. I didn't see any other Hallmark work at first glance, but he does have over 250 acting credits.

Garry:

Whoa.

Amy:

So he's been around for a minute so it is possible he had another one and I might have overlooked it. His work is vast and includes the movie Werewolf Game. He was in 17 episodes of Star Trek Prodigy, 3 episodes of the Flash, 10 episodes of the series Dickinson, four episodes of the Mentalist and seven episodes of Stargate SG-1.

Garry:

That's a very brief synopsis of his work.

Amy:

AK Benninghoffen plays Margaret. She hasn't been in any other Hallmark productions and surprisingly she only has eight acting credits. That's it. She was pretty. She's really good in this. Yeah, she was in an episode of the Waterfront, which that just aired on Netflix.

Garry:

Yeah, we just watched that. Yeah, we just finished.

Amy:

And the Righteous Gemstones, which is a series on HBO, and the Righteous Gemstones, which is a series on HBO. She was also in two episodes of the movie the Staircase which I believe is also on HBO. Annabelle Bork plays Ava Hayward For Hallmark. She was in Season's Greeting from Cherry Lane. A few of her other acting gigs include Torn, one episode of American Horror Stories, and an episode each of Scandal and Criminal Minds. Cool Cool. Colton Little plays Claude Lancaster. Why am I having a hard time talking today?

Garry:

I do not know what is going on Because you're hanging out with me.

Amy:

I guess he has 19 acting credits, but I didn't see anything else. For Hallmark has 19 acting credits, but I didn't see anything else for Hallmark. Some of his other work includes 28 episodes of Days of Our Lives, an episode of NCIS Origins. He was in the movie my Best Friend's Christmas I don't know if that was TV or I don't know, I'm not sure, I don't remember that. And the movie the Victorians.

Garry:

Okay.

Amy:

Jonathan Frakes plays Winston. I didn't see any other homework work for him. He is known as playing commander william t reicher in star trek next generation for 176 episodes. That's what you know from right with john luke, because there you go. He was in the movie devil's gate. He was in an episode of third rock from the sun. Oh goodness, that's a blast from the past. Two of the librarian movies we really like the movies in the series. He was in an episode of matlock highway to heaven and going back he was in fantasy island.

Amy:

Oh, wow for an episode. David alexander plays william west. I believe this is his Hallmark debut. Some of his other work includes one episode of Tell Me Lies. He was in the movie the Burial. He was in an episode of the Walking Dead, ozark and Dope Sick one episode each of those and he was in the movie Chandler Christmas Giveaway. Tommy Cresswell plays Michael Balaban. For Hallmark, he was in Wedding at Graceland and Christmas at Graceland. His other work includes three episodes of Nashville, the movie Chasing Ghosts we Are Marshall Castaway and the Firm. Oh wow, those are good All those movies. Yeah, really good ones. And then, of course, we have to give a shout out to Hallmark faves Wes Brown and Rachel Boston, who appear briefly at the end of the movie which is pretty cool.

Amy:

We'll talk about them in a little bit. Wes Brown will be in the upcoming Hall Out the Halloween movie with Lacey Chabert and he will be in a Countdown to Christmas movie, A Newport Christmas with Gina, Claire, Mason Rachel Boston will be in this month's adventures in love and birding with Andrew Walker.

Garry:

Oh, how cool.

Amy:

There you go.

Garry:

No, a Bit More. Christmas was directed by John Putch. There you go, I think that's how you pronounce his name For Hallmark. He directed Holiday Touchdown, a Chief's Love Story, a Holiday Spectacular, and you had Me at Aloha, aloha.

Amy:

Aloha.

Garry:

A few of his other directing credits include 12 episodes I cannot pronounce the words today. See it's contagious 12 episodes of American Housewives. 29 episodes of Cougar Town.

Amy:

Ooh, we like that. Yeah, we love that. That was funny.

Garry:

And Beethoven's Christmas Adventure. Aw, and Marcy Holland, she's the writer of this one. Aw, she's done a good job. She's written a ton of Hallmark movies the Christmas Quest, my Dreams of you. Time for Her to Come Home for Christmas. A Zest of Death, ooh, a Zest of Death. Hannah Swenson Mystery, our Christmas Journey. Time for them to Come Home for Christmas.

Amy:

Time for Us to Come Home for Christmas and Jingle Bell Bride.

Garry:

That's a lot of time for people to come home, Time for people to come home for Christmas, Time for Us to Come Home for Christmas and Jingle Bell.

Amy:

Bride, that's a lot of time for people to come home. It's time for people to come home for Christmas. Just go home for Christmas, I know Come on now. Now we've seen a few of those. Those are really good. Yeah, they are.

Garry:

Yeah, Her other work includes A Cinderella Christmas Ball, Fatal Acquittal and the House Sitter.

Amy:

Fatal Ac acquittal.

Garry:

Mm-hmm.

Amy:

Okay.

Garry:

All right, I wonder, yeah, I wonder what that's all about. Yeah, I don't know.

Amy:

So is it time to drop the synopsis? It is time to drop the synopsis, if I can find it A Bit More. Christmas follows Lucy as she's hired to write the script for a remake of a holiday movie. She's hired to write the script for a remake of a holiday movie. She joins a tour of the grounds and when she knocks an hourglass over, she finds herself transported back in time to 1947. Ooh, I wonder if that was a good time. Well, probably not so much for women, but you know.

Garry:

True, and don't forget, this is a disclosure. We'll probably give away spoilers, actually we will. Yeah, we will, for sure, if you haven't seen this, which is crazy. If you haven't already go watch it, come back, listen to our podcast, podcast. There I go again and tell us what you think, and tell us what you think.

Amy:

Well, there could be some people who haven't seen it, people who might hear about it on our pod or, as Christmas is coming, they hear about it and they're like oh, you know what, we meant to watch that and we didn't.

Garry:

That's true.

Amy:

Yeah, so they might not have seen it, but in fairness, it was out two years ago. So just be this room because we have the sensei on a lot. Yeah, that's fair, that's fair yeah, it is all right, should we get into first takes yeah let's do it.

Garry:

What'd you think?

Amy:

what I think? Oh gosh, do I even have to say it? We watched it when it premiered in 2023 and we loved it then, correct, and we didn't have a podcast then, so we didn't, we didn't know we were going to end up talking about it at some point and of course, we've watched it several times since, and I am just a sucker for a good time travel movie, especially if it has to do with going back to like the 40s or 50s or 20s. I mean I just love it. Adding Christmastime, the gorgeous Biltmore Estate, bethany Joy Lenz, of course, christopher Palaha I mean it hardly gets better than that.

Garry:

Nope.

Amy:

I mean seriously, hallmark completely knocked it out of the park. As far as I'm concerned, and I know we'll get to like favorite scenes in a little bit, but I could name them all Literally, it would be hard. I will narrow it down, like we said, to just a few.

Garry:

Well, what's funny is Christopher. He looks like somebody from the 40s the 40s that could have acted. Yeah, I think they cast that really well Well.

Amy:

I instantly thought of Cary Grant.

Garry:

Yeah.

Amy:

Oh my gosh, he could pull off Cary Grant. I mean, it's just insane.

Garry:

Yeah.

Amy:

It's just insane. Yeah, it's just insane, and I love Cary Grant.

Garry:

And Bethany, her too.

Amy:

She's really good. She looks so good in 40s. The makeup, the hair, the dress, and I'm not saying we need to go back to those times in general, but she just looks the role when she's in that and it's just so, it's just so, so good no, it was.

Garry:

What do you think? I the same thing.

Amy:

I mean, I, you know, beautiful scenery yes they built more they filmed on location, right at the biltmore the time travel.

Garry:

I thought it was pretty cool. Yes, the way they did it. The way they did it was cool, yeah, and I liked the color change, the subtle color change between the times. Yes, so you knew where they were.

Amy:

Yep.

Garry:

And just the love story behind it, I thought it was really good, yeah. So I agree, that's my take on it. I agree, I agree, that's my take on it.

Amy:

I agree, and you know it's kind of exciting too to watch because we're going to be going to the Biltmore at Christmastime and I was so excited to see the decorations. Now you know what we saw in the movie? That was like 1940s, right? Did you notice all the tinsel?

Garry:

Yes, I did.

Amy:

Tinsel, tinsel, tinsel on the trees. It was so funny, I noticed tinsel. Yes, I did. Tinsel, tinsel, tinsel on the trees. It was so funny I noticed. I don't know why I was drawn to that. I think because that was a thing when we were growing up. Right, have your tree just slammed with tinsel which goes with our thing. Yeah, yeah, but we are just, oh gosh, I can't wait to go and see the estate. I just I'm so excited, I'm so glad we're doing it this year yeah, we get to see the lights.

Garry:

Now we've been to the biltmore.

Amy:

We went in the spring several years ago.

Garry:

Before COVID. Before COVID Right.

Amy:

Yeah, we did go and we had a fantastic time and everybody should see it multiple, you know, in different seasons, right In the spring, because the flowers were blooming, the gardens were all in full bloom, it was beautiful.

Garry:

And the winery Don't forget that.

Amy:

Oh yeah, well, they have a winery, hello, and it kind of took me back to and that's what we're drinking today yes the Biltmore, no the Biltmore wine. I almost said the Biltmore Christmas wine, but no, it's the. Biltmore Cabernet Sauvignon. Yep, yeah the, the American. That's what it says. Oh, does it Okay.

Garry:

Anyway, you know, when we went and we walked through the house, yes, I felt like I was back in Downton Abbey times, I know. Well, yeah, yeah, I know it was just really good. I can't wait, it's cool. I can't wait until we go again. Yeah, so we're excited.

Amy:

So if you ever have a chance to go to the Biltmore, go.

Garry:

Yes.

Amy:

Run, don't walk. And this will be our first Christmas time there seeing the decorations, so we're so giddy with excitement, we can't wait, I can't wait. All right, let's get into some favorite scenes, okay.

Garry:

What you got.

Amy:

You have a couple, one, only one. I don't have one. No, just kidding.

Garry:

Just the first time she travels. Yes, so she's on the phone with Michael Balaban, her boss, because she's there to rewrite the ending.

Amy:

Well, he's the grandson of the production company, right Balaban, that produced it back in the 40s Right the movie, right the movie, the.

Garry:

Married Wife and Winston. He takes her into the room where the hourglass is and she's talking on the phone to Michael when the hourglass actually tips over.

Amy:

Yes.

Garry:

And you hear this thump and she turns around and she walks over and she kind of looks at it, she picks it up and turns it back over and then she loses connection with Michael Right, and you don't know it at the time, but that's when she travels back to the 40s, right?

Amy:

You don't know, she's traveled back, right.

Garry:

So she just thinks there's no connection. So she walks out of the room and she's out in the grand hallway and there's all these people. There's a lot of hustle and bustle because it's the production crew from the 40s getting ready to do a shoot from the movie and she doesn't understand what's going on.

Amy:

Right, and this is instantly where the audience knows, but she has no idea.

Garry:

Right.

Amy:

And I thought what was great about that scene is, you know, it was kind of telling too about phones, cell phones now, because she's on the phone, she's trying to like hello, hello. She's trying to like hello, hello. She's trying to figure out right, and she's walking. She is not paying a lick of attention to anything going on around here and that's how a lot of us are.

Amy:

I mean I'm guilty of it sometimes. Yes, you know. Okay, you are too hello. No, I am, I admit it. I mean we're both guilty of it and we know. You know, there's a lot of distracted driving, like people don't put their phones down.

Amy:

No, they do not, and you are totally oblivious to what's going on around you, and I thought that was sort of a statement about today's. You know the more modern world too, because she walks around and she has clearly traveled back in time, but she does not have any idea, for the first few minutes, that things are different outside the door of where she was On Jack Houston, which is played by christopher yeah and he's kind of like interested in her phone.

Garry:

He's like what's that? But she's rambling and right carrying on right, and then she decides to walk away, and when she does, she gets back into the room and poof right.

Amy:

So that's one of my. She goes right back, right, right, to the present, yeah, right Back to the present, yeah. Or back to the present yeah, well, I mean pretty much any of the scenes from 1947. Just classify them all. I just love that. I love the time period in movies. Right, you know the costumes, the makeup, like you said. You know the costumes, the makeup, like you said. You know, christopher was just so reminiscent of the actors of that time.

Amy:

You know, I think of we talked about Cary Grant, jimmy Stewart, I mean you just it was just I don't know, I just I just love it and she's great in that time period too. Right, I had what you had excuse me about where Lucy first travels. So that was another favorite scene. And then I really like the scene of Jack and Lucy, where he finds Lucy in the restaurant and they're of course in 1947. And they talk at the table and then they go for hot chocolate after and they're just really getting to know each other and he's really trying to figure her out.

Garry:

Right he can't figure.

Amy:

He thinks he has her figured out and she's basically this cynic who is, and he doesn't know it. But she's rewriting this movie that she goes back in time and is on the set of His Merry Wife Right and it's a very popular christmas movie. It's become like a classic over the years. So she wants to rewrite the ending because it's a happy ending and it's you know, and the, the character that jack is playing sacrifices, you know, attempts to sacrifice his angel wings in order to get two people together, and she just doesn't buy it.

Amy:

Right, you know she, she wants more of a, you know, of a realistic ending to the movie and I, just, I, just really I love the scenes where he's asking her what her favorite color is, her favorite number, you know, and she, you know she says something like if you put your faith in people, eventually they break your heart. And he's more like. He says something like can't get any more meaningful than two lonely hearts finding a slice of happiness in this crazy world.

Garry:

Right.

Amy:

And then she says she's just trying to write what's real. I think that's when you discover she is a writer, doesn't?

Garry:

she say she's a writer, she does.

Amy:

Right, right. And then he quoted Jimmyimmy stewart in that scene. It was so great I'd loved it and when he said and I don't know if jimmy stewart really said this and I really hope- he did, I forgot, I forgot to look this up, but the quote was the best movies.

Amy:

They inspire us, show us what we could be, appeal to our better angels, and I was was like that is so good. Yep, that quote is so good and I really hope that we find out that Jimmy Stewart really said that, and if he didn't, that's just really great writing.

Garry:

Yes, it is.

Amy:

I just love that. And then he's like okay, I know you, you're an early riser. And she's like I'm a night owl. And he's like you prefer dogs to cats. And I'm a night owl, and he's like you prefer dogs to cats. And she goes meow meow. It was so cute, that whole scene was just so good from the restaurant to the end of that, so I loved it.

Garry:

Well, what about the high five? He didn't even know what that was.

Amy:

Oh, that's right. And she goes high five, high five and he's like what I forgot that was a bit.

Garry:

So she grabs his hand and she smacks it and she's all happy about it.

Amy:

And then I didn't mention this before, but there's a scene where you know he walks up to her and she's like you can't just march up on a dame and give her a what for you know and you can totally hear that in the movies you know from the 40s and 30s and 40s and 30s and it just, you know it just 40s and 50s, I thought it was. So that would be another scene, sorry.

Garry:

That's awesome.

Amy:

What about you? Do you have another one?

Garry:

Yeah, when, when Margaret catches Lucy for the first time reappearing back into the present and she drops the pamphlet and she's kind of like whoa. And then Lucy is kind of startled because she wasn't expecting anybody to be there. But then, a couple of scenes later, Lucy's in the room where they have all the props and everything and Margaret comes in and sees her and she's like I knew it, I knew you were a ghost.

Amy:

Yeah, she says she's a ghost and doesn't. Lucy says I'm literally holding a purse, right now Like you can see me holding a purse. I'm not a ghost.

Garry:

So Lucy had to explain Well because she just appeared.

Amy:

right, lucy just appeared, so she had to explain what was really going on.

Garry:

What was going on, yeah, so that was another one of my favorite scenes.

Amy:

That's why I was so surprised to find that Margaret really didn't have a lot of acting credits the actress who plays her because she was so good in that I know throughout the whole movie, and so she felt so familiar and you know she's like a super fan in the movie. I know that was a good part, because she really loved the movie that they were the present day, yeah.

Garry:

And that's one of the reasons why she was there, because they were doing a showing of it.

Amy:

Or they had the exhibit. Right yeah, they had the exhibit of the movie His Merry Wife.

Garry:

Yeah, and they had right right, so you have some more Like props I really liked.

Amy:

Okay, so Ava is. So this is 1947, shockingly, because I said all my scenes are, you know, 47. The present day ones were good too, mm-hmm. But Ava is in the picture with Jack right, and Claude, who we haven't talked about yet who's not? Very nice, um, but she leaves the picture Right.

Garry:

Right.

Amy:

Right, she leaves because she thinks she's being replaced or Claude wants to replace her.

Garry:

Right, right, she finds the note on the bar that Lucy had left. But it really wasn't about what she thought.

Amy:

Oh, right, right, she kind of misinterpreted the note that Ava found at the bar. So Ava leaves and Lucy goes to find her and jack sees lucy trying to find ava so he picks her up, right and they go to the train station and they find ava, you know. And ava and lucy tells her you know, you're really destined for great things, like if you don't do this, because that picture is what catapulted her right, and then she ends up winning like an academy award later you know, or whatever.

Amy:

So lucy's trying to convince her to go back because that is what's going to skyrocket her in her career. And then they're like well, we did hear that you know, claude, would rather have you know, hepburn or Veronica.

Amy:

Lake, you know, and then Ava's kind of like what you know, and then, and then I think it I don't know if it's Lucy or Jackie says Claude is a swell guy, right. And Ava's like swell guy, my foot, you know, I saw right through this his song and dance, you know. So then she decides to go back to spite him because she's like they're not going to bring in those you know, basically A-list actors at the time, right. So I thought that was really cute when they did their banter. And then Ava was there too, yeah.

Garry:

She was another one, annabelle Bork. That really fit the part.

Amy:

Yes. Because, at the end of that scene she was like let's go, boys, let's go, Because they're carrying her luggage.

Garry:

They were sailors. Yeah, yeah, she was.

Amy:

She was really good and I really liked that they didn't make a love triangle between her and Jack and Lucy.

Garry:

I thought you know, that was. I liked that part of it.

Amy:

Yeah.

Garry:

So what else you got for favorite scenes? Another one of mine was excuse me, was margaret again, because I love her, margaret, what did? I say you said margaret margaret, because I like how she kept winston busy while while ava was back, or ava while um in present day in present day while lucy was back in in the past.

Garry:

Yes, and she just kept trying to distract him. And he was trying to find Lucy because the hourglass was getting ready, they were coming to pick it up, to take it back, and Lucy pretends to have something wrong with her.

Amy:

Right, right. He's like oh my God, what happened?

Garry:

Yeah, yeah, winston, but Winston he knew a little something right. Well, in the end, yeah.

Amy:

You find out that he kind of yeah, yeah, I was going to ask Did he know, I think he played along. Yes, yes, I think so. Did you have any more, or how many more favorite scenes?

Garry:

I have a couple more. Do you have any more?

Amy:

I have a couple more also.

Garry:

Okay, go ahead, you go with yours.

Amy:

Just you talked about Margaret. I like this is towards the end, when she's going into the library at the same time. So she's in present day and Lucy's kind of stuck.

Garry:

That was one of mine.

Amy:

In the past or in 1947. And she's trying to get a hold of the hourglass. Lucy is to flip it over because it broke and all that jazz. So Margaret goes into the library and then they show Jack and Lucy run into the library. So they're in the same spot but in different, like parallel universes right One's in 1947 and one is present day and Harold the studio-.

Garry:

Producer.

Amy:

Owner or whatever producer, he's trying to get into the library because they've locked the library and at the same time, Winston, in present day, is trying to get into the library. I just liked that they were showing both Side by side. Yeah, well not.

Amy:

I mean, it wasn't like literally split screen, but it was yeah, you saw one and then you saw the other and they're in the same spot. So I just I loved the shooting of that, I thought it, I thought it. The editing of that was really good. I just I really liked that.

Garry:

So and they did the same thing again when, when ava actually goes back to the present, when she leaves when ava goes back to lucy. Yeah, when she goes back to the present, after the glass was fixed, yeah and um, jack caesar disappear yeah well, they show and this is split screen where they're both walking back to the room yes, she stayed in his room, that that jack stayed in, so they were both. They show them both walking into the hotel.

Garry:

You're talking about the hotel room and then you know, they put the keys on the, on counter or whatever, and they both lay on the bed.

Amy:

Yes, Now, that was the split screen. That was the split screen and I thought that was done really well. That was good too. That was really good, that was really well.

Garry:

So that was kind of my last.

Amy:

That was your last one. Yeah, I had the. You know we've got to mention the one year later at the Biltmore, so Lucy has written it and then I'm just going to give a shout out. So they're filming the updated version and Wes Brown and Rachel Boston are playing Charlie. They're the Charlie and Ava right characters.

Amy:

And Wes Brown says something like you know, what do you think? And Rachel says this is going to be better than Check Into Christmas and that's a movie they actually did together and I just like that little, you know, the little Easter egg. I guess I thought it was really cool.

Garry:

So that was, that was a good.

Amy:

I think that's the only scene there in also Wes Brown or Rachel Boston.

Garry:

Right.

Amy:

Yeah, yeah, so that was pretty cool. And then, of course, jack showing up at the end. That obviously was great, right.

Garry:

Right, it was Right. I thought it was pretty cool how, you know, when she first went to Biltmore, michael had given her a peppermint and then, when she was there, she came across a boy who was trying to get the jar of peppermints yeah, that was really cool too, and then she finds out because a showrunner comes up and says oh, your dad is looking for you.

Garry:

Your dad I don't know if his dad or his grandfather was looking for you and she named him, named a little boy. And then Lucy was like oh, you're Michael. She realized Michael Balaban, which is your boss was like oh, you're michael.

Amy:

she realized michael balaban and his grandfather, or great-grandfather, was grandfather, was the boss right at the studio, correct, right?

Garry:

yeah, yeah, balaban studios. And then, when they were back in the present, when they were finished wrapping up their take on the movie, he, she gives him michael a peppermint and he goes.

Amy:

I just had this strange deja deja vu yeah when they brought that together yeah, and she knew, but he didn't know that. She knew that he she had actually seen him when he was seven years old or whatever, yeah I do have a question.

Garry:

So when margaret went and sat in the theater to watch the movie in the present time the old movie Was Lucy in the movie.

Amy:

Yes.

Garry:

Okay, I thought she was.

Amy:

Because the camera pans and it was the scene where Lucy first went, or I guess it'd be the second time. She went back to 1947 because she's in like the.

Garry:

I want to say candy striper, but whatever.

Amy:

But she's got the peppermints right Like on the tray and the camera.

Garry:

Yeah, that was pretty cool. I thought that was pretty cool Because Margaret recognized her.

Amy:

Yeah, because she knew. Yeah, yeah, because that was towards the end. Right, that was at the end, you're right when they watch it.

Garry:

So do you have any cheers?

Amy:

Oh, we've talked about them a lot. You want to go first. What year?

Garry:

do you have? I really loved how they talked about some of the history of the Biltmore and how the family would give the employee, they would throw a Christmas party and they'd have a present for all the staff and employees.

Amy:

I thought that was really it was like the very first Christmas. They opened the doors to the staff and the employees, right, right, 1895.

Garry:

Yeah, christmas, they opened the doors to the staff and the employees. 1895, yeah, yeah, and I loved how they, like um, that scene you were talking about when they went for hot chocolate was shot in the gardens of, yeah, of biltmore. Wasn't that cool, so beautiful it was so.

Amy:

Yeah, they just. I mean the biltmore was a character right in the movie, a very large character in the movie, but just beautiful and you have to. I mean I don't think you could get that on green screen right you know I'm so glad they filmed on location.

Garry:

So easy to do, so beautiful and so open.

Amy:

Yes, you could just get some of the great shots and I read where they they filmed, I think in January, so it was still kind of chilly chilly there and I'm you know, and they had to decorate it.

Amy:

I don't know if they left the decorations up or not I forgot to look a little bit more into it but I'm pretty sure they filmed it in January and they probably wanted to get through the busy season there because it would be a little so many people. One of your chairs, All of it, and that's true, Not everything ends in a fairy tale.

Amy:

But what's wrong with having something happy? If you want a cozy escape, there's nothing wrong with that. And then I thought it was great that they had her come to realize that, because she finds out there was actually a different ending that was more somber. The original writer had written it. And then when she meets the writer in 1947, she realizes he's writing that way because he was going through a divorce. He and his wife were separated. He was sort of depressed. So while he never told her what the original ending was, she knew it wasn't all sparkly and shiny.

Amy:

And she kind of talks to him and basically is like why don't you talk to her, why don't you?

Garry:

right, you know, go to your ex.

Amy:

Maybe just tell her how you feel, have you told her? And he's like no, no, and of course then by the end of the movie he and his wife are getting back together and then the ending of the movie he rewrites right to be a happy ending. So I think she saw that. You know, it doesn't have to be totally negative and I like I mean I get what she was saying, but I like that they had her come around to. You know why not give people something to aspire to? To not aspire to but to make them feel good. You know, everything doesn't have to be so dark and real. We get enough of that, you know in real life.

Amy:

So I just, I like, I just I enjoyed that part of it. And then, of course, jack. You know he is damn near Cary Grant in this. I mean, I can't stand it. You know we talked about. You know he was in the Bishop's Wife. Do you know what that is?

Garry:

Oh, I heard of that, it's so good.

Amy:

If you've never seen Cary Grant's work, you've got to go see. Go watch some of his movies. The Bishop's Wife they remade it. They called it the Preacher's Wife. It was with Denzel Washington, where Denzel Washington is the angel.

Garry:

Yes.

Amy:

Whitney Houston is married to a preacher Right and he's trying to, you know. So Cary Grant is the angel in the Bishop's Wife, which was great. He was in Arsenic and Old Lace and A Fair to Remember. I mean very, very iconic, iconic movies of that time. And he was in the Philadelphia Story, which starred Katharine Hepburn and Jimmy Stewart.

Garry:

And it's so cute.

Amy:

So I just loved Christopher in this. He was so good, so charismatic. You know their chemistry was off the chain, you know I just so I really I really loved it. Costuming the makeup, all of it worked.

Garry:

All of it worked? Yeah, it sure did. What about you? Any other cheers? Yeah, I loved the cover story for Jack when he disappeared because-. Oh, yes, yes, the cover story for Jack when he disappeared because when Lucy left for the last time, she tried to come back and tell him that he was going to watch out. What was it, 1948?

Amy:

Yes, he was going to die on Christmas Eve 1948, right A year after her travel time. So when she got back to the present, and found Margaret.

Garry:

they both went to the little display of him and what happened and it still showed that he had passed away.

Amy:

And she was kind of upset because she tried to warn him in 1947.

Garry:

Right.

Amy:

Kind of reminded me of Back to the Future. Something's gonna happen, you know.

Garry:

like Jose Fox, so then you kind of fast forward and it's one year later and Winston wants to give her one last time with the hourglass. And so, lucy, she stands there and she's contemplating do I turn it back over to go back to him, because she still has his watch? And she's like nope, and she says goodbye, and then she walks out of the Biltmore and it's snowing, and then she turns around and boom.

Amy:

There's Jack, there he is, and she goes.

Garry:

I thought you died and he goes. No, I remember when you left you told me something, so we made a cover story, just in case I disappeared.

Amy:

For Christmas Eve? Yeah, because she told him something happens on Christmas Eve, yes, or 19,. Right, right, right, that was so good. Yeah, that was so, so well written, so well written. I, it's so well written, so well written. I mean, it was the way everything came back around and came together and you know just the hints of a little bit of humor, like I talked about when she says the thing about the dame.

Amy:

You can't just march up on a dame Like I just thought that was so funny. And then there's another time where she's talking, lucy's talking to herself, and she's like what are you going to do for Christmas, lucy? I know, let's time travel to 1947 and get stuck there, because that's when she got stuck there, that was so funny. Why couldn't the hourglass be a DeLorean?

Garry:

That's a shout out to Back to the Future, you know so.

Amy:

I just thought it was, I don't know it. Just everything, everything worked Every.

Garry:

It did.

Amy:

Everything worked. The location we've already talked about. The music was great, from the instrumentals to the song, I think there was a Judy Garland have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas. I mean just everything clicked, I mean every cylinder.

Garry:

I totally agree.

Amy:

Yeah, and the casting, perfect casting from top to bottom. Top billing to the supporting actors, it all just worked.

Garry:

It really did. And then you find out that Winston is the keeper of the hourglass, and I love how he walks away and he's whistling.

Amy:

He's just got that and he lays it on its side because we're done with the time travel for now.

Garry:

For now, you know. So that would be a cool thing.

Amy:

A second one, a part two I wonder, if we go there, when we go there, you know, for the holiday season, if they have any shout outs to the movie that was, you know, to this Hallmark movie that was made there. I kind of hope so, but I don't know.

Garry:

I can't wait.

Amy:

I mean, I don't think there'll be a display, but maybe there will be, I don't know.

Garry:

So we're excited. Did you have any jeers?

Amy:

I no notes, no no.

Garry:

I have not, neither Did you have any.

Amy:

No, I mean, I couldn't even even if I had to come up with something, I couldn't do it. I'm not going to say anything negative about this movie. No, I just can't do it.

Garry:

I really, really enjoyed it. So out of five ornaments.

Amy:

What was your tinsel topped moment?

Garry:

Do you have?

Amy:

one.

Garry:

Yes, the side by side the split screen, when they were both in the room at the same time, but one was in the 40s and she was in the present time. I just love how they shot that. Yeah, that was really cool, that was really cool, and then the fact that it was a cover story of why he passed away and it really wasn't that he died. Yeah, that was two.

Amy:

That was two. Well, that's all right.

Garry:

What about you?

Amy:

I don't. I mean it's so hard for me to pick a tinsel top moment just because all of it worked together so beautifully. The flow.

Garry:

Right.

Amy:

And the story, the estate, I mean, I don't know that I could pick one moment. I mean I liked the funny ones, you the funny one, liners from her. I liked. I mean I guess, if you, you know, if I had to pick a moment, it would be when they met at the restaurant and then they had their talk after I just thought all of that, the hot chocolate, the discussion they had, that was so insightful for both of them right and what a nice character he was, and you know we didn't talk about this.

Amy:

got to mention this briefly because it's on my mind, claude.

Garry:

Yes.

Amy:

That's the character in the movie and from 1947. Right he to the public is like the greatest guy, the nicest guy and everything, but he was an ass in real life.

Garry:

He was a dirtbag.

Amy:

He was dirtbag yeah Right, yeah Right. And I thought that was really telling too, because the public sees one image of you or can see you, and I mean I know it still happens today, but a little bit less because we have more. You know, video everywhere, social media everywhere. People see you everywhere. It's going to come out eventually, probably, but back in those days it didn't.

Garry:

No, it didn't.

Amy:

You know, and you knew what the studios wanted you to know about these actors and I just thought that was a really good I don't know a really good tell you know for today and then.

Garry:

It sure is.

Amy:

Yeah, yeah.

Garry:

Sure as the sun rises and set trying to get rid of Ava.

Amy:

So how many ornaments for you, if I have to guess.

Garry:

It's a five.

Amy:

Absolutely off the chart.

Garry:

Five with tinsel on top oh sprinkle with tinsel, tinsel all over the tree.

Amy:

We're going to put tinsel on our tree.

Garry:

One of our trees this year.

Amy:

Yes, we are, and yes we have more than one tree, yeah buddy, that was so good. Oh, we just loved it, so go watch it, go watch it, go watch it.

Garry:

It's just lovely. Yeah, it was. So is that a wrap? That's a wrap. Okay, if you really really liked the show, we would really really appreciate your positive review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. And if you didn't really really like the show, it's okay. We'd still appreciate your review. Your positive review that could be a review Hopefully fingers crossed.

Amy:

Follow us wherever you get your podcasts and on social media, so you don't miss a thing. Until next time, cheers.