November 6, 2025 • 24 mins
Hallmark fans have been counting down to A Newport Christmas for what feels like forever - and premiere night is finally almost here! Starring fan favorite Wes Brown and Broadway’s Ginna Claire Mason, this highly anticipated holiday film promises everything we love about Hallmark: a touch of time travel, a dash of romantic mystery, and all the festive charm of coastal Rhode Island. Get ready for a Christmas movie that’s pure magic. This post was updated on October 28, 2025.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
This is a Bramble Jam podcast. Welcome to Girls Gone Hallmark,
(00:24):
a Hallmark review podcast. I'm Megan and I'm a longtime
Hallmark fan. I'm Wendy. I'm a former Hallmark hater. Today
we're discussing a Newport Christmas which originally aired on the
Hallmark Channel on Sunday, November two, twenty twenty five, and
y'all can stream it right now on Hallmark Plus. Hang
out with us. We're everywhere TikTok, Instagram, at Girls Gone Hallmark,
(00:47):
Blue Sky Threads. You would think we have a team
of people working for us. It's just us. Like this
dinner is not being made in everybody's homes right now.
It's Megan and Wendy are busy. Hey, we have a
Facebook group if you'd like to join over there. If
you're on Facebook still, we are a Girls Gone Hallmark
in Facebook groups. I also want to put a plug
(01:09):
in for a website because our website is pretty amazing.
I love our website. It's Girls Gone Hallmark dot com.
We got big plans over there. Some stuff's going to
be dropping later this week that we think you guys
are going to be excited about. Yeah, let's kick This
episode off with the synopsis of A Newport Christmas. When
(01:30):
a spirited nineteen oh five Newport socialite wishes for a
different life, a passing comment whisks her straight into twenty
twenty five and right into the path of a charming
sailor and historian. As to to fall in love across time,
Ella must choose between the future she's come to a door,
and the past that depends on her return. Dustin Reiker
(01:54):
directed A Newport Christmas. This is the first of two
movies he directed this holiday season with twenty nine director
Oriial Credits. Dustin's resume reads like a girl's Gone. Hallmark
favorites list, including the Christmas Quest, the Finish Line, A
Merry Scottish Christmas, and so many more. The screenplay was
written by Juwa Botkin, marking her thirty first writing credit.
(02:14):
She also has another film debuting this holiday season. Botkin's
previous Hallmark projects includes Savoring Paris, Branching Out, and Never
Been Chrissed. Gena Clare Mason stars as Ella. This is
Gina Claire's fifth acting credit, Really Really, and she has
previously started in A Carol for Two, A Heidelberg Holiday,
and A Holiday spectacular. Gina Claire starred as Glinda in
(02:37):
Wicked in a multi year run on Broadway. Wes Brown
stars as Nick, fresh off his return as Jared and
Haul Out the Halloween. This marks his fifty sixth acting credit.
Fun fact, Wes's Love on the Danube episode is our
most downloaded podcast this year. Outside of the Way Home,
(03:00):
Side of the Way Home is Movies movie Movie Tala
Robinson plays Christine. Tala has just two other acting credits,
which include the series PowerBook two, Ghost and an episode
of the Equalizer. Evan Alexander Smith plays Francis. Evan Alexander
is another Hallmark newby. This project marks his third acting credit.
(03:20):
David O'Donnell plays Adam slash Rex. David has previously appeared
on Hallmark in A Cozy Christmas Inn from twenty twenty two,
also the cult classic Christmas under Wraps, for which A
Cozy Christmas Inn is a sort of sequel. Oh really,
Christmas under Raps? Candice Cameron Beret. Oh that's right, I
(03:43):
remember Stephanie Tanner. That's not her name. What is her name?
Her name is Jody Sweeten. Yes, she was in the
sort of sequel. Correct, got it? Regina Schneider plays Sadie.
Regina has twenty nine acting credits and appeared and Missed
It Christmas from twenty twenty three. Other work included FBI
Most Wanted. That is a show I've been wanting to
(04:03):
watch which is weird? Right? Is that a scripted show? Yeah? Oh?
On Network TV. She was also in the Blacklist. Paige
Ann Cummings plays Ada. Page's resume is stacked with short
films and this is her first time on Hallmark. Joseph
Delger plays Albert with thirteen acting credits. Joseph has been
seen on the Blacklist, The Good Cop, and Gotham. This
(04:24):
is his first appearance on Homemark. Friend of the show,
Keith Nielsen was the costume designer on A Newport Christmas,
where he told us months ago that we weren't ready
for the looks in this movie. Let's take a quick
break and we'll come right back with our first impressions. Hey, Wendy,
(04:48):
what was your first impression of a Newport Christmas? True
love is nice, but an oat milk latte comes in
a very strong second. I love an oat milk latte
a hot one, and if you put out like a
one of those like cinnamon reindeer art on top of
it sold I love the ever the experience of it.
I felt what Ella was feeling. She's here for the whimsy.
(05:11):
Would you believe I'm here for the whimsy? I'm shocked.
My first impression is Gina Claire absolutely anchors this time
traveling tale. I have so much to talk to you about,
especially Gena clare Mason. My other alternative was this movie
is smooth Sailing through Time. Oh I like that one too.
Let's talk what you like. Should we start with the
(05:32):
lovely Gina Claire we can? Yeah? For sure. First of all,
I love Gena Clare Mason. I love her as Ella
because Ella's bright and full of heart, and I love
her can do attitude and the spirit that she brought
to this character who literally wishes for a different life.
It made me. I Here's what I was thinking while
(05:56):
watching this. And I had said in the Ted Cooper movie,
if our world needs more Ted Cooper's, we also need
more Ella Stewards. Yes, don't you think so? Yes? I
think she was pitch perfect casting for this character because
the way she plays Ella tumbling into the twenty first century,
(06:17):
her indignance over the repeated it's my boat line was incredible,
and then her wonderment over the world as it is
in twenty twenty five is spot on. If you stumbled
one hundred and twenty years into the future and there's
giant buildings and people on scooters and inflatable snowmen, you
(06:37):
would be that blown away and it's so lovely to watch. Yeah,
her whimsie like you said about the latte art. One
of my favorite favorite moments in this movie comes from
Nick when she's like, how is life different here? Oh?
My god, go ahead, I recorded? Did I record at
(07:01):
the moment? Oh? You know, let's talk about it. Go ahead,
keep going. He says, we have taller buildings with shorter tempers,
bigger houses, but smaller families. And then this one really
hurt me, and I'm hurt me? Is the wrong word?
Hit me? More conveniences but less time. And then she says,
but look what you also have. You have twinkly lights
(07:21):
and beautiful decorations and inflatable snowman. And her attitude is,
you know, he's kind of a realist about life in
twenty twenty five, and she's like, but look at the
running water. You know, as my husband pointed out, why
would you want to go back one hundred and twenty
years because life, especially for womenard was not great. Yeah,
so I really appreciated her outlook of but look what
(07:44):
else you have? I did too. I did too. But
I loved that line from Nick shout out Juwa Batan
who wrote it, because at the very end, which you
left out, he said, and everyone has notes and everyone
is you know, everybody has an opinion on things. And
I just was like, if I had to summarize twenty
(08:06):
twenty five like that, to me was perfection note say
holy s words, wabach in right, because that was the
movie right there? Right? I thought so too. He later
on says something to you to l Ligne that I
thought was really good, and it was about the Internet
and he's like, oh, it's just for posting pets and
arguing with strangers now, and I was like, oh my god,
(08:27):
oh my god. Nailed it. Is not wrong, nailed it.
Yeah more imau Gina Claire I had read somewhere prior
to watching this movie, because I didn't watch it the
night that it came out, and I watched it a few
days later. But somebody had said that her diction was impeccable,
and so going into it, I was like, oh, that's
(08:48):
interesting note just to keep in my head, and as
I'm watching it, I would agree. She delivers her lines
like so Cris please, Yes, it's that Broadway theater training.
But I had also read on Reddit, you know, because
talk about arguing with strangers. There was so much negative
(09:09):
commentary that she was too over the top, like she
was too Broadway, she needed to bring it down. I
loved it me too. I loved her portrayal of Ella
and how she spoke to me as someone who has
seen Wicked. I don't think I've seen Gena Claire on Broadway,
but I thought this the way she played this character
(09:30):
was very close to Glinda in terms of the way
she spoke. Yes, yeah, I knew that there were going
to be those reactions that this was too over the top,
and I think that her behavior was spot on. I
think so too. I think so too. I have a
lot of little likes, but one more big like that
(09:52):
I like is they landed the plane For me, the
conclusion of the story made sense to you. Yes, yeah, now,
time travel always makes my brain hurt a little bit,
but I thought they set it up perfectly. They dropped
clues along the way, with Nick saying he had never
really felt at home anywhere else we set this situation
(10:14):
up with Rex. Is it perhaps a little bit too easy? Maybe?
But I just thought this makes sense to me the
way that we did this. I'm not going I don't
understand right, right, I did understand. Yeah, there's sometimes we'll
get into time travel. Maybe I'll just be like I
don't I don't understand the details of how this is working,
(10:36):
and it doesn't matter. But like this, Yes, I agree
with you. It made sense. The letters that got Dick
and Rex into the right places at the right times.
Very back to the future. Uh huh. I really enjoyed
that piece of the time travel. Yeah. Have you been
to Newport, Rhode Island? I feel like you have been. No,
this was shot in Newport, right, mm hmmm. Like I
(10:58):
want to go there, Yeah, like the wide seaside shots
and the grand historic houses like book me a winter
weekend away. I probably don't want to go in the winter,
but yes, but they looked like they were having a
good time in the winter. I know it was like
early ear this year. Yeah, maybe I know it'd be
cold but still. Yeah, there was one point where Ella
(11:22):
and Nick are outside and you can tell like how
cold it is, Like her nose is really red, and
I was like, oh, four things, this is probably really cold,
really really cold. Did you love the supporting cast. I
did love the supporting cast, Christine and Francis. Christina especially,
I really liked did it just worked? It just worked.
(11:44):
I liked their little romance too. I even liked our
supporting cast. In the past her I don't know what
her name is, her lady's maid, her handler. Yes, she
is Sadie. I really liked. I actually liked Albert, her father.
I thought he played that role perfectly. But the scene
(12:06):
when she arrives in the past and she and Sadie
run into each other's arms, I just I loved it
so much. Yeah, there's a lot of humor in this script.
When she says, look at me in my pants, drink
my look of a note from a paper cup, look
at me into my pants, look at me. I loved it.
I loved it. Is if I did just see that
because I didn't because there was so much there. Yes,
(12:27):
I loved it. She says to Nick, did you know
your box talks? I loved all that. I loved all that. Yes,
because imagine like somebody from one hundred years ago seeing
what we have today would be mind blowing. Yes, you're
talking box. Yeah, I really love the north Stromrac callback.
(12:48):
Me too. Now you know how we were recently talking
about USAA. Yes, okay, I don't think norstrom Rack was
a sponsor here, but this is how you would do it.
My notes say, and on the back of our product
placement talk, this was well done. Yeah. I don't know
if it's product placement or not. I don't either, but
if it is, that's how you do it exactly where
(13:12):
it becomes part of the organic narrative, not not. Hey,
I'm a representative from USAA, and let's talk about your
insurance needs. And it's it's done well, it's relatable. It's
something that you and I would say to each other. Yes, yes,
it's from nord Rac, like it was on sale and
it has pockets. It's that sort of thing that you
(13:32):
would blurt out right. I do wonder how custom designer
Keith Neilsen felt about her showing up at this beautiful
ballground and her being like it's nordster Rac and he's
like custom made this. Yeah, that's a good question. That
is a good question. We should let's text him and
find out. Yeah, right, what did you think about the
chemistry between Gina and Wes as Nick and Ella. I
(13:54):
was buying what they were selling me too, And I see,
this is the problem of not watching the movie in
real time and then seeing like opinions about it. They
start to question yourself. I start to question it. But
I did think they were very warm together. It was
not fiery, but that is okay as well. It was
still deeply believable to me. When she says to him.
(14:18):
There were two scenes in particular, when she says to him,
I talked about it earlier, when they're outside and it's
cold and they had their big kiss, and he's pressing
her to go home, to leave, and she is questioning
him about like you haven't found a home or whatever,
and she says to him, don't you have feelings for me?
I was like, oh, so good, Yeah, so good. And
(14:39):
then then they have this big kiss and I thought
the kiss was fiery. Yeah, he grabs her that like
it's unexpected. So my husband was watching. He was like, oh,
that's not going to get a good rating on the
smoocho meter and I was like, excuse me. So for him,
I was like, you're not seeing this as a girl,
because for me, like I'm not looking at the mechanics
(14:59):
of the I'm looking at like the way he like
grabs her and later on he does like a forehead kiss,
which is the man must be on book talk. But
I thought they were great. He's more looking at like
the lip action. I'm like, that's not what we're going
for here. He wants to see like the Love Island
at the time, I mean, hanging out before they even
(15:20):
like touch a ross. Can you imagine if we got
that on? Oh my stomach just turned any other likes, Yeah,
just a couple more. I thought the finale part of it,
the scenes leading up to Ella's departure, the tension was
really building here. It was like neither of them wanted
(15:42):
to go right and like he he doesn't want her
to leave, she doesn't want to leave. They have that
slow dance at the ball like he's watching her sail
away like oh, and like the music swelled. It was
really good. I thought it was super cinematic, and we
don't always get that with Homer. This one worked for me.
I really liked some of the nuanced messages throughout the
(16:05):
movie about being true to yourself and taking the days
as they come and help others without expecting anything in return.
Like I loved all that. The final thing I really
liked were not just because Keith is a friend of
the show, but I really did love the costume. I
thought Ella's style. She arrives and she's like nineteen oh five, right,
(16:27):
but it really evolves in this very short time into
this like modern woman, but she's still very much Ella.
And I don't know if you noticed it, but she
had this really she had two cute little handbags, the
house one which I messaged Keith he said, it's a
Kate Spade bag. Youe so cute. And then she have
like a nutcracker one. Oh I didn't see the nutcracker.
(16:48):
I love body. It looked like a little nutcracker. It
may not have been, but it was like a person. Yes,
I think it was a nutcracker. It was purple. It
was so cute. There was a red coat that I had,
sparkly buttons that I really loved. I just yeah, they're
all The costuming was really well. A lot of gowns
I was like, you know, at the end at the party,
(17:09):
stuff like there's a lot of people you have to dress. Yeah,
these gowns. I just thought it was all great, great.
I liked it all too. I liked it all too.
Let's talk wishes. I really only have one. I got two, Okay,
I have a failli in ours might be the same
look in a movie. You speak of production value. The
movie almost from top to bottom, was really beautiful, but
(17:32):
I was put off by the boating slash water dock
scene moments, the green seat screens. It was rough and
they spend so much time. I can understand the boating,
but I kind of was like, could we not have
made the dock scenes a little there was no way
to shoot the dock. Yeah, I don't, I don't. I
don't understand. I don't understand. I was like, maybe it
(17:55):
was too dark and you cannot see anything. Maybe I
don't know. Look the boating, I get like, that's hard.
You're not going to send them out in this tiny
sail boat. And sure, I can kind of understand that.
I was picturing like off camera, like someone like being
in charge of like rocking the boat. But yes, the
green screen moments were terrible, and it was at the beginning,
(18:17):
so I was like, oh, yeah, that's a tone. Yeah
that they recover from one. But I agree, I agree
with you about those special effects. The other thing I
didn't love was I thought the wig that they used
an Ngina Claire Mason was a little distracting at sometimes
(18:38):
when it was when her hair was down and there
were like backshots, it just really looked like bad blonde wig.
That's all though. This it doesn't ruin the movie for me,
but by any means, well, let's talk to you. Just
see that I have a feet. We've talked about several
of mine. Can we talk about her exit from the ball.
(19:00):
So she leaves the ball, she's in a ball gown
and she has kind of a side swept up du
uh huh. She gets to the dock, not only has
she changed back into her traveling clothes so that she's
going back in time and period appropriate clothing, she's also
changed her hair backed oh, traveling hairstyle. Oh, which seems
to me they were in a hurry, like the giving
house tree had disappeared. Perhaps now it was not the
(19:21):
time for a hair change. Yeah, I'm guessing maybe they
just shot all those. I'm certain they did. Yeah, tell
me you did it. Speaking of disappearing the Marty McFly
disappearing portrait tree, I mean, it's very much back to
the future. Sure, it makes me laugh. I wonder if
time travel movies prior to Back to the Future like
(19:43):
use that. Yeah, well, what did the people at the
ball think when that tree just disappear? I have the
same question. I'm like, only the five of you see
this tree, just because it seems like there would be
a larger reaction for sure. For sure, for sure they
used that Dean Martin so it's a Christmas song. It's
(20:04):
beginning to look a lot like Christmas. They used the
actual Dean Martin version in the Sea. I just thought,
I was like, whoa, that put me in the Christmas spirit,
like immediately, that is my husband's all time favorite Christmas song,
the Dean Martin version. Yeah, yeah, I thought it was
so good. It was so so good. A couple other
things the some of the decorated Christmas trees. There were
(20:26):
a few that were decorated in orange. Yeah. I liked that,
And I was like, this is totally serving show girl
Taylor Swift energy. And this movie was maybe four that
all got released and dropped later this year. They had
a lot of trees. They had a pink one in
Ella's room in the in the Future. Yeah, I had
(20:49):
noticed some of the decorations on the trees were not
your traditional red and green. Daniel Kaynig, the set designer,
posted a bunch of photos of the trees, and I
saw it before I saw the movie, and I even commented.
I was like, Oh, the orange one's my favorite. I
love the orange one. I was like, hmm, Taylor Swift.
Fans like that, that's what you should be doing this year. Exact,
(21:10):
lay exactly, here's your info. Totally. Two more things, Nick
says Jesus who when they were getting ready to go
on the computer and he was telling her about the mouse,
and she reacts to the thought of the mouse and
she gets scared and he goes Jesus, oh, And I
was like, oh, that's interesting. I thought that reaction was
(21:33):
so good. Yeah, me too, believable m M. I almost
wondered if they told her to do that and didn't
tell him she was going to do that. So his
reaction to her was genuine. Oh maybe because it was
so good. Yeah, that's yeah, that's that's where they're just
great actors. Ore that. The final thing, you know, Ella's
(21:55):
nineteen oh five mansion is a museum now right. I
couldn't help but notice the travertine floors, And so I
had to investigate. Mansions in nineteen oh five would not
have had travertine floors. That is a modern day sort
of use of that stone. Interesting. Well, they did have
(22:15):
a fire and they did have to replace parts of
the mansion. Okay, fine, but mansions in nineteen oh five
would have had marble or parquet wood floors, not travertine.
And you know what I'm talking about, right, Remember in
the early two thousands, when travertine stone percent was everywhere everywhere.
We had a traverteine bathroom in our first house. Yeh see. Anyway,
(22:36):
so wherever they shot this, I don't know where they think.
I think my interiors were. I think it might have
been built in the two thousands. All right, what did
you rate a new part Christmas? I gave it. I
had to knock it down because of that green screen.
I gave it four point five stars. I gave it
four point five stars for exactly the same reason. Nice,
thank you for listening to this episode of Girls Gone Homework,
a Bramble Jam podcast. We will be back next time
(22:59):
with more work reviews. We'll see you next time. Goodbye bye.
All right friends, before we go, just a quick heads up.
You're about to hear some ads. These little gems help
us keep the show running and the Hallmark love flowing.
(23:22):
So do with that info what you will, Grab a snack,
hit the skip button, or maybe just maybe listen in
and discover your new favorite product. Bye.
This is a Bramble Jam podcast. Welcome to Girls Gone Hallmark,
(00:24):
a Hallmark review podcast. I'm Megan and I'm a longtime
Hallmark fan. I'm Wendy. I'm a former Hallmark hater. Today
we're discussing a Newport Christmas which originally aired on the
Hallmark Channel on Sunday, November two, twenty twenty five, and
y'all can stream it right now on Hallmark Plus. Hang
out with us. We're everywhere TikTok, Instagram, at Girls Gone Hallmark,
(00:47):
Blue Sky Threads. You would think we have a team
of people working for us. It's just us. Like this
dinner is not being made in everybody's homes right now.
It's Megan and Wendy are busy. Hey, we have a
Facebook group if you'd like to join over there. If
you're on Facebook still, we are a Girls Gone Hallmark
in Facebook groups. I also want to put a plug
(01:09):
in for a website because our website is pretty amazing.
I love our website. It's Girls Gone Hallmark dot com.
We got big plans over there. Some stuff's going to
be dropping later this week that we think you guys
are going to be excited about. Yeah, let's kick This
episode off with the synopsis of A Newport Christmas. When
(01:30):
a spirited nineteen oh five Newport socialite wishes for a
different life, a passing comment whisks her straight into twenty
twenty five and right into the path of a charming
sailor and historian. As to to fall in love across time,
Ella must choose between the future she's come to a door,
and the past that depends on her return. Dustin Reiker
(01:54):
directed A Newport Christmas. This is the first of two
movies he directed this holiday season with twenty nine director
Oriial Credits. Dustin's resume reads like a girl's Gone. Hallmark
favorites list, including the Christmas Quest, the Finish Line, A
Merry Scottish Christmas, and so many more. The screenplay was
written by Juwa Botkin, marking her thirty first writing credit.
(02:14):
She also has another film debuting this holiday season. Botkin's
previous Hallmark projects includes Savoring Paris, Branching Out, and Never
Been Chrissed. Gena Clare Mason stars as Ella. This is
Gina Claire's fifth acting credit, Really Really, and she has
previously started in A Carol for Two, A Heidelberg Holiday,
and A Holiday spectacular. Gina Claire starred as Glinda in
(02:37):
Wicked in a multi year run on Broadway. Wes Brown
stars as Nick, fresh off his return as Jared and
Haul Out the Halloween. This marks his fifty sixth acting credit.
Fun fact, Wes's Love on the Danube episode is our
most downloaded podcast this year. Outside of the Way Home,
(03:00):
Side of the Way Home is Movies movie Movie Tala
Robinson plays Christine. Tala has just two other acting credits,
which include the series PowerBook two, Ghost and an episode
of the Equalizer. Evan Alexander Smith plays Francis. Evan Alexander
is another Hallmark newby. This project marks his third acting credit.
(03:20):
David O'Donnell plays Adam slash Rex. David has previously appeared
on Hallmark in A Cozy Christmas Inn from twenty twenty two,
also the cult classic Christmas under Wraps, for which A
Cozy Christmas Inn is a sort of sequel. Oh really,
Christmas under Raps? Candice Cameron Beret. Oh that's right, I
(03:43):
remember Stephanie Tanner. That's not her name. What is her name?
Her name is Jody Sweeten. Yes, she was in the
sort of sequel. Correct, got it? Regina Schneider plays Sadie.
Regina has twenty nine acting credits and appeared and Missed
It Christmas from twenty twenty three. Other work included FBI
Most Wanted. That is a show I've been wanting to
(04:03):
watch which is weird? Right? Is that a scripted show? Yeah? Oh?
On Network TV. She was also in the Blacklist. Paige
Ann Cummings plays Ada. Page's resume is stacked with short
films and this is her first time on Hallmark. Joseph
Delger plays Albert with thirteen acting credits. Joseph has been
seen on the Blacklist, The Good Cop, and Gotham. This
(04:24):
is his first appearance on Homemark. Friend of the show,
Keith Nielsen was the costume designer on A Newport Christmas,
where he told us months ago that we weren't ready
for the looks in this movie. Let's take a quick
break and we'll come right back with our first impressions. Hey, Wendy,
(04:48):
what was your first impression of a Newport Christmas? True
love is nice, but an oat milk latte comes in
a very strong second. I love an oat milk latte
a hot one, and if you put out like a
one of those like cinnamon reindeer art on top of
it sold I love the ever the experience of it.
I felt what Ella was feeling. She's here for the whimsy.
(05:11):
Would you believe I'm here for the whimsy? I'm shocked.
My first impression is Gina Claire absolutely anchors this time
traveling tale. I have so much to talk to you about,
especially Gena clare Mason. My other alternative was this movie
is smooth Sailing through Time. Oh I like that one too.
Let's talk what you like. Should we start with the
(05:32):
lovely Gina Claire we can? Yeah? For sure. First of all,
I love Gena Clare Mason. I love her as Ella
because Ella's bright and full of heart, and I love
her can do attitude and the spirit that she brought
to this character who literally wishes for a different life.
It made me. I Here's what I was thinking while
(05:56):
watching this. And I had said in the Ted Cooper movie,
if our world needs more Ted Cooper's, we also need
more Ella Stewards. Yes, don't you think so? Yes? I
think she was pitch perfect casting for this character because
the way she plays Ella tumbling into the twenty first century,
(06:17):
her indignance over the repeated it's my boat line was incredible,
and then her wonderment over the world as it is
in twenty twenty five is spot on. If you stumbled
one hundred and twenty years into the future and there's
giant buildings and people on scooters and inflatable snowmen, you
(06:37):
would be that blown away and it's so lovely to watch. Yeah,
her whimsie like you said about the latte art. One
of my favorite favorite moments in this movie comes from
Nick when she's like, how is life different here? Oh?
My god, go ahead, I recorded? Did I record at
(07:01):
the moment? Oh? You know, let's talk about it. Go ahead,
keep going. He says, we have taller buildings with shorter tempers,
bigger houses, but smaller families. And then this one really
hurt me, and I'm hurt me? Is the wrong word?
Hit me? More conveniences but less time. And then she says,
but look what you also have. You have twinkly lights
(07:21):
and beautiful decorations and inflatable snowman. And her attitude is,
you know, he's kind of a realist about life in
twenty twenty five, and she's like, but look at the
running water. You know, as my husband pointed out, why
would you want to go back one hundred and twenty
years because life, especially for womenard was not great. Yeah,
so I really appreciated her outlook of but look what
(07:44):
else you have? I did too. I did too. But
I loved that line from Nick shout out Juwa Batan
who wrote it, because at the very end, which you
left out, he said, and everyone has notes and everyone
is you know, everybody has an opinion on things. And
I just was like, if I had to summarize twenty
(08:06):
twenty five like that, to me was perfection note say
holy s words, wabach in right, because that was the
movie right there? Right? I thought so too. He later
on says something to you to l Ligne that I
thought was really good, and it was about the Internet
and he's like, oh, it's just for posting pets and
arguing with strangers now, and I was like, oh my god,
(08:27):
oh my god. Nailed it. Is not wrong, nailed it.
Yeah more imau Gina Claire I had read somewhere prior
to watching this movie, because I didn't watch it the
night that it came out, and I watched it a few
days later. But somebody had said that her diction was impeccable,
and so going into it, I was like, oh, that's
(08:48):
interesting note just to keep in my head, and as
I'm watching it, I would agree. She delivers her lines
like so Cris please, Yes, it's that Broadway theater training.
But I had also read on Reddit, you know, because
talk about arguing with strangers. There was so much negative
(09:09):
commentary that she was too over the top, like she
was too Broadway, she needed to bring it down. I
loved it me too. I loved her portrayal of Ella
and how she spoke to me as someone who has
seen Wicked. I don't think I've seen Gena Claire on Broadway,
but I thought this the way she played this character
(09:30):
was very close to Glinda in terms of the way
she spoke. Yes, yeah, I knew that there were going
to be those reactions that this was too over the top,
and I think that her behavior was spot on. I
think so too. I think so too. I have a
lot of little likes, but one more big like that
(09:52):
I like is they landed the plane For me, the
conclusion of the story made sense to you. Yes, yeah, now,
time travel always makes my brain hurt a little bit,
but I thought they set it up perfectly. They dropped
clues along the way, with Nick saying he had never
really felt at home anywhere else we set this situation
(10:14):
up with Rex. Is it perhaps a little bit too easy? Maybe?
But I just thought this makes sense to me the
way that we did this. I'm not going I don't
understand right, right, I did understand. Yeah, there's sometimes we'll
get into time travel. Maybe I'll just be like I
don't I don't understand the details of how this is working,
(10:36):
and it doesn't matter. But like this, Yes, I agree
with you. It made sense. The letters that got Dick
and Rex into the right places at the right times.
Very back to the future. Uh huh. I really enjoyed
that piece of the time travel. Yeah. Have you been
to Newport, Rhode Island? I feel like you have been. No,
this was shot in Newport, right, mm hmmm. Like I
(10:58):
want to go there, Yeah, like the wide seaside shots
and the grand historic houses like book me a winter
weekend away. I probably don't want to go in the winter,
but yes, but they looked like they were having a
good time in the winter. I know it was like
early ear this year. Yeah, maybe I know it'd be
cold but still. Yeah, there was one point where Ella
(11:22):
and Nick are outside and you can tell like how
cold it is, Like her nose is really red, and
I was like, oh, four things, this is probably really cold,
really really cold. Did you love the supporting cast. I
did love the supporting cast, Christine and Francis. Christina especially,
I really liked did it just worked? It just worked.
(11:44):
I liked their little romance too. I even liked our
supporting cast. In the past her I don't know what
her name is, her lady's maid, her handler. Yes, she
is Sadie. I really liked. I actually liked Albert, her father.
I thought he played that role perfectly. But the scene
(12:06):
when she arrives in the past and she and Sadie
run into each other's arms, I just I loved it
so much. Yeah, there's a lot of humor in this script.
When she says, look at me in my pants, drink
my look of a note from a paper cup, look
at me into my pants, look at me. I loved it.
I loved it. Is if I did just see that
because I didn't because there was so much there. Yes,
(12:27):
I loved it. She says to Nick, did you know
your box talks? I loved all that. I loved all that. Yes,
because imagine like somebody from one hundred years ago seeing
what we have today would be mind blowing. Yes, you're
talking box. Yeah, I really love the north Stromrac callback.
(12:48):
Me too. Now you know how we were recently talking
about USAA. Yes, okay, I don't think norstrom Rack was
a sponsor here, but this is how you would do it.
My notes say, and on the back of our product
placement talk, this was well done. Yeah. I don't know
if it's product placement or not. I don't either, but
if it is, that's how you do it exactly where
(13:12):
it becomes part of the organic narrative, not not. Hey,
I'm a representative from USAA, and let's talk about your
insurance needs. And it's it's done well, it's relatable. It's
something that you and I would say to each other. Yes, yes,
it's from nord Rac, like it was on sale and
it has pockets. It's that sort of thing that you
(13:32):
would blurt out right. I do wonder how custom designer
Keith Neilsen felt about her showing up at this beautiful
ballground and her being like it's nordster Rac and he's
like custom made this. Yeah, that's a good question. That
is a good question. We should let's text him and
find out. Yeah, right, what did you think about the
chemistry between Gina and Wes as Nick and Ella. I
(13:54):
was buying what they were selling me too, And I see,
this is the problem of not watching the movie in
real time and then seeing like opinions about it. They
start to question yourself. I start to question it. But
I did think they were very warm together. It was
not fiery, but that is okay as well. It was
still deeply believable to me. When she says to him.
(14:18):
There were two scenes in particular, when she says to him,
I talked about it earlier, when they're outside and it's
cold and they had their big kiss, and he's pressing
her to go home, to leave, and she is questioning
him about like you haven't found a home or whatever,
and she says to him, don't you have feelings for me?
I was like, oh, so good, Yeah, so good. And
(14:39):
then then they have this big kiss and I thought
the kiss was fiery. Yeah, he grabs her that like
it's unexpected. So my husband was watching. He was like, oh,
that's not going to get a good rating on the
smoocho meter and I was like, excuse me. So for him,
I was like, you're not seeing this as a girl,
because for me, like I'm not looking at the mechanics
(14:59):
of the I'm looking at like the way he like
grabs her and later on he does like a forehead kiss,
which is the man must be on book talk. But
I thought they were great. He's more looking at like
the lip action. I'm like, that's not what we're going
for here. He wants to see like the Love Island
at the time, I mean, hanging out before they even
(15:20):
like touch a ross. Can you imagine if we got
that on? Oh my stomach just turned any other likes, Yeah,
just a couple more. I thought the finale part of it,
the scenes leading up to Ella's departure, the tension was
really building here. It was like neither of them wanted
(15:42):
to go right and like he he doesn't want her
to leave, she doesn't want to leave. They have that
slow dance at the ball like he's watching her sail
away like oh, and like the music swelled. It was
really good. I thought it was super cinematic, and we
don't always get that with Homer. This one worked for me.
I really liked some of the nuanced messages throughout the
(16:05):
movie about being true to yourself and taking the days
as they come and help others without expecting anything in return.
Like I loved all that. The final thing I really
liked were not just because Keith is a friend of
the show, but I really did love the costume. I
thought Ella's style. She arrives and she's like nineteen oh five, right,
(16:27):
but it really evolves in this very short time into
this like modern woman, but she's still very much Ella.
And I don't know if you noticed it, but she
had this really she had two cute little handbags, the
house one which I messaged Keith he said, it's a
Kate Spade bag. Youe so cute. And then she have
like a nutcracker one. Oh I didn't see the nutcracker.
(16:48):
I love body. It looked like a little nutcracker. It
may not have been, but it was like a person. Yes,
I think it was a nutcracker. It was purple. It
was so cute. There was a red coat that I had,
sparkly buttons that I really loved. I just yeah, they're
all The costuming was really well. A lot of gowns
I was like, you know, at the end at the party,
(17:09):
stuff like there's a lot of people you have to dress. Yeah,
these gowns. I just thought it was all great, great.
I liked it all too. I liked it all too.
Let's talk wishes. I really only have one. I got two, Okay,
I have a failli in ours might be the same
look in a movie. You speak of production value. The
movie almost from top to bottom, was really beautiful, but
(17:32):
I was put off by the boating slash water dock
scene moments, the green seat screens. It was rough and
they spend so much time. I can understand the boating,
but I kind of was like, could we not have
made the dock scenes a little there was no way
to shoot the dock. Yeah, I don't, I don't. I
don't understand. I don't understand. I was like, maybe it
(17:55):
was too dark and you cannot see anything. Maybe I
don't know. Look the boating, I get like, that's hard.
You're not going to send them out in this tiny
sail boat. And sure, I can kind of understand that.
I was picturing like off camera, like someone like being
in charge of like rocking the boat. But yes, the
green screen moments were terrible, and it was at the beginning,
(18:17):
so I was like, oh, yeah, that's a tone. Yeah
that they recover from one. But I agree, I agree
with you about those special effects. The other thing I
didn't love was I thought the wig that they used
an Ngina Claire Mason was a little distracting at sometimes
(18:38):
when it was when her hair was down and there
were like backshots, it just really looked like bad blonde wig.
That's all though. This it doesn't ruin the movie for me,
but by any means, well, let's talk to you. Just
see that I have a feet. We've talked about several
of mine. Can we talk about her exit from the ball.
(19:00):
So she leaves the ball, she's in a ball gown
and she has kind of a side swept up du
uh huh. She gets to the dock, not only has
she changed back into her traveling clothes so that she's
going back in time and period appropriate clothing, she's also
changed her hair backed oh, traveling hairstyle. Oh, which seems
to me they were in a hurry, like the giving
house tree had disappeared. Perhaps now it was not the
(19:21):
time for a hair change. Yeah, I'm guessing maybe they
just shot all those. I'm certain they did. Yeah, tell
me you did it. Speaking of disappearing the Marty McFly
disappearing portrait tree, I mean, it's very much back to
the future. Sure, it makes me laugh. I wonder if
time travel movies prior to Back to the Future like
(19:43):
use that. Yeah, well, what did the people at the
ball think when that tree just disappear? I have the
same question. I'm like, only the five of you see
this tree, just because it seems like there would be
a larger reaction for sure. For sure, for sure they
used that Dean Martin so it's a Christmas song. It's
(20:04):
beginning to look a lot like Christmas. They used the
actual Dean Martin version in the Sea. I just thought,
I was like, whoa, that put me in the Christmas spirit,
like immediately, that is my husband's all time favorite Christmas song,
the Dean Martin version. Yeah, yeah, I thought it was
so good. It was so so good. A couple other
things the some of the decorated Christmas trees. There were
(20:26):
a few that were decorated in orange. Yeah. I liked that,
And I was like, this is totally serving show girl
Taylor Swift energy. And this movie was maybe four that
all got released and dropped later this year. They had
a lot of trees. They had a pink one in
Ella's room in the in the Future. Yeah, I had
(20:49):
noticed some of the decorations on the trees were not
your traditional red and green. Daniel Kaynig, the set designer,
posted a bunch of photos of the trees, and I
saw it before I saw the movie, and I even commented.
I was like, Oh, the orange one's my favorite. I
love the orange one. I was like, hmm, Taylor Swift.
Fans like that, that's what you should be doing this year. Exact,
(21:10):
lay exactly, here's your info. Totally. Two more things, Nick
says Jesus who when they were getting ready to go
on the computer and he was telling her about the mouse,
and she reacts to the thought of the mouse and
she gets scared and he goes Jesus, oh, And I
was like, oh, that's interesting. I thought that reaction was
(21:33):
so good. Yeah, me too, believable m M. I almost
wondered if they told her to do that and didn't
tell him she was going to do that. So his
reaction to her was genuine. Oh maybe because it was
so good. Yeah, that's yeah, that's that's where they're just
great actors. Ore that. The final thing, you know, Ella's
(21:55):
nineteen oh five mansion is a museum now right. I
couldn't help but notice the travertine floors, And so I
had to investigate. Mansions in nineteen oh five would not
have had travertine floors. That is a modern day sort
of use of that stone. Interesting. Well, they did have
(22:15):
a fire and they did have to replace parts of
the mansion. Okay, fine, but mansions in nineteen oh five
would have had marble or parquet wood floors, not travertine.
And you know what I'm talking about, right, Remember in
the early two thousands, when travertine stone percent was everywhere everywhere.
We had a traverteine bathroom in our first house. Yeh see. Anyway,
(22:36):
so wherever they shot this, I don't know where they think.
I think my interiors were. I think it might have
been built in the two thousands. All right, what did
you rate a new part Christmas? I gave it. I
had to knock it down because of that green screen.
I gave it four point five stars. I gave it
four point five stars for exactly the same reason. Nice,
thank you for listening to this episode of Girls Gone Homework,
a Bramble Jam podcast. We will be back next time
(22:59):
with more work reviews. We'll see you next time. Goodbye bye.
All right friends, before we go, just a quick heads up.
You're about to hear some ads. These little gems help
us keep the show running and the Hallmark love flowing.
(23:22):
So do with that info what you will, Grab a snack,
hit the skip button, or maybe just maybe listen in
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