Naman Shrestha
With Christie Will Wolf at the helm, Lifetime’s ‘Poinsettias for Christmas’ follows the life of Ellie Palmer, a free-spirited planner whose bid to help her family’s poinsettia farm ahead of the annual parade inadvertently sets her on a quest for love. As she travels from New York City to her hometown, she crosses paths with a local, charming botanist named Shawn. While trying to come up with a solution for the family’s poinsettias, she ends up falling head over heels in love. The 2018 film takes the audience through multiple locations, ranging from the Palmer family’s Poinsettia farm to several other local places, all of which embody the Christmas spirit in full vigor.
Where Was Poinsettias for Christmas Filmed?
The shooting for ‘Poinsettias for Christmas’ was conducted in its entirety in British Columbia, especially Metro Vancouver, Mission, and Abbotsford. According to reports, principal photography for the holiday movie seemingly took place around the month of May 2018, over the course of a few weeks.
Metro Vancouver, British Columbia
Several locales in Metro Vancouver, British Columbia, were utilized as filming locations for ‘Poinsettias for Christmas.’ The vibrant port city of Vancouver hosted the production of a few scenes of the lighthearted romantic movie. Nestled between the Fraser River and the Golden Ears, Maple Ridge also served as one of the shooting sites. In addition, the production team set up camp at Burnaby Village Museum in the city of Burnaby to bring the world of Ellie to life. It is located at 6501 Deer Lake Avenue and is a replication of a 1920s village. Spread across 10 acres, the open-air museum is lined with storefronts, historic buildings, and streets that radiate old-world charm, which proved ideal for creating the visual aesthetic of the cozy town gearing up for its annual parade in the film.
Previously known as Heritage Village, it features popular attractions such as the C.W. Parker Carousel No. 119 and the B.C. Electric Railway interurban tram of 1912. Tourists can experience several activities, such as heritage demonstrations in relation to blacksmithing, printing, carpentry, and other domestic skills, as well as historic games. They can also avail themselves of tours led by staff members wearing costumes that represent the clothing of the time. It has also doubled up as a shooting site for movies like ‘Christmas in Evergreen,’ ‘A Timeless Christmas,’ ‘Christmas in Evergreen: Tidings of Joy,’ ‘Christmas in Evergreen: Letters to Santa,’ ‘The Mistletoe Secret,’ and ‘Good Morning Christmas!’
Other Locations in British Columbia
In addition to the aforementioned locations, the cast and crew of ‘Poinsettias for Christmas’ also visited Mission, outside of Metro Vancouver. Located in the heart of the Fraser Valley region, a few spots in the town were likely transformed into the Christmas-themed setting of the movie for the purpose of filming. Furthermore, the team moved approximately 16 km from Mission to Abbotsford, where they conducted a small portion of the shoot specifically at 5969 Ross Road.
Poinsettias for Christmas Cast Details
‘Poinsettias for Christmas’ is driven by the compelling performances of Bethany Joy Lenz and Marcus Rosner. Alongside her acting career, which spans nearly 50 credits, the former is also recognized in the field of music. From 2008 to 2012, Bethany was part of Everly, a folk musical band she formed with Amber Sweeney. She has also served as the host/co-host of podcasts such as ‘Drama Queens,’ ‘Dark Sanctum,’ and ‘Scrooge: A Christmas Carol.’ The multi-talented personality has also donned the hat of a director, writer, and producer. On the other hand, Marcus Rosner has nearly 70 credits to his name and has established himself as one of the Hallmark favorites due to his innate charm and engaging screen presence. To honor his hometown of Edmonton, Alberta, on screen, he partnered with the production company Northern Gateway Films.
Bethany Joy Lenz as Ellie
In the Lifetime movie, Bethany Joy Lenz steps into the character of Ellie Palmer. You may recognize her from her performances as Michelle Bauer Santos in ‘Guiding Light,’ Haley James Scott in ‘One Tree Hill,’ Cassie Jollenston in ‘Dexter,’ Keri Allen in ‘Pearson,’ Jenny in ‘Grey’s Anatomy,’ and Stephanie Malick in ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’ Her other credits include ‘Colony,’ ‘Snowed-Inn Christmas,’ ‘Good Eggs,’ ‘Savoring Paris,’ ‘A Biltmore Christmas,’ ‘An Unexpected Christmas,’ ‘Just My Type,’ and ‘Good Sam.’
Marcus Rosner as Shawn
Marcus Rosner stars in the small-town romantic film as Shawn Dalton. He is best known for his work on ‘When Calls the Heart’ as Charles Kensington, ‘Arrow’ as Max Fuller, ‘UnREAL’ as Warren Johnson, ‘My Fake Boyfriend’ as Nico and ‘Ride’ as Austin McMurray. His acting abilities can also be witnessed in ‘Framed for Murder: A Fixer Upper Mystery,’ ‘A Firehouse Christmas,’ ‘Summer in the Vineyard,’ ‘Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce,’ ‘Christmas in Evergreen,’ ‘Engaged by Christmas,’ ‘Christmas in Alaska,’ ‘Christmas in Maple Hills,’ ‘Sullivan’s Crossing,’ and ‘Coupled Up for Christmas.’
In addition, Rhonda Dent appears as Grace, a role that earned her a nomination for Best Supporting Performance by a Female in a Television Movie at the Leo Awards in 2019. Furthermore, the cast also includes a bunch of talented actors who offer convincing performances throughout the movie. It comprises John Schneider as Greg, Lauren London as Patty, Sharon Lawrence as Katherine, Oliver Rice as Derek, Amélie Wolf as Avery, Liza Huget as Mable and Nicole Hombrebueno as Lorna. The movie also features River Angeli as River, Allan Luna as the Husband, Kareem Malcolm as the Waiter, Leah Thom as the Director, and Pete Graham as Principal Edwards.
Read More: Sweet Holiday Romance: Filming Locations and Cast Details
