EPISODE · Apr 22, 2026 · 22 MIN
To Philly with Love Review
from Hallmark Mysteries & More · host Eric Rutin & Andrea Claassen
We would love to hear from you. Send us your thoughts or suggestions. 💌 A teacher and an archivist decode Revolutionary War-era love letters in Philadelphia. Likeable leads, a fun premise — and a script that couldn't quite get out of its own way.Eric and Andrea review To Philly with Love, starring Rebecca Dalton and Stephen Huszar. Andrea gives it a 2-star verdict. Eric lands in a similar place. Both of us really liked the leads and wanted them to have a better movie to be in.What worked: Rebecca and Stephen were charming together with decent chemistry. The romance unfolded naturally without the usual “I don't like him” trope. The ending exhibit scene with the love letter read aloud between the soldier and the woman was the clear highlight for both of us — genuinely moving, and a cool way to present the letters.What didn't work: the pacing was slow, the writing felt uneven and rambly (the cheesesteak scene alone could have been trimmed to 30 seconds), and the five-minute mid-movie letter reading should have been paraphrased. Then there's the typical third-act fight — lazy writing when the rest of Hallmark's 2026 slate has been so much stronger.Then come the history problems. 250-year-old letters with no creases, no fading, stored behind a suspiciously clean-looking brick you apparently couldn't see through the wallpaper. A descendant reveals that it ignores how anyone with a Revolutionary-era family legacy (Daughters of the Revolution, Ladies of Liberty) already KNOWS that history. And for the record: Betsy Ross did NOT design the United States flag.Standout scene for both of us: that final exhibit letter reading — even though the party crowd on screen inexplicably ignored the whole thing. Eric also gives a nod to the kiss scene right after — nice chemistry, fine romance.Recommendations if you liked this one: Eric points to The Lost Valentine with Betty White and Jennifer Love Hewitt — not just a great Hallmark movie, a great movie, period (worth getting Hallmark+ for). Andrea suggests Five Gold Rings, Holiday Touchdown: A Bills Love Story, and A Little Christmas Charm with Ashley Greene and Brendan Penny for that rom-com-mystery vibe.Subscribe so you don't miss next week — we're wrapping up April with Tyler Hines, then heading into May for moms, murders, and rom-coms.⏱️ CHAPTERS00:00 Welcome to Philly (Whiz or No Whiz?)01:00 First Impressions & Andrea's 2-Star Verdict02:30 What We Liked About To Philly with Love05:00 Where the Script Fell Apart07:30 The 250-Year-Old Pristine Letters Problem09:30 Nobody Watched the Exhibit11:00 The Descendant Reveal Falls Flat12:30 Betsy Ross Did NOT Design the Flag13:45 Standout Scene: The Letter Reading15:00 The Romance & Kiss Chemistry16:30 What We'd Recommend Instead20:30 Next Week & Wrap-Up#ToPhillyWithLove #Hallmark #HallmarkChannel #HallmarkReview #RebeccaDalton #StephenHuszar #HallmarkMysteries #HallmarkMovies #TheLostValentineFollow us on social media: Instagram and TikTok: @hallmarkmysteriesandmoreYoutubeOr visit our website. This podcast was created by fans for fans and is NOT affiliated with or sponsored by Hallmark or the Hallmark Channel.
What this episode covers
We would love to hear from you. Send us your thoughts or suggestions. 💌 A teacher and an archivist decode Revolutionary War-era love letters in Philadelphia. Likeable leads, a fun premise — and a script that couldn't quite get out of its own way. Eric and Andrea review To Philly with Love, starring Rebecca Dalton and Stephen Huszar. Andrea gives it a 2-star verdict. Eric lands in a similar place. Both of us really liked the leads and wanted them to have a better movie to be in. What worked: ...
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To Philly with Love Review
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