It’s refreshing to see Hallmark expand its storytelling by exploring the complexities of male friendships, particularly addressing both straight and gay relationships, in a way that highlights vulnerability—a territory Hallmark typically focuses on through its female leads. Jonathan Bennett stars in Hallmark’s latest holiday offering The Groomsmen, which is a trilogy each tackling the love stories of its three fantastic male leads–Bennett, B.J. Britt, and Tyler Hynes.
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Jonathan Bennett has been breaking new ground with Hallmark. In The Holiday Sitter, he not only starred in the channel’s first LGBTQ+ Christmas film but also took on key creative roles as co-writer and executive producer. Before becoming a staple in Hallmark’s cozy, feel-good holiday films, Bennett gained widespread recognition for his role as Aaron Samuels in Mean Girls, where he played the straight love interest of Lindsay Lohan’s character. In Mean Girls, he worked alongside some of Hollywood’s biggest names, including Rachel McAdams, Lacey Chabert, and Amanda Seyfried.
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Speaking on heteronormative prejudices, Bennett says he’s lucky to be able to bring a character to life in a film that challenges societal norms with regard to expressing feelings. Through The Groomsmen, Bennet, Britt, and Hynes are able to show audiences that men, regardless of their sexual identities, can be emotionally expressive, which will help to break societal prejudice against men being vulnerable. Bennett shares with People:
“I don’t think we see a lot of men, whether it be straight or gay, being vulnerable with each other and opening up and saying, ‘Hey, I’m scared of this. Hey, this worries me. Hey, this is something in my life that I think about that makes me uncomfortable and I don’t know what to do about it. You don’t see that story a lot.”
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In the film trilogy, Bennett is stepping into the shoes of a former Major League Baseball player who becomes a coach. This role is not just groundbreaking, it opens the door for more stories that showcase men’s emotional journeys and challenge stereotypes. It’s fantastic to think about how this movie could inspire future Hallmark films and even other networks to embrace more diverse narratives. Who knows? We might be on the brink of a whole new era in feel-good queer storytelling!
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The Groomsmen: Second Chances airs on Thursday October 24th on Hallmark+ with the third part of the film The Groomsmen: Last Dance streaming on October 31st. You can already catch the first part of the film The Groomsmen: First Look on Hallmark+.
Source: People