No matter what you think about Hallmark, they are making big strides and major changes. If they didn’t evolve with the times, I would not be watching. I would look away. But with movies such as The Groomsmen: Second Chances, Hallmark airs its first gay wedding and well I think that they did an amazing job of it.
Now, was I expecting a movie with such big complications? No, not at all. But love is complicated and it is not easy. Especially when you don’t see love that is right in front of your face.
Revisiting Danny, Pete, and Jackson is a treat. This movie focuses on Danny – him finding and figuring out love before it’s too late.
And it was perfection.
BEST FRIEND FALLS
Zack and Danny are the greatest of friends, but both have feelings. Those feelings are hidden deep inside. However, Zack’s feelings are written across his face. Just seeing the way that he stares at Danny or the way that he’s concerned about everything that Danny does is very sweet. Love seeing his heart.
Zack has started dating Nolan and Danny is bugged by him. Which I do get – because if you don’t know how to laugh, then you are scary. Like legit really scary. While we all know that is a sign that Danny has feelings buried, there is no shock that he doesn’t want to talk about it.
I think that one of the best things about movies is seeing the little moments. The moments that where glances are exchanged, the way a smile creeps in, the sadness or joy in eyes. But one of the hardest things to watch in movies is heartbreak.
And seeing Zack’s heartbreak over Nolan and him breaking up – that hurt. The way that it’s portrayed and the actual physical pain that I felt seeing it was a lot. It was so convincing.
Danny definitely missed a moment to tell Zack how he feels. But the fear of being rejected or the fear of loosing a friendship is hard. That fear is overwhelming. BUT, you never know until you try.
And that’s why I love the friendship between Pete, Jackson, and Danny – because they are going to push each other to do better – to be better.
TOO LITTLE TOO LATE
Nolan, you have the worst timing. Danny has gained the courage to tell Zack how he feels and you wanna call and be like worst week of my life? Sir, that’s a you problem.
The way that Danny was able to hold himself together as Zack told him and not break down in tears when he asked him to be the best man? Hard pass. Danny did too much to overcompensate for feelings and agreed to help plan the wedding.
Nolan is a walking red flag. He doesn’t want to make time in his schedule for his wedding, and legit has to be shamed into it. And then when he’s like wedding of his dreams… Nolan… come on sir. It’s both your wedding.
Nolan doesn’t know Zack the way that Danny does. I think that it bugs Zack more than he cares to let on – Nolans indecision. He becomes so defensive and so angry over everything. But the way that Danny can get Zack to open up and the way that he’s able to put things aside in order to be there for Zack… that’s love.
Have to admit though that watching Zack and Danny put together the wedding and talk about where to have it was just a lot. Taking somewhere you’ve been with your best friend – one that means something to you – that’s just wrong. So very wrong.
WEDDING PLANNING
How do you be around someone that you love desperately and how do you plan their wedding without it destroying you? I really need to understand. I couldn’t do it at all.
Danny and Zack planning the wedding. Absolutely adorable and heartbreaking. I swear Danny may be my favorite character in this series, because he’s just relatable. He’s funny, heartbreaking, strong, and sacrifcing. But there is no point in watching these two together that I don’t want to jump into the screen and tell Zack to wake up.
The moment that they are getting the tuxedos, and just seeing danny stare into the mirror, imagining what it was him that was getting married. The way that Danny became somewhat destructive with feelings – Nolans feelings after that – made me feel bad for Danny.
Trying to break up relationships is never a good thing. Unloading your own heart to make yourself feel better is somewhat selfish. But I also think that holding in the fact that you love someone is also so very selfish. Messing with peoples hearts isn’t fair.
There is a time and place for everything. This whole situation is breaking my heart.
SO MANY FEELINGS
Danny definitely shouldn’t be the best man. It’s too hard for him. Feelings are a powerful thing. I do think that Zack is being a little unfair too with how he’s complementing Danny every second. But we go back to how can you judge anyone on feelings if you aren’t going to be honest.
There are so many emotions that travel through me watching this movie. I severely dislike Nolan. His priorities are so messed up. There comes a time in everyones life where you have to learn to balance out the life – work and personal life.
However, Zack having to make excuses for Nolan every five seconds is frustrating. At what point do you realize your own worth? The way that Zack and Danny keep having to convince each other of their own feelings of happiness that aren’t there is just sad.
But maybe that’s why I love the friendship to love trope. There are always these complicated feelings, these overwhelming feelings of trepedation and regret. And so you put everything aside and you do what you have to do in order make it work. You’re going to have to be in it for the long haul.
It’s just something that has its ups and down and you go through all of these obsticles and you get there.
MY BIG FAT GREEK DISASTER
Greece. Man, Greece is the most beautiful place in the world. It’s stunning.
Now, I know that we’re going to have all sorts of ups and downs in this movie. Is the wedding going to be perfect? No. So no shocker that the obsticle to the wedding was the winery being shut down.
So Zack and Danny working to replan the wedding – with the help of one of Jackson’s social media stars – was perfection. The entire time that they were planning the wedding – again – was perfection. Seeing the two bond and have all of these moments where they go over all of the things that they love/hate about each other was great.
What I love about the friendship to love trope – these two are bringing to life so perfectly. Seeing everyone else see the love that two people feel and bringing it to their attention is one of my favorite things. Sometimes you need to be slapped in the face with people telling you things that you don’t see in order to realize what’s been there all along.
Zack not being able to pick a place for the wedding, his indecisiveness, his flirting (even though thats debatable) – it means something. What it means is different to everyone. For me, all the indecisiveness, it meant that he knew that this wedding was wrong. But Zack doesn’t know how to be wrong. He doesn’t want to be.
But the more these two spend time together, the more feelings are coming to light.
THE FLOWERS
Zack may not have been able to decide on a place to get married, but Jackson’s lady is working on that. She also scares me a bit – the way she tells them to do things.
Sending them to get flowers, when she says don’t talk to Constantinos, but he’s the only one there, I expected a lot of drama. Yet, Constantinos is charming and the way that he’s willing to help out immediately, means something. Just seeing the way that Constantinos smiles and is willing to move heaven and earth to get them the ruins… I can’t help but smile.
See, everything has a way of working out.
Seeing Zack and Danny at the ruins, there was a part of me that wanted to just shut up, but instead I screamed at the television and told them to wake the f*** up.
How have we not seen that Nolan should not be a part of this equation anymore. Zack is such a great guy and he keeps settling. He keeps looking forward to it being after the wedding and getting past the time of planning. The thing is though, if Nolan isn’t doing everything he can before the wedding is he is not going to do it after.
CLIFFS, JUMP OFF THEM
When you’re standing on the edge of life and trying to make decisions – everything is symbolic. Danny wanting to cliff jump with Zack? Very symbolic. He wants Zack to take leaps with him, but Zack isn’t willing to do it.
And it’s a sign.
It’s a sign that these two are experiencing so many conflicting emotions. The fact that Pete and Jackson show up just in time is also a sign. They needed to be there and they needed to separate Danny and Zack. Danny needed to be kept under control.
It was too close to the wedding and it was way past the time that Danny could or should be open. Do I think that Zach is making a mistake? 1000%. But it’s his mistake to make and sometimes we have to let our friends do just that – make their mistakes.
But maybe, just maybe I was wrong about signs. Because Zack was showing how much he was willing to leap off a cliff with Danny by setting up baseball on the beach. The more these two are exposed to each others worlds, the deeper their love becomes.
Until Nolan shows up.
WE HATE NOLAN, RIGHT?
When Zack and Danny almost kissed, I was screaming at the television for them to. However, Nolan showing up and interrupting that – we hate him. Then the next day Nolan being there and deciding to work – ick.
That almost kiss opened up a bunch of harshness. The way Zack fights so hard for Nolan, even though he knows that Nolan isn’t giving him what he needs – I want to scream at him to snap out of it.
Zack is having “wedding jitters” but he’s also having a lot of doubts. When you have as many doubts as Zack does, you need to do some reconsidering. Love isn’t enough for a wedding. It’s the hardest job you will ever take on in your life. It’s also one that you have to want to take on knowing that there will times where you will fight and hate each other.
Danny is having a lot of doubts too. Him talking to Pete and Jackson about the almost kiss and him deciding to not tell Zack that he loves him – well I wasn’t ready for their pep talk. I wasn’t ready for them to tell him that he needs to find out Zack’s feelings and tell his, even if he doesn’t like the answer.
The courage it takes to tell feelings – to hopefully stop a wedding – that’s a lot. Danny admitting his love for Zack, I cried. Yes, my cold heart cried. Danny admitting that he loves Zack was the most courageous thing that I have ever seen him do. Zack turning away from that was the most cowardly thing that he’s ever done.
But I do get being a coward, because that’s the exact thing that I would do. Fear would have set in, anger and confusion would overtake, and Jojo’s Too Little Too Late would become that persons ringtone on my phone.
WEDDING DAY
The Groomsmen in tuxedos – fire.
Zack and Nolan getting ready for wedding, there was about as much love there as a person has for liver and onions. But I think that it even made Zack think. Danny not wanting to show up for the wedding, there was so much selfishness and love there that I think it even made Danny think.
In life we all have to do hard things. Sometimes it takes to the most dramatic moments for us to learn all about the hard things.
Zack showing up to the cliff that he wouldn’t jump off earlier, but changing his mind to jump with Danny… it was everything. Yes, I stood up and applauded. Yes, I also had my eyes open wide when they cliff jumped together.
It may have taken another year for Danny and Zack to get together, but sometimes the best things are worth the wait.
Danny and Zack remind a person of what love can be – what it should be. They open your eyes to the fact that the greatest moments in love are the ones that you take chances for.
Them taking a chance on each other was one of the best gifts these movies have given us. They are special.
Love is something worth risking everything for. That’s a lesson that we should take away from this one.
The Groomsmen: Seconds Chances is streaming now on Hallmark+.
