The Brenner brothers are back, and Hallmark’s Three Wiser Men and a Boy is an even greater gem than its predecessor, which is saying something because I consider the original to be Hallmark’s best Christmas property to date. Sequels coming in at the heels of something beloved are a challenging feat because how do you top what’s already exceptional? You make it more emotional and deeply relatable. That’s how.
While many viewers can’t relate to finding an abandoned baby at a fire station, we can certainly relate to feelings of inadequacy and the roaring self-doubt that haunts us during crucial turning points. With another compelling screenplay from writers Paul Campbell, Kimberley Sustad, and Russell Hainline, plus outstanding directing from Terry Ingram, Hallmark’s Three Wiser Men and a Baby sees each of the Brenner men at a crossroads, and it utilizes each actor’s aptitude to deliver something truly remarkable.
Did I call this sequel when I wrote my original review of the first film and said that Sophie will go on vacation while the men once again take over? Who’s to say? But this very plot line is the glue that propels the brothers back together as they understandably question where they’re at and their relationship with their mother’s new boyfriend. Thomas is now grown up, Sophie and Luke are married, and all is well with them. Except age has a way of breaking people down, and it does so with Luke’s responsibilities at the firehouse and his commitment to fatherhood.
Andrew Walker is one of the strongest performers when it comes to subtly portraying a man’s downfall, and that’s what we see with Luke while he struggles to juggle his responsibilities, as his back torments him a bit. Good old adulthood, bad backs and the dreadful feeling that people might not need you anymore. While he grapples with how much he’s done in the first film, in the second, he deals with the uncertainties of how to maybe ease up a bit. The fear that he can be replaced is something everyone battles from time to time, so it’s relevant that the film would include this arc with his development.
At the same time, for a beat, the movie makes it seem as though Stephan’s anxiety is now entirely under control, but anyone who suffers from anxiety knows that might not exactly be possible. Simultaneously, while he and Susie (Fiona Vroom) are still going strong, she’s waiting on a proposal while his attention transits to other areas. Paul Campbell shines with greater layers in this sequel as he subtly brings a plethora of emotions onto the surface.
What Stephan wants and what he ends up getting at the end of Hallmark’s Three Wiser Men and a Boy establishes the importance of letting quieter people have their moment in the spotlight, making the film’s end result an even more delightful surprise. It’s an unmistakable reminder that sometimes, what people vocalize aloud and what they keep bottled up can be two very different things, and in this case, the combination of the two is a lovely (and hilarious) aftermath.
Lastly, of all the Brenner brothers, Taylor’s the one going through it the most while he’s struggling to sell his latest game and is on the verge of losing his apartment at the same time. His relationship with Fiona didn’t work out, but it’s okay because the sequel gives us more romance than the original by setting him up with a woman who’s essentially the female version of him. Erin Karpluk’s Caroline is multifaceted, funny, and sharp, sending Taylor down a path that feels right for him. As the two get to know each other, the romantic arc adds a captivating layer to his character’s ability to open up when he feels safe to do so. I’d take more of these two any day because seeing their development right from the start makes the journey of coming together more satisfying.
Additionally, like both his brothers, Taylor carries his weighty crosses, and today, they might be the most relatable to us journalists and creative people. With countless layoffs left and right and our jobs being under constant threat because of AI, it can be so daunting to keep going while people don’t take chances on the things we’re passionate about. Tyler Hynes is incredible at playing a grump, but he’s especially skilled at playing a tortured hero whose vulnerability results in dismantling toxic masculinity.
Hallmark’s Three Wiser Men and a Boy is bound to become another holiday staple because it’s an effortless exhibition that humans aren’t alone in their fears of not being good enough. This particular sorrow has the dreadfully haunting ability to take hold of us in a way no other fear could, and when it claws, the marks it leaves behind continue to sting long after we’ve tried bandaging the wound. And that’s because these wounds don’t close quickly.
One compliment or a single person’s faith in us sometimes isn’t enough to combat the negative voices that consistently growl, but persistence is what matters. It’s the bare minimum of what we can do for each other as human beings. The film thoughtfully addresses this ache with Thomas and each of the Brenner brothers as they put their skills to the test for each other and put on an endearing show that’s as laughable as it is heartfelt.
It also comes loaded with another tearjerker in the form of a van conversation, and in truth, what I’d written in my review of the first movie still stands strongly here:
“There’s also something to be said about how, where their argument occurs in a spacious home, their reconciliation takes place in a small, dark place. It serves as a stunning metaphor for all the emotions they’ve compartmentalized. Since their father left, a hole was left in each of their hearts, and much like the confinements of a car, the best of them was shoved and stored away there. At this moment, each of their pent-up emotions releases, filling the tight space with the words they’ve needed to say to free themselves from the heartaches they’ve carried. It’s what they’ve needed to replace the hole inside of them with the stitches necessary to move forward and lead with love.”‘
How this enclosed space has the ability to make me lose it is no small feat. With a sequel this worthy, I firmly believe the writers can also deliver another—let’s make it a trilogy. Three brothers, three movies. It only seems fair. Better yet, maybe we can just reunite with them every few years because all the bickering is too entertaining to only include in two movies. The world deserves more.
Hallmark’s Three Wiser Men and a Boy is all heart—a diligently layered showcase of brotherhood, fatherhood, and a compelling display of how loving others and self-care go hand-in-hand. The writers aren’t afraid of being vulnerable, which, in turn, allows the actors to target substantial emotions that pack a cathartic punch. It’s a story that beautifully demonstrates how people are more than enough with significant narrative beats that would appeal to many film enthusiasts, not just those of us who devour Hallmark holiday films like it’s an Olympic sport. These movies should’ve gotten a theatrical release. They really should have.
Watch Three Wiser Men and a Boy on the Hallmark Channel this Christmas.
First Featured Image Credit: ©Hallmark