I’ll start off by saying that I’m a sucker for movies like these — the ones that contain numerous characters who are all somehow connected to everyone you meet throughout the film. That plus the fact that it was directed by one of my favorites, Garry Marshall, makes this something I’m guaranteed to watch and enjoy. And I did.
New Year’s Eve follows several interconnected stories of people experiencing various problems on the final holiday of the year. From Claire Morgan (Hilary Swank) who is in charge of making the arrangements for the infamous ball drop and her strained relationship with her father, Stan (Robert Deniro) to Ingrid Withers (Michelle Pfeiffer) who bribes a man named Paul (Zac Efron) to help her check off her New Year’s resolutions in exchange for tickets to a popular masquerade ball, this movie is all about the different possibilities the holiday brings. In addition, we follow a single mother, Kim (Sarah Jessica Parker), who is having issues with her daughter Hailey (Abigail Breslin), who would rather spend the holiday with her crush then with her mother and a musician named Daniel Jensen (Bon Jovi) who is trying to make amends with his former fiancé, Laura (Katherine Heigl), after he screwed up their relationship previously. With numerous other relationships and stories, this film does not lack for entertainment.
This film is one of three that Marshall directed in what I refer to as the “holi-day” franchise. The first in the trio was Valentine’s Day (2010), followed by this one and then ending with Mother’s Day (2016). I know that many critics did not enjoy this movie but I thought it was really fun. With unexpected pairings between numerous actors such as Michelle Pfeiffer and Zac Efron or Josh Duhamel and Sarah Jessica Parker, this movie is full of surprises. While the pairings were not expected, they were definitely complimentary of one another. I love Pfeiffer and Efron’s storyline the most as it represented what I think of when it comes to this holiday — checking off your resolutions and making new ones to stave off any regrets for the year ahead. That and the fact that I loved Pfeffier’s character, Ingrid. She was so sweet and adorable that you couldn’t help but root for her. In many ways, we all become Paul (Efron) as we watch her accomplish all her goals throughout the day. Behind that pairing was Katherine Heigl and Bon Jovi’s relationship, which was really fun to watch. I love seeing a couple reunite just in the nick of time, but who doesn’t? There’s also something about a man groveling for forgiveness that just does it for me, but that’s another story…
The storylines that just didn’t do it for me included Abigail Breslin’s, Halle Berry’s, and Hilary Swank’s. Berry’s and Swank’s were too depressing for me to enjoy, while Breslin’s was too childish for me to invest in. I really didn’t care if she got her midnight kiss, but maybe someone else will. However, the worst storyline, or should I say the most boring, is a tie between that of Ashton Kutcher and Lea Michelle and Seth Meyers and Jessica Biel’s, who play a couple that are trying to have their baby the minute the clock strikes midnight in the hopes of receiving a cash reward. Aside from learning that this stuff actually happens in real life, which I find absolutely ridiculous, their storyline was snooze-ville. I’m already trying to forget about Ashton Kutcher and Lea Michelle’s plot in the movie because, in addition to having absolutely no chemistry on screen, their storyline really had no effect on the movie as a whole. Case in point, they were irrelevant. Nevertheless, while I might not have enjoyed these storylines as much as others, as a whole, each storyline was enjoyable enough to indulge in for two hours, which is what I think makes this a good movie.
While it’s not my favorite of the holi-day franchise, it’s definitely one I love to watch on New’s Years Eve. With the perfect mix of sentimentality and hilarity that makes this film perfect for the family to enjoy, New Year’s Eve has got something for everyone. Regardless of how many times I’ve seen, or will see, this movie, it will always be something I can enjoy just because of the story it tells. From living with no regrets to being in the moment with your loved ones, this movie will always be timeless to me.
What do you think of this movie? Let me know in the comments below!
***I do not own this photo.
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