New Year's Eve (2011)
Starring: Too many people to count
Directed by: Garry Marshall
SC=4 V=2 C=5
Grade: A
This is one of those ensemble movies and the "sequel" to Valentine's Day. This movie was good but it had SO many people in it that a lot of the characters didn't get the focus they should have gotten (especially Josh Duhamel). Michelle Pfeiffer and Zac Efron are Ingrid and Paul, a lonely record company worker and the young courier who delivers to her office. She receives tickets to the hottest party in town and promises them to Paul if he will help make all of her New Year's resolutions from last year come true. Paul's roommate is Randy (Ashton Kutcher), who hates New Year's Eve. He gets stuck in the elevator with Elise (Lea Michele), who is a backup singer for Jensen (Jon Bon Jovi). While Randy and Elise bond in the elevator, Jensen is trying to win back the heart of Laura (Katherine Heigl), whom he left before their wedding. She is catering the party that seems to connect everyone together (as these movies do). After his friends wedding and on his way to the party is Sam (Josh Duhamel), the son of the record company owner. After being in a car accident, he is forced to catch a ride into the city in an RV with the priest. While in the car, he tells the family the story of last New Year's Eve and the woman he met. The mysterious woman told him to meet her in the exact spot at the same time next New Year's, if he was still interested. Stan Harris (Robert De Nero) is dying in the hospital with only his doctor (Cary Elwes) and nurse (Halle Berry) to take care of him. He isn't interested in treatment or his family being contacted. He just wants to see the ball drop. Tess (Jessica Biel) and Griffin (Seth Meyers) Byrne are having a baby, which they decide has to be born that night because of a cash prize (which may or may not be $25,000) being offered to the first baby born in the New Year. The happiest night of their lives turns into a competition with another couple to win the money. Kim (Sarah Jessica Parker) and her daughter Hailey (Abigail Breslin) always spend the holidays together. But, for the first year, Hailey wants to spend New Year's Eve with her new crush (Jake T. Austin), kissing at midnight. When Kim won't let her do that, she leaves anyway, forcing Kim to chase after her. Finally, Claire Morgan (Hilary Swank) is the manager of the Times Square Alliance and in charge of making sure the ball drops. This is made difficult by a short in the ball, causing it not only to not light up all the way but not rise into the air. Now, she has to figure out how to fix the problem before it gets even more out of hand. Overall, good idea. I just think there was too many people and that took away from the stories that were really good. They should have just kept Josh Duhamel, Zac Efron and Michelle Pfeiffer, Ashton Kutcher and Lea Michele, and Sarah Jessica Parker and Abigail Breslin and it would have been a much better movie. Plus, the blooper reel at the end is one of the cutest things I've ever seen.
Instead of three pictures as usual, I'll put one of each pairing, because I couldn't pick the best.
