New Year's Eve (2011)

 

New Year's Eve - 2011

Happy New Year's Eve!  I know you're all thrilled to be joining me in saying "So long" to 2020 and "Hello" to 2021.  It's been a crazy year, but I'm thankful for everyone of you who tuned into the blog.  Today's film is a specially-themed installment.  2011's "New Year's Eve" brings us a bunch of interconnecting storylines that revolve around New Year's Eve.  There's new love, old love, chance meetings, and resolutions.  There's even a bit of a mystery.

The film's impressive ensemble cast includes: Jake T. Austin, Halle Berry, Jessica Biel, Abigail Breslin, Matthew Broderick, Jon Bon Jovi, Robert De Niro, Josh Duhamel, Zac Efron, Hector Elizondo, Cary Elwes, Carla Gugino, Katherine Heigl, Cherry Jones, Ashton Kutcher, John Lithgow, Ludacris, Barbara Marshall, Kathleen Marshall, Penny Marshall, Jack McGee, Seth Meyers, Lea Michele, Alyssa Milano, Larry Miller, Sean O'Bryan, Sarah Jessica Parker, Michelle Pfeiffer, Ryan Seacrest, Yeardley Smith, Hilary Swank, Sofia Vergara, Common, Til Schweiger, and Sarah Paulson.

The setting of our film is New York City.  Christmas has concluded and it's New Year's Eve.  The city pulsates with excitement.

Executive Claire Morgan is in charge of making sure the ball drops in Times Square.  However, things don't go as expected.  On top of all of this, she's got somewhere to be.  She hands over the duties to someone else so she can be at her appointed place at midnight.

James and Grace Schwab and Griffin and Tess Byrne are two couples who are expecting babies.  Both of them are trying to win the race to be the first to have a baby in the new year.  That title comes with a prize of $25,000.

The question is: will a baby be born or will it be a twin set of "Valentine's Day" DVDs?

Shy and introverted Ingrid Withers has her world turned upside down when she meets a messenger named Paul.  He inspires her to quit her job and tackle some of the things on her resolutions list.  With Paul's help, she takes a trip around the world and saves a life.

Caterer Laura Carrington is working the biggest party in town.  She's also got a complicated relationship with rock star Danny Jensen.  However, by the time the New Year arrives, things seem to be heading in the right direction for them.

Hospital nurse Aimee is torn between her duties at the hospital (making sure a patient who is alone and dying has someone with him) and being at a New Year's appointment she's made.

Randy and Elise meet in an elevator.  The elevator gets stuck and the two have to spend a lot of time together.

Kim is a single mother who worries about her teenage daughter Hailey.  Kim's struggling to give her daughter more freedom, and she is very reluctant to allow her to meet friends alone in Times Square at midnight.

Sam crashes his car on his way into the city.  He's got to make an important speech at a company party, and he's got no way to get there.  A friendly family allows him to hitch a ride in their RV.  On the way, he tells them that he's also going to meet a woman he fell in love with last New Year's Eve.  The two agreed to meet the following year, and he is wondering if she will be there.

When he's just about ready to give up hope, the woman, whose identity has been kept a secret from us for the entire film, arrives.  They ring in the New Year together.

Cast rundown:

   Jake T. Austin....................................Seth Anderson

   Halle Berry........................................Nurse Aimee

   Jessica Biel.......................................Tess Byrne

   Abigail Breslin...................................Hailey Doyle

   Matthew Broderick.............................Mr. Buellerton

   Jon Bon Jovi.....................................Danny Jensen

   Robert De Niro..................................Stan Harris

   Josh Duhamel...................................Sam Ahern

   Zac Efron..........................................Paul

   Hector Elizondo.................................Kominsky

   Cary Elwes.......................................Stan's Doctor

   Carla Gugino.....................................Dr. Morriset

   Katherine Heigl.................................Laura Carrington

   Cherry Jones.....................................Rose Ahern

   Ashton Kutcher..................................Randy

   John Lithgow.....................................Jonathan Cox

   Ludacris...........................................Brendan

   Barbara Marshall...............................Nurse Helen

   Kathleen Marshall..............................Stage Manager Charlotte

   Penny Marshall.................................Herself

   Jack McGee......................................Grandpa Jed

   Seth Meyers.....................................Griffin Byrne

   Lea Michele......................................Elise

   Alyssa Milano....................................Nurse Mindy

   Larry Miller.......................................Harley

   Sean O'Bryan...................................Pastor Edwin

   Sarah Jessica Parker..........................Kim Doyle

   Michelle Pfeiffer................................Ingrid Withers

   Ryan Seacrest..................................Himself

   Yeardley Smith.................................Maude

   Hilary Swank....................................Claire Morgan

   Sofia Vergara...................................Ava

   Common.........................................Soldier

   Til Schweiger...................................James Schwab

   Sarah Paulson..................................Grace Schwab

And that's it for New Year's Eve.  I hope you had as much fun as I had this year on the blog.  It's been a blast!  I have a few ideas for some new features/segments, but they are still being kicked around inside my head.  Thanks again for joining us!  And Happy New Year!

One of the funny moments I love in this film comes when Penny Marshall sees a young woman and asks if she's an actress.  The young woman says, "Yeah!  I've played a nurse, a cop, a teacher..."  Penny interrupts her and says, "How about playing a waitress and get me another drink?"

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