“New Year’s Eve” review: 4.5 stars

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by Sanjana Baldwa & Sheridan Tobin

January 1: the mark of the new year. It is the day when people start anew, create resolutions, and make goals; it is the day of a new beginning. The night before, New Year’s Eve, is the one night each year when the world comes together to celebrate the past year and move forward.

“New Year’s Eve,” directed by Garry Marshall and written by Katherine Fugate, writer of “Valentine’s Day,” features a star-studded cast ranging from musical sensations to icons of the movie industry.

As the daylight fades, the countdown to the new year begins, and that countdown is what this movie chronicles, in ten different plot lines that all somehow intertwine.

Although the characters live very different day-to-day lives, for this one night, each of them has one goal in mind: to have something magical occur on this special occasion, whether it be to have the shining ball drop successfully in Times Square, check off all the resolutions on their list, have the $25,000 New Year’s baby, or get that perfect midnight kiss. Each story is very unique and dynamic, and the popular cast makes the film all the more enjoyable.

The movie begins with Claire Morgan (Hilary Swank), the perfectly cast vice president of the Times Square Alliance, as she tries to impeccably organize the annual Times Square ball dropping. Alongside her stands Brendan (Chris “Ludacris” Bridges), a NYPD cop, who seems to know a lot about her.

The camera switches scenes, introducing Laura Carrington (Katherine Heigl), a catering service chef with her sidekicks played by the stunning Sofia Vergara and hilarious Russell Peters. She just so happens to be catering the same Archer Records gala at which her super star ex, Jensen (Jon Bon Jovi), whom she still resents, is performing.

Next, we are introduced to Paul (Zac Efron), a girl-hunting yet adorable delivery boy, who creatively helps Ingrid (Michelle Pfeiffer), an employee of Archer Records, fulfill her resolutions list before midnight, in exchange for tickets to the most anticipated New Year’s Eve gala.

Paul’s roommate, Randy (Ashton Kutcher),who is extremely against the whole concept of New Year’s Eve, falls into an unlucky situation with a girl Elise (Lea Michele). What looks like a normal elevator ride turns into hours of entrapment.

Other smaller stories include those that take place in a hospital, involving nurse Amy (Halle Berry) who spends her final hours with Stan Harris (Robert De Niro) as well as two couples who compete to have that first born baby of the new year (Jessica Biel, Seth Meyers, Sarah Paulson, and Til Schweiger), which makes for one of the best stories.

Additionally, there is the story of a young girl (Abigail Breslin) and her desire to finally kiss the cute boy in her history class (Jake T. Austin) without the bind of her mother (Sarah Jessica Parker), and the quest of a dapper and intelligent man (Josh Duhamel) as he tries to find the girl who had kissed him at midnight the year before.

With this inundation of Hollywood celebrities, one may feel a bit overwhelmed, but the movie does an excellent job of differentiating between each plot line. Additionally, what makes these complex mini-stories so compelling are the connections and relationships that are cleared up nearing the end of the movie. Finding out how one story is related to another really emphasizes the theme of togetherness during the holiday season and is truly heart-warming.

Though this movie may seem similar to “Valentine’s Day” (2009), “Love Actually” (2003), or any other similar romantic comedy, it is far better in terms of story-line, cast, and humor. The movie’s varying plots can cater to any audience.

Overall, “New Year’s Eve” is full of surprises and really emphasizes “the one thing that turns a lonely place into a lovely place: love.” It’s not monumental, but the spirit of the humor and warmth of sentiment makes for a serendipitous harmony of all people coming together to celebrate faith, the beginning of a new year, and all the magic that comes with it.

Rating 4.5/5 because of the well-portrayed love and emotion, great humor, and very heart-warming romance stories that really bookend the year well.