Garry Marshall directs New Year’s Eve, a film that attempts to squeeze twelve separate stories into one evening, and the result mostly misses its mark. Katherine Fugate wrote the screenplay, and the cast is impressively large, including Halle Berry, Jessica Biel, Jon Bon Jovi, Zac Efron, Michelle Pfeiffer, and many others. The movie aims for a festive comedy with genuine warmth, yet the warmth keeps being drowned out by the sheer number of characters.
Trailer, via spray1337.
Claire’s Ball Drop
Aimee and Mindy tend to Stan Harris as he lies near death, waiting for his doctor’s confirmation that he will soon pass. His daughter Claire Morgan, a vice-president at the Times Square Alliance, works to finish arrangements for the ball drop. Stan has refused chemotherapy and wants nothing more than to see the ball drop one last time before he dies.
Ingrid’s Resolution
A deliveryman named Paul Doyle agrees to help a secretary named Ingrid Withers finish her New Year’s resolutions before the stroke of midnight. Ingrid, who works as a secretary at Ahern Records, walks out of her job after being almost struck by a vehicle and refused time off. To secure Paul’s assistance, she trades him tickets to the Ahern Records Masquerade Ball.
Paul’s Family
Paul’s older sister Kim struggles with her teenage daughter Hailey, who prefers spending New Year’s Eve with her friends and her boyfriend Seth Anderson in Times Square. Kim is a lonely, recently divorced mom. Paul’s best friend, comic book illustrator Randy, hates New Year’s Eve because his girlfriend left him on the date. He gets stuck in an elevator with Elise, an aspiring backup singer for musician Daniel Jensen, who is preparing to perform at the ball while trying to rekindle his relationship with former fiancée Laura.
The Hospital
The same hospital is where young Griffin and Tess Byrne are waiting to welcome their first child while also competing with James and Grace Schwab for the New Year’s Day baby bonus.
Sam Ahern
Sam Ahern Jr., the son of the late founder Sam Ahern Sr. of Ahern Records, is traveling to the company ball to give a significant speech when his vehicle crashes in Connecticut. He contemplates whether he should reconnect with a woman he met and fell in love with on the previous New Year’s Eve.
The Ensemble Problem
The issue here is size. Marshall and Fugate have so much material that their narratives keep overlapping, producing a film that can’t seem to stick with one storyline for long. People show up, speak a couple lines, and disappear. The viewer is left uncertain what any of it matters.
“The one night anything is possible.”
That tagline promises magic. The film delivers chaos.
How It Compares
| Film | Setting | Main Plot |
|---|---|---|
| New Year’s Eve | New York City | Multiple couples and singles |
| Valentine’s Day | Los Angeles | Multiple couples and singles |
| Mother’s Day | Various locations | Multiple families |
The pattern holds true across all three movies: a large cast, a single holiday setting, and several separate storylines running through it. Among the trio, New Year’s Eve comes up short.
The Verdict
The jokes land flat, the characters feel like names on a page, and the runtime drags — that’s what New Year’s Eve amounts to. The film never finds its rhythm. It keeps piling on stories without letting any of them settle down and take shape.
This film needed to be more focused. It should have chosen one or two narratives and handled them with care. Instead it attempted to cover everything at once and succeeded in doing nothing well.
A shorter night is what New Year’s Eve gives viewers instead of the celebration they expected. The film fails to deliver on its promise, leaving audiences wishing for an evening that did not last so long.
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