15. New Year’s Eve (2011) — Starring a veritable who’s who of Hollywood past and present, everyone from Robert DeNiro to Zac Efron is in this film which is set in New York City on New Year’s Eve. It’s a hodgepodge of stories and tales about people, couples and singles alike.
14. 54 (1998) — This one tells the inside story of world famous nightclub Studio 54, all through the eyes of a young employee.
13. Trading Places (1983) — Mortimer and Randolph Duke, two eccentric millionaires that own a commodity trading company bet $1 to each other that they can take a man off the street and turn him into an investor, and vice versa. They give themselves until New Year’s Day to accomplish the task.
12. Boogie Nights (1997) — Dirk Diggler (Mark Wahlberg) is a porn star who has it all. Rollergirl is the veteran actress that helped him learn the ropes, as well as helped him audition when he was first starting out.
Over the course of the movie they bond, and ride the roller coaster of emotions that came with being a star in the late 1970’s through the drug addled 80’s.
Only one scene throughout the movie is set on New Year’s Eve, but it is a crucial one, marking the changing of the decade.
11. 200 Cigarettes (1999) — Starring Ben Affleck in one of his first projects after winning his Oscar statue for “Good Will Hunting,” he is the bartender that ties the rest of the ensemble cast together as they struggle to cope with life, and love. All anyone in the film wants to make sure that they have a date for New Year’s Eve at the bar.
10. Holiday (1938) — Cary Grant stars with Katherine Hepburn in this one about a man that wants nothing more than to spend his life on holiday. The hitch is that he has fallen for a pair of rich women that can make it happen for him, only they’re sisters and he has to choose one by New Year’s Eve.
9. Money Train (1995) — A pure action film about a New York transit cop that tries to steal a train filled with subway fares. The action packed climax takes place in Times Square on New Year’s Eve.
8. The Apartment (1960) — Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine star in this film which sees C.C. Baxter (Lemmon) figure out that he can climb the corporate ladder simply by lending out his apartment to the higher ups to have their secret trysts.
The film ends with Fran (MacLaine) simply telling Baxter to “Shut up and deal” as the new year is about to be rung in.
7. Holiday Inn (1942) — Irving Berlin’s now infamous “White Christmas” was written expressly for this movie, which stars Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire.
This film isn’t set entirely on New Year’s Eve, as it follows a complete year at the Holiday Inn.
6. An American in Paris (1951) — Jerry Mulilgan (Gene Kelly) is an American expatriot and WWII hero now trying to make it as a painter in Paris.
His plans to marry a woman whom he doesn’t love are foiled by the man that does love her at a New Year’s Eve ball. The movie was lauded for the staunch realism of the era that it displayed.
5. Sunset Boulevard (1950) — William Holden and Gloria Swanson lead this star studded cast that includes cameo appearances from more than a dozen Hollywood stars of the era.
Joe (Holden) is forced to take a low paying job at a newspaper in Ohio, unless he agrees to help Norma (Swanson).
At first he is resistant to her advances and refuses to move into her mansion, choosing instead to live in a room over the garage. Eventually as he helps her write a manuscript he becomes dependent upon her wealth and attends a New Year’s Eve party, with just the two of them.
4. About a Boy (2002) — The story of an immature young man, that learns how to be a very immature adult. Based on a Nick Hornby novel.
3. The Godfather part II (1974) — The second installment in the history of the Corleone crime family, one of the key scenes in this one includes a New Year’s Eve party in Havana, Cuba where Michael Corleone grabs his brother and utters this now famous line. "I know it was you, Fredo — you broke my heart."
2. Serendipity (2001) — Jonathan and Sarah met when they each tried to buy the same pair of gloves. There is an instant attraction, though both are already involved in other relationships.
Years later they finally manage to reconnect after Jonathon finally discovers the book that Sarah wrote her number in.
1. When Harry Met Sally (1989) — The ultimate chick flick. This movie keeps bringing up the question of whether men and women can ever truly just be friends.
It covers their 12 year relationship of chance encounters and cross country trips.
New Year’s Eve parties from two different years are included among the history of the relationship here, including the final piece of the puzzle, which answers the question that has been posed throughout the film.
What about The Poseidon Adventure? A classic Gene Hackman film!
ReplyDeletePoseidon Adventure was oh so close to making this list, and probably should have over some of those, but then I was trying to appeal to a mass audience and not put too much of one genre on here.
ReplyDeleteBig yes to When Harry Met Sally being the top, always the first movie I think of when it comes to New Year's Eve.
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite movies regardless of type right there.
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