What Do The Critics Say?

"Like "The Love Boat," this is stories about love featuring a lot of big stars and with depth that can only be measured with micrometers - and Sofia Vergara as Charo. But that doesn’t mean that it is not entertaining, first for the fun of seeing so many stars cross the screen and second because so much is going on that the weakest parts are over before you realize how weak they are. It would be quicker to list the stars who are not in this movie than those who are." Nell Minow BELIEF NET "Every once in a while a movie comes along that has no deep message; no car chases or tons of explosives; and what's best it isn’t in 3D. The purpose of these movies is just to entertain, and such a movie is “New Year’s Eve.” This Garry Marshall directed film has a cast of thousands, or at least it seems that way. Each aspect of the film succeeds, and with all the 'heavy' movies being thrust upon us lately it is a welcome relief." JACKIE K COOPER "It's the countdown to the biggest party of the year. Especially as this one is going to be held in New York's Times Square on New Year's Eve. Not only is there a whole series of Crash-style stories, there's a star-studded cast to tell them. Famous faces include Michelle Pfeiffer, Zac Efron, Jessica Biel and Abigail Breslin. Still wearing frocks that wouldn't look out of place in Sex And The City, Sarah Jessica Parker is counting down the time, too." Graham Young BIRMINGHAM MAIL

"New Year's Eve, a schlock ensemble love-o-rama timed for the season of easy good feeling, is a movie I often found myself laughing at in ridicule, and one that also gave me a lump in the throat. So I guess you could say I had a good time. Dunderheaded kitsch, but it's the kind of marzipan movie that can sweetly soak up a holiday evening." Owen Gleiberman ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY "The hunk factor is supplied by Sam (Josh Duhamel). "New Years Eve" visits Radio City Music Hall and the Queens Museum of Art. It brings in Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Ryan Seacrest, and Frank Sinatra is heard singing "New York, New York." The New Yorkers in this film are predominantly white, middle-to-upper-class Manhattanites, and there is no hardship in sight." Stephen Holden NEW YORK TIMES "These "calvacade of stars" movies are generally a complete waste of time. This one, directed by Garry Marshall, is better than most, mainly because Marshall knows his way around a comedy, plus he gets good performances from some members of his cast. It's a nice, moral, family-oriented film, better than sitting through many of the others that are out there right now." Tony Medley TOLUCAN TIMES "To say "New Year's Eve" is cheesy is an understatement. Love struck people running around and trying to have a good time. But that is also what makes the film fun. It is an all star cast so most fans will find an actor they enjoy watching. It’s another holiday which makes for another film." Jolene Mendez ENTERTAINMENT SPECTRUM

The Inside Story "New Year's Eve" celebrates love, hope, forgiveness, second chances and fresh starts, with intertwining stories told amidst the pulse and promise of New York City on the most dazzling night of the year: New Year's Eve in dazzling, Times Square. Director Garry Marshall ("The Princess Diaries" 1 & 2), renowned for a catalogue of films that capture love in so many rich, warm and funny ways, calls it "the perfect opportunity to take stock of things, to think about the mistakes of the past year and about how maybe you can do better. A time to be thankful for what you have. But it’s also a fun, exciting, wonderful time, full of anticipation, and yes, some craziness. Mostly it’s about hope, when everything you want seems possible again, if you're willing to take another chance." And Marshall ("Runaway Bride") means what he says. It was on New Year’s Eve nearly fifty years ago that he became engaged to the love of his life, his wife, Barbara. "She was wearing a dress the same color as the dress Halle Berry wears in the movie. We were in love, we were dancing, and we said, 'Well, let’s see how it works out.' "It’s always been her favorite holiday." Undeniably, romance steals the show in the countdown hours of December 31st as many couples look forward to that special midnight kiss, others seize the magic of the evening to make lifelong commitments, and still others decide to take a chance on someone new who might just be 'the one'. But the emotional reach of the holiday goes further. While the movie serves up romance in some of its myriad delicious and maddening stages, it also looks at love in some of its other forms: forgiveness, compassion, and the everyday miracle of people opening their hearts to a different point of view. It addresses these ideas in a collection of individual stories told as if randomly selected among the countless tales that play out every day. Each stands alone but some touch briefly upon one another, while others ultimately cross paths to a perfect closure. Marshall, a one-time jazz-band drummer, says: "I hear the music under every scene, the beats and the notes in the dialogue. In "New Year’s Eve" there are some very touching moments and a lot of comedy, a lot of different stories to tell, and each one has its own rhythm. I like to move things around, to balance the intensity of one scene against the lightness of another." Producers Mike Karz ("Good Luck Chuck") and Wayne Allen Rice ("Dude, Where's My Car?") reunited with Marshall and their "Valentine’s Day" screenwriter Katherine Fugate to explore dozens of potential characters and scenarios before narrowing the field to the most resonant. "We talked about the kinds of experiences and circumstances that would best convey the themes of the movie across a range of different relationships," Rice notes. "We wanted a story of first love and one of forgiveness, as well as stories about taking a risk, letting things go, revisiting an old flame, making amends, having a baby, starting fresh: with love being the mitigating force through all of them." "We were also looking for characters that move in directions you don’t necessarily see coming, or interact with characters who may or may not be the ones you expect them to connect with," Karz adds. Not surprisingly, Marshall’s "New Year’s Eve" celebration attracted a multitude of Hollywood’s A-list talent, primarily for the pleasure of working with the renowned director. And, there's numerous cameos and supporting roles by stars like: Jake T. Austin, Jim Belushi, Cary Elwes, Carla Gugino, Cherry Jones, Jack McGee, Joey McIntyre, Alyssa Milano, Sarah Paulson, Sarge and Yeardley Smith (amongst others), to help welcome the New Year in style. Ashton Kutcher ("Dude, Where's My Car?") and Jessica Biel ("2007 Next") rejoin Marshall on this second holiday outing, following "Valentine’s Day", in which they portrayed entirely different characters. "When they told me Garry was directing, I said yes before I even read the script," says seven time Teen Choice Award winner Kutcher. 1993 Elvira Notari Prize winner Michelle Pfeiffer ("The Age of Innocence"), who starred with Al Pacino and Hector Elizondo in Marshall’s 1991 film, "Frankie and Johnny", would agree. "I love Garry. He has tremendous energy and he’s always ready for anything. He’s one of the best when it comes to giving audiences a story they’re truly going to enjoy, something to relate to and laugh about, and who wouldn’t want to be a part of that?" Others cast members were new to what’s known as the '“Garry Marshall experience', including dual Oscar winner Hilary Swank ("Boys Don't Cry" & "Million Dollar Baby"), who quickly understood what that meant. "I can see why he’s a comedy legend. His instincts are right on. He’s always coming up with a funnier line or finding that balance between the drama and comedy, and he brings humor out of a story in a way that makes you laugh not just because it’s funny but because it’s so true," she says. "He’s incredibly cool," Zac Efron ("17 Again"), a fan of Marshall’s movies long before he became an actor himself, and who recalls how easy it was to fall into sync with the veteran director at their first meeting. "You could say we’re from different eras, but we still had so much to talk about. I think it’s impossible to meet Garry and not instantly pick up his enthusiasm. We just try to keep up." In the way that "Valentine’s Day" revolved around Los Angeles and featured some of its most beautiful locales, "New Year’s Eve" showcases New York in a blend of the iconically familiar with some lesser-known gems for a portrait of the city at its breathtaking best: dazzling, kinetic, glamorous; and all lit up for its close-up on the biggest night of the year. "This movie is Garry’s celebration of New York City, "Karz notes. An estimated half a million people traverse Times Square on an average day, but on December 31st that number doubles, with over a billion more watching on television across the globe. "There are parties in other big cities: London, Paris, Moscow; but I think people everywhere still look to see that ball drop in New York," says Oscar winner Halle Berry ("Monster's Ball"). "There’s just something about The Big Apple." 2004 Golden Eddie Filmmaker of the Year Award winner Marshall, who was born (13th November 1934) and raised in The Bronx, has always been closely associated with New York and draws upon an endless supply of vivid memories for the film. "It was always a big night for me, even as a kid. It’s really an adult holiday, but the kids like it because there’s such an excitement in the air, they can’t help feeling that something special is going on, and if they’re lucky, their parents will get them up at midnight, half asleep, to make a little noise. In our family it was all about banging pots and pans and yelling out the window. Then, when I was a little older, I went to Times Square to watch the ball drop and later, as a musician, I played in some of the clubs there." The focal point for all this “New Year’s Eve” action is the countdown to 2012, represented by the ceremonial 'ball drop' in Times Square. Imagine one person being responsible for seeing that this spectacle goes off without a hitch, live, while the eyes of the world watch. In Marshall's film, that would be Claire, the newly promoted Vice President of the Times Square Alliance, played by 2009 Hollywood Film Award winner Hilary Swank ("Amelia"). Swank, who trained with her real-life counterpart for the role, admits: "I had no idea of what goes on behind the scenes. As an audience member you think someone pushes a button and it just happens, but there is so much that can go wrong. Is it going to drop or isn’t it?" Claire has the support of her dear friend Brendan, an NYPD officer, played by Chris 'Ludacris' Bridges ("Fast & Furious 5"), who is on the Times Square night shift. "Brendan wasn’t even supposed to be working that shift, but he wanted to be there to help Claire because he knows what a big night it is for her, and what a huge responsibility. He’s there to boost her confidence if she needs it, to help smooth the way." Claire needs all the support she can rally when it appears that the ball’s propulsion mechanism is in dire need of a gifted engineer namely, the recently laid-off Kominsky, played by Hector Elizondo ("The Princess Diaries" 1 & 2) in a part written specifically for him. "When he gets the call he’s not sure he wants to help. He doesn’t know if Claire was the person who fired him, so he’s wary. But they need his expertise. If he comes back it will be for that and, frankly, for the sake of what the night itself means," the two time ALMA Award winning actor explained. The after countdown entertainment is headed by Jensen, played by the multi-talented Jon Bon Jovi. Even single-named international rock stars have problems and what’s troubling Jensen on this festive night is a heartache he’s been carrying too long, over a woman he left behind for the wrong reasons. "Now he’s trying to think of a way back into her life, a way to get back into her good graces, if that’s even possible." Katherine Heigl plays Laura, the girl Jensen let slip away, a year ago. "They were serious about each other once, but he moved on without any explanation," says two time Camie Award winner Heigl (2003 & '05) He broke her heart and she’s been harbouring a lot of resentment ever since, just dreaming of the day when she could let him have it." Clearly, the singer would have a better chance with Laura’s vivacious sous-chef, Ava, played by 2011 Image Award winner Sofia Vergara ("Modern Family"). The Colombia born actress revealed: "We did a scene in the kitchen where Laura is so mad she’s just throwing food and Ava is there to help, handing her tomatoes and fruit to toss. It was a lot of fun." Unbeknownst to Jensen, there could be more trouble ahead. Making her feature film debut, Broadway and television star Lea Michele appears as Elise, the rocker’s newly hired back-up singer, who unexpectedly, gets delayed en route to the concert. Adding insult to injury, Elise is stuck for the unknown duration with what appears to be the only guy for miles around who could make things even worse: Randy. Played by Ashton Kutcher, Randy is a too cool to care killjoy who has nothing good to say about anything, and especially about New Year’s Eve, against which he seems to hold some kind of grudge. Kutcher admits, "He’s a bit of a jerk. His holiday plan is to stay home and avoid the whole celebration because all the amateur partiers are crowding the streets: all those guys who don’t go out all year and then suddenly go bananas on New Year’s Eve." Father of three (Lori, Scott & Kathleen) Marshall revealed: "Ashton’s smart. He wanted to be the guy working indoors because he knew it would be freezing outside, because we were shooting winter in New York City." Robert De Niro plays Stan, an acclaimed photojournalist who cheated death in war zones around the world throughout his hard-driving career but is now coming to terms with an enemy he can’t evade. De Niro's daughter Drena, plays a waitress in the film. What's It All About?

It's the one night people all over the world love to celebrate: New Years Eve. In Times Square, a huge crowd's already gathering. But behind the anticipation and excitement, a myriad of events are unfolding, including a major drama. Claire, who is in charge of organizing an event which attracts a million spectators, has a potential disaster on her hands. While her staff are raising the famous dropping ball, it gets stuck. There's only one person who can fix it and he's just been 'retired'. Can she convince him to help save the night. Fifteen year old Hailey wants to celebrate new years eve with her friends from school, but her over-protective mother, Kim, has other ideas. Elise, a backup singer at the event is stuck in a lift Randy. Terminally ill, Stan, is fighting to see the New Year in. Across town, two pregnant women are hoping to be the first to give birth on the night. And, will Ingrid find happiness?

The Verdict "Fans of last years "Valentine's Day" are the target audience for Gary Marshall's latest film, "New Years Eve". And, like "Valentine's Day", his latest collaboration with screenwriter Katherine Fugate, boasts a huge cast of 'A' listers, focussing on: you guessed it; another 'special time of the year'. The question on everyones lips will be: does it live up to expectations? It does if you're easy going and really love films jammed packed full of well known faces. And the storyline? Well, it's the same formula as "Valentine's Day" only it's been shifted to New Years Eve, so it's sort of, 'been there done that'. The main attraction is in star-gazing and on that point, you couldn't go wrong because there's something here for every generation. The sticking point will be, whether or not, you enjoyed "Valentine's Day". 2 1/2 STARS." Who Is Playing Who?

Hilary Swank Hector Elizondo Greg Wilson Chris Bridges Michelle Pfeiffer Zac Efron Robert De Niro Halle Berry Cary Elwes Alyssa Milano Jessica Biel Seth Meyers Sarah Paulson Til Schweiger Katherine Heigl Jon Bon Jovi Josh Duhamel Sofía Vergara Michael Mandell Ryan Seacrest Carla Gugino Ashton Kutcher Lea Michele James Belushi Lillian Lifflander Sarah Jessica Parker Abigail Breslin Jake T. Austin Mara Davi

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Claire Kominsky Wade the Aide Brendan Ingrid Paul Stan Nurse Aimee Stan's Doctor Nurse Mindy Tess Byrne Griffin Byrne Grace Schwab James Schwab Laura Jensen Sam Ava Murray Himself Spiritual Dr Morriset Randy Elise Building Super Mrs Lifflander Kim Hailey Seth Mika

The Production Team Directed by Garry Marshall Written by Katherine Fugate Produced by Richard Brener/Toby Emmerich/Mike Karz/Wayne Allan Rice/Josie Rosen Original Music by John Debney Cinematography by Charles Minsky Film Editing by Michael Tronick Casting by Amanda Mackey Johnson & Cathy Sandrich Production Design by Mark Friedberg Art Direction by Kim Jennings Set Decoration by Leslie E. Rollins Costume Design by Gary Jones Run Time 118 minutes Rated M [AUST] Copyright ©2011 - Warner Bros Films - All Rights Reserved Enduring © - The Movie Pages & Impact Internet Services - All Rights Reserved. Protected by Australian & International Copyright, Trademark Laws & Intellectual Property Rights.