All about Eve

New Year's sets the cinematic scene for love and death, sorrow and suspense

By Chris Garcia
American-Statesman Film Critic

Posted: December 31, 2004

Watching the gaiety of New Year's Eve unfurl on screen is all about the vicarious thrill. Or chill. Or kill. Or a giant demon bursting from hell to crash the party (see below).

New Year's Eve is a narrative device, a naturally occurring climactic moment amplified by Hollywood writers who make something momentous happen to their characters when the clock strikes 12. It's a dramatic marker instigating change, resolution and big announcements. Sometimes it's a breakup, sometimes a makeup, sometimes both.

On this final day of 2004, we've scoured stacks of movies to find memorable movie New Year's moments for you to enjoy, emulate or fiercely avoid. Let's party.

Just imagine the hangover

'End of Days' (1999) -- Arnold Schwarzenegger battles Satan during Y2K in New York City. Satan is trying to end the world, the rascal. During the big showdown in a Catholic church, minutes before midnight, a massive winged demon explodes from the floor, enters Arnold's body and controls him to do evil (no, this is not a biopic). Arnold resists and impales himself on a sword. A sea of flames shoots from his belly and engulfs the church. The demon gives up and returns to his hole in the ground, miffed. Outside, the ball drops in Times Square. Arnold wonders why he has a stomachache.

And the Party Pooper of the Century Award goes to. . .

. . . a radio-show caller in Kathryn Bigelow's sci-fi thriller 'Strange Days' (1995), in which the world welcomes the millennium. 'What's the point?' the guys says. 'Nothing changes New Year's Day, the economy (stinks), gas is over three bucks a gallon, fifth-grade kids are shooting each other at recess. The whole thing (stinks). What the hell are we celebrating?' Later, Tom Sizemore tumbles from a high-rise on to the street celebrations, breaking the record for biggest New Year's Eve ball drop.

Resolution No. 1: Make completely unrealistic New Year's resolutions

'Bridget Jones's Diary' (2001) -- Fed-up singleton Bridget Jones (Renée Zellweger) resolves on New Year's Day to take control of her life and keep a savagely honest diary. "'Resolution No. 2: Always put last night's panties in the laundry basket. Equally important: will find nice sensible boyfriend and stop forming romantic attachments to any of the following: alcoholics, workaholics, sexaholics, commitment-phobics, peeping toms, megalomaniacs . . . or perverts. Will especially stop fantasizing about a particular person who embodies all these things.'

Instant buzz kill

'Peter's Friends' (1992) -- At one minute before midnight during New Year's Eve festivities, Peter (Stephen Fry) formally announces to his assembled friends that he has HIV. An awkward pause, and then he says, 'I didn't mean to sober you up that fast. Well, happy New Year.' Then -- no joke -- they pull out a guitar and start singing and dancing all over the place.

Worst midnight kiss. Ever.

'The Godfather Part II' (1974) -- During President Battista's New Year's Eve Ball in Havana, 1958, Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) grabs the face of his disloyal brother Fredo (John Cazale), kisses him hard on the mouth and says, 'I know it was you, Fredo. You broke my heart. You broke my heart.' Fredo, who will have the world's briefest 1959, suddenly loses his party groove.

Lowest New Year's Eve expectations

'200 Cigarettes' (1999) -- Set in the final hours of 1981, this hipster debacle has Paul Rudd whining to his friend about the pressures of New Year's Eve. 'It's the obligation to enjoy yourself. Every year it's the same desperate scrambling around to surround yourself with as many people as possible, go to some stupid party, pretend to be happy, when really your girlfriend just left you and you have no career.' It gets worse, Paul. On the first day of 1982, you wake up next to Courtney Love. Happy New Year.

Meanwhile, in an alternate reality . . .

'When Harry Met Sally . . .' (1989) -- Ah, the things they come up with in Hollywood: Reanimated dinosaurs. Dueling aliens. A New Year's Eve party that climaxes with a declaration of love instead of drunken awkwardness and skulking home in self-pity. After years of friendship, cynical Harry (Billy Crystal) and perky Sally (Meg Ryan) finally sleep together, but then -- shocker! -- end up on the outs. Later, Harry realizes she's the one for him and bursts into the party (above) to tell her so. Sally wisely tells him: 'I'm sorry, Harry, I know it's New Year's Eve. I know you're feeling lonely, but you just can't show up here, tell me you love me and expect that to make everything all right. It doesn't work this way.' She's right. And never let the happy ending from Nora Ephron (who also penned 'Sleepless in Seattle' and 'You've Got Mail') convince you otherwise.

We've found a designated driver

'Happy New Year, Charlie Brown' (1986) -- Charlie Brown (that darn Charlie Brown!) skips out on Peppermint Patty's wild New Year's Eve party so he can finish his homework assignment -- reading 'War and Peace' -- before winter vacation ends. ('War and Peace'? Isn't Charlie Brown in, like, fourth grade?) He falls asleep reading and awakes after midnight. Snoopy, meanwhile, gets plastered and kisses a passed-out Lucy. OK, I made that up.

Happy New Year to you, too, baby

'Waiting to Exhale' (1995) -- As they prepare to go to a New Year's Eve party (above), Angela Bassett's husband of 11 years coldly informs her he's leaving her for his secretary. He could have at least told her before she went and got all dressed up. Not cool.

'About Last Night' (1986) -- After a climactic lovers' spat at midnight on New Year's Eve, Rob Lowe mutters these sweet nothings to girlfriend Demi Moore: 'I don't want to be tied down . . . I don't love you.' We blame Demi's boxy blue blazer for the breakup.

This life jacket doesn't match my tux

'The Poseidon Adventure' (1972) -- All's swell aboard a cruise ship, as a 'Love Boat'-caliber cast enjoys a black-tie New Year's Eve bash. Catastrophe strikes, capsizing the ship and putting a slight damper on the festivities. Jack Albertson, Red Buttons and Shelley Winters scream in terror, while Ernest Borgnine, noticing everything is upside-down, thinks, 'This is some champagne!'

Most ambitious New Year's Eve plans

'New Year's Evil' (1981) -- A psycho killer promises that someone will be killed at the stroke of midnight in each time zone. Not only is this guy evil, he's really, really fast.

Make a toast with these partying performances Ray Milland (left) in 'The Lost Weekend' Everyone in 'Animal House' Mickey Rourke (as Charles Bukowski) in 'Barfly' Dudley Moore in 'Arthur' Peter O'Toole in 'My Favorite Year' Nicolas Cage in 'Leaving Las Vegas' Myrna Loy and William Powell in 'The Thin Man' Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton in 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?'