“New Year’s Eve” is the 2011 ensemble comedy set during the final hours of the year.
Directed by Garry Marshall, the film follows several intersecting stories in New York City as characters prepare for or experience New Year’s Eve. Its large cast includes Halle Berry, Jessica Biel, Jon Bon Jovi, Abigail Breslin, Robert De Niro, Josh Duhamel, Katherine Heigl, Ashton Kutcher, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Michelle Pfeiffer.
The film uses the holiday as a framework for stories about romance, family relationships, regret, work, illness, and second chances. This structure connects it with Marshall’s earlier holiday ensemble film “Valentine’s Day,” released in 2010. The two films share an emphasis on multiple linked characters rather than one central protagonist.
The movie’s title can be confused with the calendar date itself, but it is also the exact title of the film. It premiered in December 2011 and uses Times Square and the city’s countdown atmosphere as important visual settings.