New Year's Eve
The film opens with a shot of a horse-drawn carriage, then a montage of other New York City locations at Christmas time. We hear Jessica Biels voice saying, Some people swear theres no beauty left in the world, no magic. Then how do you explain the whole world coming together to celebrate the hope of a new year?Cut to Ryan Seacrest beginning his hosting duties in Times Square. Crowds are already gathering for the New Years Eve celebration. Claire Morgan (Hilary Swank) gets out of a taxi and rushes over to a group of reporters to be interviewed. Shes the new Vice President of the Times Square Alliance.Nearby, Ingrid (Michelle Pfeiffer) gets off a bus, looking at a piece of paper she is holding. She almost gets hit by a taxicab and falls into a pile of garbage bags.Paul (Zac Efron) zooms past Ingrid on his scooter, which he parks outside Ahern Records Inc. He enters the recording studio headquarters, flirting with every girl he passes on the way.Meanwhile, Tess Byrne and her husband Griffin (Jessica Biel and Seth Meyers) are introduced. Tess is nine months pregnant and is waiting in the waiting room of the hospital. She and her husband overhear another couple, Grace and James Schwab (Sarah Paulson and Til Schweiger), discussing how they need to have their baby as close to midnight as possible so they can win the $25,000 the hospital is offering to the first baby born in the new year. Griffin tells Tess that if they have their baby first, they could use the money to pay off his student loans.Meanwhile, Randy (Ashton Kutcher) is waking up to the phone ringing in his extremely messy apartment. His roommate, Paul, is calling to ask what Randy wants to do for New Years Eve. As they talk, Randy wanders out into the hall, which is heavily decorated for New Years. He tells Paul that he hates New Years Eve and starts tearing down the decorations.Meanwhile, there is a couple getting married in a tiny, empty church. The only guest present is Sam (Josh Duhamel). The couple teases him that he is the last of their friends still single, but they are sure hell meet a great girl soon. The bride asks him about the girl he met last New Years Eve. Sam says that was a year ago. Everyone has moved on since then. His phone rings and he hurries off its his work calling, and he has a big speech to make that night.Cut to Laura (Katherine Heigel). She's a chef, and she is preparing to cater the biggest A-list party of her career, the Ahern Records Masquerade Ball. She needs her sous chef Ava (Sofia Vergara). Ava finally arrives, and she's extremely excited because she just saw the tour bus for the famous singer Jensen who will be performing at the party. The street is lined with Jensen fans holding signs. Inside the tour bus, Jensen (Jon Bon Jovi) is practicing guitar.Laura heads into the kitchen to instruct the rest of the staff. Ava calls her on her cellphone to update Laura on the status of Jensens tour bus. Laura says, "Well, if you see Jensen, tell him to avoid the blond in the kitchen with the really big knife". Ava says, "Do you know him?" Just then, Jensen walks into the kitchen and says, "Hi Laura". Laura slaps him across the face.Back to Paul, who is bringing a delivery to Ingrid, who is a secretary at Ahern Records. He notices her working on a list, and asks if its her New Years resolutions. Ingrid thinks hes being nosy, and he mentions that he has been delivering her packages for over a year, and shes never looked him in the eye before. She opens the package, which is full of tickets to the Mask Ball. Paul is desperate for a ticket, but Ingrid pulls them away.In a nearby food court, three teenage girls are watching three teenage boys. One of the boys, Seth (Jake T. Austin), asks Hailey (Abigail Breslin), if shell meet him in Times Square that night. She agrees. Her girl friends giggle and say hes going to kiss Hailey at midnight for sure. But will her mom let her go to Times Square?Cut to Hailey's mother Kim (Sarah Jessica Parker) who is working on the Rockettes' costumes at Radio City Music Hall. She tells one of the dancers that she plans to spend the evening at home with her daughter Hailey. She thinks her daughter is excited at the prospect.Back to Sam, who is trying to find his way back from the wedding to New York City. His GPS keeps giving him conflicting instructions, and he crashes his car into a signpost.Over to Claire, who is trying to organize everything in Times Square. A generator is missing. Everything is going wrong. Her police officer friend Brendan (Ludacris) comforts her. She asks when he is going to get home to his family, and he says that he is staying on duty to help her out. He asks Claire if she is going to make it to the appointment she has later that night. She's not sure if she can.Back to Jensen and Laura. Jensen says, "I know youre upset with me, but it's been a year". Laura says, "I've been planning that slap all year. It wasnt as satisfying as I expected." She slaps him again. Jensen says, "I tried to call you. I left you tickets for my show". She says, "I never got to make you a single dinner in our apartment. You walked out before I even unpacked the groceries."Over to Ingrid, who is trying to get her year-end bonus from her boss. Her boss says it has been a tough year for the music industry. He writes her a check, and its obviously a lot smaller than she expected. She says she was planning to take a trip with the money. She already booked two weeks off. He says he couldn't spare her that long she can have one week. Ingrid says, "Then I quit! I almost died today." Her boss says, "You're fine. Now get me a coffee". Ingrid storms out to her desk and starts packing her stuff.Back to the kitchen where Laura is throwing eggs at a Jensen poster. Ava joins in, but she has terrible aim and her eggs splatter on the floor. She shrugs and says, "I'm a delicate girl."Cut to the hospital. Stan Harris (Robert De Niro) is a middle-aged man lying in bed, extremely ill. His doctor asks why Stan hasn't accepted chemotherapy or any other kind of treatment for his cancer. Stan says he knows he is going to die, so why prolong the inevitable? He only wants to live to see the ball drop in Times Square one more time. That's why he picked this hospital, because it has a good view. He asks the doctor whether he can watch from the roof, and the doctor says hes very sorry, but its against hospital policy. The doctor speaks to Nurse Aimee (Halle Berry) in private and tells her that Stan probably won't last the night.Back to Randy, who is taking the elevator downstairs to throw away the bag of decorations he tore down. Elise (Lea Michele) runs out of her apartment and asks Randy to hold the door. Halfway down, the elevator jerks to a stop. Elise tries the service phone, but its dead. Her cell has no service either. She starts freaking out because she has somewhere really important to be.Back to Tess and Griffin at the hospital. The doctor informs them that it was a false alarm, Tess isnt in labor yet. The doctor is extremely holistic and is planning on a birth with no epidural or Pitocin. Griffin says "what about a c-section, maybe right after midnight?" The doctor says she is not giving them a c-section so they can win some money. Griffin says, "what if we split it with you?" She says, "You are dangerously close to a rectal exam."Over to Hailey, who tells her mom Kim that she would actually like to spend New Years Eve with her friends. Kim says there is no way she is going to leave Hailey alone in Times Square. Hailey says "Don't you trust me?" Her mom says it's the world she doesn't trust. Hailey says, "I want to start living in the world. You used to."Cut to Claire, who is trying to climb the stairs to the giant ball, but she's afraid of heights. Brendan carries her up on his back. Claire gives a little speech about the origins of the ball, then she flips a giant switch to light it up. This is the practice run, and everything goes smoothly.Back to Sam, who is getting his smashed-up car towed. He asks the tow truck driver if he can take him all the way back to New York city, but the driver says no way. Also, the mechanic is already closed for the day, as is the car rental company. Sam says he has to get back to the city, he has a huge speech to make at his company party.Back to Paul, who is returning to Ahern Records for another delivery. Ingrid meets him outside, and tells him that she has hired him for the day. She wants him to help her complete her list of New Years resolutions. She says, I already did the first one quit my job. If Paul helps her complete the whole list by midnight, she'll give him tickets to the Masquerade Ball. He looks at the list. The first few items are Eat breakfast at Tiffanys. "Go to Bali. Save a life". Paul says, "These are impossible". Ingrid says, Use your imagination. Paul really wants the tickets, so he agrees. They drive off on his scooter.Over to Jensen, who is trying to convince Ava to help him talk to Laura. He explains that last New Years he asked Laura to marry him, but then he got cold feet and took off. Laura overhears him and offers Jensen a truce.Back to Paul and Ingrid, who are drinking lattes and eating donuts outside of Tiffanys. Next they take a New York taxi ride with no traffic on a water taxi.Back to Jensen and Laura. She apologizes for slapping him shes really stressed out about the Mask Ball. Jensen apologizes for running away. She says, You didnt run, you sprinted. Jensen says, "I'm going back on tour tomorrow, will you come with me?" Laura says, "I did your life. I have a life of my own now". Jensen says, "I'm ready to commit". She says, "Me too, Im committing to what I really love my work. I can't do this again."Back to the elevator where Elise and Randy are still trapped. Randy is complaining about New Years Eve. Elise loves New Years and she has big plans that night. She is desperate to escape the elevator and asks Randy to lift her up so she can climb out the hatch in the top of the elevator, but its locked. As she tugs at the lock, Randy sees that she is wearing a Jensen backstage pass and he says, "Ugh, you're a groupie." She glares at him and says, "Put me down."Over to Hailey, who is telling Seth that she can't come to meet him in Times Square because her mom wont let her. He says, Let me talk to her. He tries to convince Kim that its perfectly safe, that they are practically adults. Kim threatens to call Seths mom. Seth says, "Sorry Hailey, I tried, but your mom fights dirty."Over to Paul and Ingrid, who are driving around a sketchy Brooklyn neighborhood on Pauls scooter. Ingrid asks, "Is this safe?" She wants to forget the whole idea and go home, but Paul opens the door of an extremely dirty building to reveal a gorgeous indoor paradise its the Bali Garden Spa. Ingrid gets an amazing Bali-style massage.Meanwhile, back at the hospital, Tess is eating anchovies to try and induce labor. The other pregnant couple, Grace and James, are watching her. James says, "Do you think you can come in at the last minute and steal our money?" The husbands glare at each other.At Kim and Hailey's apartment, Hailey is still mad at her mom. She says "Mom, youre a hot woman. Lose the clogs and find yourself a sexy man." Kim tries to convince her that they can have fun staying home, having their own party. Hailey says, "I'm over the party and I'm over you!" She slams her bedroom door in her mom's face.Meanwhile, Sam is still stuck with no ride. The tow truck driver takes pity on him and finds him a ride the pastor from the wedding. The pastor and his family are driving into the city to see the ball drop in Times Square. Sam says hell gladly pay for the gas if they give him a ride. The family rolls up in a giant bus. Sam asks, "How much gas are we talking?" The pastor says, "What's the limit on your credit card?"Over at the hospital, Nurse Aimee is asking Stan why he didn't get any cancer treatment. Stan says he was a photographer in Vietnam, and he doesn't really see the point of fighting to live. He only wants to make it to midnight.Back at Kim and Hailey's house, Kim brings her daughter a plate of cookies. When she opens the door to Hailey's room, Hailey is gone. Kim chases Hailey to the train station, but right as she gets there, the train pulls away. She tries to call Hailey's cellphone, but Hailey doesn't answer.Over to the Adopt A Pet Center. Paul has taken Ingrid to adopt a little brown and black puppy. "There you go", Paul says, "You saved a life!" For her trip around the world, he takes her for a drive around a giant globe statue.It's 6:00 p.m. now, and Ryan Seacrest is starting the show in Times Square. Claire is all set to send up the giant ball. She flips the switch, but the ball stops halfway and the lights go out. The crowd boos. Claire says they have to get it fixed before midnight.Back to Sam in the giant bus. The pastors family is asking him about his big speech that night. He says he actually hasn't written it yet.Meanwhile, Paul takes Ingrid to the art museum where they have a miniature reproduction of the New York boroughs. This allows her to walk all five boroughs in one day. While she is doing this, he calls Randy and leaves him a message. He says he is helping out a friend, but they can go to the party after. He says, Shes a little crazy, kind of pathetic, but in a cute way. Ingrid overhears him talking, and shes hurt and furious. She says she doesnt want to do the list anymore and she leaves.Over in Times Square, no one is able to repair the giant ball. The repairmen tell Claire that they need Kominsky.Meanwhile, Griffin comes home and finds Tess standing on her head. He says that will just send the baby the wrong way. Hes bought her a bottle of castor oil to induce labor, but she says he has to try it first. He takes a swig, but its too disgusting. Just then, Tess water breaks. They rush downstairs to get a taxi, but people keep stealing their cab. Griffin ends up hiring a bicycle rickshaw.Over at the hospital, Stan is asking Nurse Aimee when she gets off work. She says at midnight until then, Stan is her date. Stan asks, "Why are you so nice to me, when I've spent my whole adult life being an ass?" She says, "Maybe being an ass is how you got everything you wanted out of life". He says, "Not everything."Meanwhile, Randy and Elise are still stuck in the elevator. Randy says, "Aren't you going to talk to me?" Elise says, "Sure. While were making assumptions about people, how about I make a few about you: let me guess, you grew up in suburbia, went to liberal arts college, and then moved to the city to prove how cool you are. Now youre a wannabe hipster who spent all month growing half a beard, and you whine about New Years because once upon a time some Prom Queen broke your heart on New Years Eve." Randy is quiet for a minute, then he says, "It took me a year to grow this beard actually, and the heartbreak was in college". Then he offers her a sip of his cold coffee.Meanwhile, in the pastors bus, Sam is telling the family about the amazing girl he met last New Years Eve.Cut to the Ahern Records Masquerade Ball. Jensen is about to perform. Mrs. Rose Ahern is introducing him to the waiting crowd.Back in the elevator, Elise is explaining that she went to Julliard and shes a singer. She just got hired to sing backup for Jensen, which could be a huge break for her, if she wasn't stuck in the elevator. Randy asks her to sing for him, but she says she only does private performances in the shower.Over in Times Square, the ball is still stuck, but Kominsky (Hector Elizondo) has arrived. Claire thanks him for coming. He says they never should have fired him. Claire says it wasnt her that fired him, shes new at the VP job. She asks him whats wrong with the ball, and he says one of the lights has shorted out. Hell have to find the one faulty light out of 3,000 in order to fix it.While Kominsky is doing this, Claire gives a speech to the waiting crowd. She says that the stalling of the ball is a reminder to all of them to stop and reflect on the year gone by, on triumphs and missteps, promises made and broken. She says New Years is about getting another chance.Back on the bus, Sam is telling the pastor's family how he and his mystery girl had the most amazing conversation last New Years Eve, they talked for hours. The family asks if he kissed her, and he says he did at midnight. But then he went to the bathroom, and when he came back she had disappeared, leaving a note that said her life was really complicated at the moment, and if he was still thinking about her in a year, he should meet her at the restaurant La Gambina at midnight. The pastors family asks if Sam is going to go meet her. Sam says hes not sure if he should. He doesnt even know the girls name.Over to Paul, who receives a call from his sister Kim asking if hes seen Hailey. He says that Hailey might have called her cool uncle to tell him that she was planning to meet her boyfriend at the 54th street pen. But in return for this information, he needs Kim to do him a favor. Then Paul finds Ingrid and says he is ready to accomplish the next item on her list: Be amazed. He asks Ingrid to give him one more chance to help her. Ingrid says, "Okay, but on one condition". Cut to Ingrid driving Paul's scooter while Paul hangs on for dear life.Meanwhile, Brendan compliments Claire on her speech. He says she should go to her important meeting. Claire says, "I don't move until the ball does."Over at the hospital, Tess and Griffin are ready to have the baby, but Grace and James Schwab have just showed up to have their baby as well. The husbands race to check in while the wives commiserate.Back in the elevator, Randy tells Elise he is a comic book illustrator. He offers to draw her if she will sing for him.Meanwhile, Ava is asking Laura if she is going to watch Jensen sing. Laura says no. Cut to Jensen performing the song Have a little faith in me. While he sings, Kominsky works on the ball and Elise sings the same song in the elevator. She has an incredible voice, and Randy stops sketching to stare at her in amazement. Jensen keeps singing, while Stan hunches over in his bed in pain, and Tess is in the final stages of labor. Kim is running around Times Square, searching for Hailey. Jensen looks up in the balcony and sees Laura watching him. He sings the end of the song directly to her.Elise finishes singing and Randy claps. She demands to see his drawing, and he shows her a sketch of her trapped in the elevator. She teases him, "Is that me? I look crazy. Do you have any other hobbies?"In the hospital, Stan is talking with Nurse Aimee. He says, "Remember when I took you to New York City to see the ball drop and I promised you wed go back? But we never did. Why did I ever leave you?" Aimee says, "I'm Aimee. Remember, Nurse Aimee?" Stan says, "Right... Aimee".Meanwhile, Paul is sitting in the empty auditorium of Radio City Music hall. Hes still trying to call Randy. The curtain pulls back to reveal the backdrop and stage. Ingrid comes swinging through the air on a harness. Paul yells, "Are you amazed?" She says, "I'm amazed you got me to do this."Back in the elevator, Elise tells Randy they could have their own New Years party. She pulls the decorations out of the garbage bag and tells him to imagine theyre at a party and he has just spotted her across the room. Its almost midnight. They count down from ten together, moving closer and closer. Just as they are about to kiss, the elevator starts moving again. The superintendent lets them out on the ground floor. Randy tells Elise, You might still make your gig. She is about to wish him a Happy New Year, but she remembers that he hates the holiday and just says goodbye instead. Randy is about to take the elevator back upstairs when he sees that Elise dropped something.Back at the hospital, Tess is moments away from having the baby. Griffin is distracted watching the other couple to see how far theyve progressed. Tess says I dont care about the money anymore, I need you to focus. Griffin sees James leaving the other delivery room, and notices that he already has two small children.Meanwhile, Sam and the pastors family have finally arrived in New York City. Nearby, Hailey is searching the 54th street pen for Seth.Paul drops Ingrid as close to the ball drop as he can. He wishes her good luck with the last item on her list. She says, I knew it was a long shot. She hands him the tickets to the Ahern Records Masquerade Ball. She tells him to make his own list of resolutions, and not to wait as long as she did to fulfill them.Meanwhile, the President of the Times Square Alliance rolls up in his limo to tell Claire that if she doesnt get the ball fixed in time, she will let down the whole world, and shell also be fired.Elise runs over to the main stage of Times Square and announces she is a backup singer for Jensen. Apparently Jensen is missing, however. Randy runs up behind Elise. He gives her the little pink plastic bracelet she dropped in the elevator. She says, You came all this way to give me a rubber bracelet? He says, Also, to tell you Happy New Years. Oh, and you left something else in the elevator. He kisses her. Elise says, Im glad you remembered that.Nearby, Jensen is sitting on the bumper of a car. Claire comes over to ask him why he isnt performing. He says that he heard Claires speech, but he doesnt think he deserves a second chance. Claire says, I know how you feel. Jensen tells her about Laura, and Claire says, Maybe she cant share you with the rest of the world. Jensen hears his fans chanting his name, and he knows Laura is right. Claire says, Remember, second chances dont expire until midnight.Sam runs into the Ahern Records party. He hugs Rose Ahern, who is apparently his mother. Sam gets on the stage to deliver his speech. He says that his father isnt with them anymore, but he used to say What would you do today if you knew you wouldnt fail? Now go out and do it. Sam says, Its okay to listen to your heart. Its risky, but take that leap of faith.Jensen finally climbs up on the main stage and starts singing. He jams with Elise while Randy watches from the crowd and Kim watches on TV.Meanwhile, Kominsky finally locates the burnt-out light and fixes the giant ball. It starts moving upward with Kominsky still on top. He yells for the other technicians to let him down. Claire is thrilled, and shes even more excited when her assistant tells her that Mayor Bloomberg heard her speech and wants her to assist with the ball drop. But Claire says there is somewhere else she has to be. She leaves Kominsky her walkie talkie and tells him he is rehired, and officially in charge. As one last act before she leaves, she brings Brendans family upstairs so he can spend New Years Eve with them.Over at the Ahern Masquerade Ball, all the gorgeous ladies are trying to flirt with Sam, but hes not interested. His mother Rose Ahern thanks Laura for her amazing catering work. Rose says she will definitely recommend Laura to all her famous friends. Then she reveals that she hired Laura for the party because Jensen said he wouldnt perform otherwise. Sam is watching the clock, which points to 11:45. He cuts off the gorgeous ladies mid-sentence and takes off running.Back at the hospital, Stan asks Nurse Aimee to leave him alone. He doesnt want her to watch him die. Aimee says I wont leave you alone. Someone says, Hes not alone. Hi Daddy. Its Claire. Her important appointment was to watch the ball drop with Stan. Nurse Aimees shift is over and she leaves to change into a sexy pink party dress. While the other nurses are talking, Claire sneaks her father into the elevator in a wheelchair. The head nurse notices Stan is missing, but Aimee says to let them be. Claire takes her father onto the roof, even though shes afraid of heights.Aimee heads upstairs to an empty room where she has a computer and a web cam set up. She turns it on so she can talk to her husband who is in the military overseas. He says that all the other guys are watching Times Square on TV, but he just wants to look at his wife. Aimee says he is coming home soon, she knows it.Meanwhile, Laura is alone in the kitchen eating chocolates. Jensen comes in and says, Is the kitchen still open? Laura says, Only for dessert. She tells Jensen that she knows he got Rose Ahern to hire her. Jensen says, I knew you had a lot of offers and I needed you to take this one so I could talk to you. Im cancelling my tour. Im never going to leave you again, ever. The best decision I ever made was asking you to marry me, and the worst decision was sprinting. Im going to make it up to you, no matter how long it takes.Cut to Mayor Bloomberg and Ryan Seacrest, about to drop the ball in Times Square. Claire and Stan are watching from the roof of the hospital. Stan says, I made so many mistakes in my life, but you werent one of them.The countdown starts. Kim is still running around looking for Hailey. Sam is running towards La Gambina. Laura and Jensen are kissing. Tess is pushing her baby out. The countdown ends and everybody in Times Square kisses. Ingrid is standing alone. Laura stops kissing Jensen and asks, If youre here, then whos at Times Square?Cut to Elise, who starts singing Auld Lang Syne on the main stage. While she sings, Hailey is still looking for Seth. Just as she catches sight of him, one of her girl friends grabs him and kisses him. Hailey watches the kiss, devastated, and Kim sees the whole thing. She runs over to hug Hailey, and they leave together. Tess and Griffin are holding their new baby boy. Nurse Aimee is still talking to her husband, and he says, I love you so much, I think about you all the time. Sam has reached La Gambina, but it is all boarded up and shut down. Paul runs up to Ingrid in Times Square and kisses her. Ingrid says, What the hell are you doing, Im twice your age! Paul says, Final resolution: midnight kiss. Boom! Check it off! Elise finishes singing and Randy gives her a thumbs up. She touches her pink plastic bracelet.Hailey and Kim head to a nearby café. Kim says, You have no idea how worried I was. Haileys friends follow them to tell Hailey about an after-party. Hailey looks at her mom, and Kim agrees that Hailey can go. Hailey says, You should go to your thing too, mom. Just then, Seth comes in. He asks Hailey to let him explain he says the girl totally stole the kiss from him. As he tries to explain, Hailey steals a kiss of her own. Kim leaves them and runs over to the costume department of Radio City Music Hall.Back at the hospital, Claire is sitting alone in a chair holding the bag with her fathers belongings. There is a watch, a wallet, and a photo of her as a little girl. Claire cries as she looks at the photo. The nurses see her crying and invite her to participate in their New Years Eve tradition. They head to the nursery where all the new babies are laying and say, Welcome to the world!Down the hall, James comes into Tess room to congratulate Tess and Griffin. He says his wife had a baby girl, which means he now has three daughters. He tentatively tells them that his baby was born at 12:04, and asks when their baby was born. From the gleeful look on Tess face, its obvious their baby was born sooner, but Griffin says, 12:05. Tess looks surprised, but then smiles at him. She doesn't mind letting the other couple have the money.Meanwhile, Sam is waiting outside La Gambina. He sits for a while, then finally leaves. Just as he starts to walk away, he sees a horse-drawn carriage approaching. A woman steps down, dressed in a sparkling gown. Its Kim. Sam says, "You look amazing". Kim says, "I had a year to get ready."Jessica Biel's voice returns to say, "Sometimes it feels like there are so many things we can't control, earthquakes, war, famine. But it's important to remember the things we can control, like love and forgiveness. Thats what New Years Eve is really about: love, hope, and a really great party."The credits roll, interspersed with footage of Paul and Ingrid dancing at the Ahern Records Masquerade Ball, and bloopers from filming.
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