Preparing you for December 31, 2006

So it is now the new year and maybe you're cursing yourself for staying home alone? Who wants to blow the year out like little Macaulay Culkin?

Well put this in your emergency kit for December 31, 2006. Bookmark it, print it or tear it out (if you have our print edition). But be ready for next year. Drop in some bags of popcorn, some canned drinks (alcoholic or non), and assorted goodies.

There is an alternative to watching the endless commercials during a New Year's Eve telecast and seeing all the "couples" smiling. Jess thinks you should pull out your favorite CDs, casette tapes or vinyl albums and mix your own party but for the couch potatoes out there, we'll offer some video choices.

The Apartment. A favorite of Elaine's. This Billy Wilder classic (with script by Wilder and I.A.L. Diamond) stars Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine. Both work for a large company, Lemmon's a nebbish willing to let married men use his apartment for extra-marital encounters in the hopes of getting ahead. MacLaine's an elevator operator in love with one such married man. If it seems a little dark than maybe you've been watching too many Rob Schneider films? It all ends well enough and without any sticky sweetness that causes you to gag on the ending.

Bridget Jones's Diary. Dona picked this film and here's the back story on this feature article. Betty has two sick children. She had intended to go to a big get together at her family's that will include her great-grandfather. But the kids are too sick. Jim made the comment that it was too bad there weren't any movies about New Year's Eve which led to Dona gasping and C.I. issuing a string of titles. After Dona got over her shock (largely that Jim apparently has pretended to watch Bridget Jones's Diary with her four times now!), she made the case for this romantic comedy. Sharon Maguire directs this film of Helen Fielding's popular novel. (Fielding, Andrew Davies and Richard Curtis are credited for the script.) For the new year Renee Zellweger makes a resolution to take charge of her life and keep a diary in which she tells the full, complete truth -- apparently having previously confused a "diary" with a "lie-ary." Jones in sleeping with her boss (Hugh Grant) and having some heavy push-pull dynamics with a man who seemingly irritates her (Colin Firth). And if you're unhappy with the choice Bridget makes between the two, hey, rent Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason for New Year's Day.

When Harry Met Sally. . . C.I. was still ticking off films, Dona was still gasping, when Wally noted this film. The film had strong defense from Ty, Jess and Mike who shuddered when Jim tagged it "a romantic comedy." They see it as a comedy about relationships. (Which, as
Rebecca noted, is the same hair splitting that goes into the "action figure" v. "doll" debates.) This Rob Reiner directed classic sets the bar for "romantic comedies" and "comedies about relationships" with it's strong script (Nora Eprhon) and strong cast. Billy Crystal was never funnier than he is as Harry and Meg Ryan shot to film stardom as Sally. The classic scene is the infamous deli scene where Harry's convinced that he would know if a woman faked an orgasm with him and Sally proceeds to demonstrate how convincing a faked orgasm can be. But what makes the film work so well is that along with strong leads, you have strong support from the likes of Carrie Fisher and Bruno Kirby. In fact, one of the strongest scenes belongs to Carrie as Harry comes undone about his ex-wife (Helen) while he and Sally are supposed to be gifting Carrie and Kirby with a house warming gift. Early on Carrie gets in the best zinger while explaining to Kirby that his taste and his wagon wheel coffee table are questionable: "Everyone thinks they have good taste and a sense of humor, but they couldn't possibly all." As Harry erupts explodes and informs them they should write their names in all their books, "[b]ecause someday, believe it or not, you'll go fifteen rounds over who's going to get this coffee table, this stupid wagon-wheel, Roy Rogers, garage-sale coffee table!" As Harry storms out with Sally going after, Kirby and Carrie shake their heads and she gets the last line, "I want you to know that I will never want that wagon-wheel coffee table." Moments like this keep all the characters alive. (And C.I.'s saying we can't not note when Meg, Carrie and a third friend gather for lunch and Carrie's going through her little black book on rolodex. Learning that a man has married doesn't cause Carrie to jetison the card, just to bend back the corner.) So possibly this is a "comedy about relationships" and not a "romantic comedy" if the latter term is a pejorative one for you that brings to mind too many attempts to make Geena Davis and Kate Hudson sparkle by surrounding them with the bland and the predicatable.

The Fabulous Baker Boys. This was the first film C.I. cited when ticking off films with New Year's Eve scenes. It's also a favorite of Ava and Cedric's. The Baker Boys are Jeff Bridges and Beau Bridges playing brothers who have a dueling piano lounge act. Steven Kloves wrote and directed this film but Michelle Pfeiffer gave it life as Susie Diamond. The brothers' act is hitting some lean times so Frank (Beau) decides that what they need is a "girl singer." With Susie Diamond they get so much more. From her entrance ("Goddamn it! Shit.") she captures your attention as she refuses to take any of Frank's badgering ("You're an hour and a half late. Want me to say it again?") and that's before she starts singing ("More Than You Know"). With Diamond as part of the act, they develop some heat and begin getting better engagements (while brother Jack -- Jeff Bridges -- just wants to go solo as a jazz pianist). On New Year's Eve, Frank's called back home by a family emergency leaving Susie to call the shots for their New Year's Eve performance. (Which includes the famous sprawled across the piano scene as Michelle sings "Making Whoopee.") Things are never the same. Trust us.

Sleepless in Seattle. On Christmas Eve, Jonah calls a radio "doctor" about his father Sam, a recent widower. Annie hears the radio broadcast and is drawn to Sam. Did we mention that Annie and Sam are played by Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks? That Nora Ephron's directing from a script by David S. Ward, Jeff Arch and Ephron? Rebecca and Betty recommend this film which ends happily on New Year's Eve. Along the way, you've got strong support from Rita Wilson, Victor Garber, Rosie O'Donnell, Rob Reiner and Gaby Hoffman.


An American in Paris. Kat's favorite actor ("all time") Gene Kelly stars in this Vincent Minelli classic musical as Jerry Mulligan, the American in Paris in Alan Jay Lerner's script. Leslie Caron is the woman bound to marry for duty and not love. Nina Foch (so very good in Funny Face) is the woman Jerry is willing to settle for. In the midst of a New Year's Eve bash, everything will change. Along the way, you'll find song and dance in the musical that won Oscars for Best Picture, Best Score, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction and Best Costume Design. At last a film that Jim can get excited about (he's got a huge thing for Leslie Caron) and Kat says "alone or not, get lost in Gene Kelly's art."

Six films that will get you through New Year's Eve December 31, 2006.