While most celebrations take place overnight on New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day marks new beginnings for many people. Nevertheless, the day is rarely romanticized by people who aren’t Taylor Swift. However, these six movies that take place over the holidays have iconic moments set on New Year’s Day, often in the aftermath of the previous night.
6 New Year’s Day
An obvious movie that’s set on New Year’s Day is this 1989 film by the same name, directed by Henry Jaglom. The director also stars in the film alongside David Duchovny, Maggie Wheeler, and Miloš Forman. It centers on a down-on-his-lucky Hollywood director, played by Jaglom, moving to New York City on the very first day of the year.
When the director, named Drew, arrives at the apartment, he finds it occupied by three previous tenants, who aren’t set to move out until the following day. Drew ends up involved in their holiday celebrations, giving him more motivation to start his life over. While some critics feel the film falls flat, it’s a timely watch for a post-New Year’s Eve get-together.
5 Forrest Gump
Forrest Gump is considered one of the greatest films of all time, netting Tom Hanks his second Academy Award for Best Actor. The film follows Hanks as the titular character, a naive Alamaban who lives an extraordinary life. While Gump meets a lot of celebrities and historical figures during his life, the people closest to him have the biggest impact.
One of those people is Lieutenant Dan, his Vietnam War superior who loses his legs in battle. Forrest ends up spending New Year’s Eve in 1972 with Lieutenant Dan, who struggles with alcoholism, though Forrest has a great time regardless. Their celebrations continue on New Year’s Day when Lieutenant Dan defends Forrest from two prostitutes.
4 When Harry Met Sally…
Few films have as iconic a New Year’s scene as this romantic comedy starring Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan. The two actors play the titular characters whose friendship is based on the argument of whether men and women can be friends. Predictably, this question gets complicated when the two wind up sleeping together and ultimately fall out.
After Crystal’s Harry regrets his treatment of Ryan’s Sally, he finds her at a New Year’s Eve party, where he confesses his love to her. After the clock strikes midnight, the two are still fighting, though Sally is inevitably won by Harry’s genuine care for her, and they kiss on New Year’s Day, beginning the new year together.
3 The Godfather Part II
One of the most chilling scenes in Francis Ford Coppola’s sequel to The Godfather takes place during a New Year’s Eve celebration. After Michael Corleone discovers that his brother Fredo is a traitor, having been involved with rival crime bosses who ordered an assassination attempt on Michael, actor Al Pacino delivers this haunting moment.
At the New Year’s Eve party, Michael commemorates the occasion by kissing Fredo on the lips before telling him, “I know it was you, Fredo. You broke my heart.” A frightened Fredo hurries away before Michael orders a hit on the rival crime bosses, sending the New Year’s celebration into chaos as he departs Havana.
2 Trading Places
The 1983 comedy Trading Places combined the comedic forces of Dan Aykroyd with Eddie Murphy. Aykroyd and Murphy play total opposites on the financial spectrum, who become the victims of a bet between two stockbrokers, the Dukes, wanting to swap their lives. When their characters discover the ruse, they plot against the Dukes.
In a comical scene taking place on a train set on New Year’s Eve, Aykroyd and Murphy attempt to steal a document that would allow them to corner the orange juice market. One of the movie’s most quotable lines comes from Murphy during this sequence when he masquerades as an African exchange student exclaiming “Merry New Year!”
1 Snowpiercer
Snowpiercer may not be the most family-friendly movie for the holidays, but it definitely captures the spirit of winter. The film takes place in an apocalyptic version of Earth, where the remaining citizens live on a train that circles the planet. Nevertheless, a revolt breaks out between the poor and the rich, which reaches a near climax on New Year’s Day.
As part of the train’s annual transit, they are scheduled to cross a bridge when the new year strikes. This commemoration ends up interrupting an intense battle, though the fighting resumes moments later. It’s a brief recognition of the holiday, but it paints a vivid picture of the lifestyle these citizens endure on this eternally-running train.
More: The Best Christmas Movies For Kids (& Where To Stream Them)
