New Year’s Films 9 – Sex and the City

Moving along from last week’s bomb of a movie to this week’s successful bit of fluff—Sex and the City [2008] by Michael Patrick King.

While this film includes New Year’s Eve, that’s not the primary focus, but I wanted to include a film that shows what you can do with characters on a New Year’s Eve that will make the film memorable. After all, not many films are totally about New Year’s Eve, but you can include the holiday and do something interesting with it—as was done in Sex and the City.

Take a look at the trailer for the film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AvFcVFA-Ro

The overall plot of the film centers around Carrie’s wedding to Mr. Big. But it’s unknowingly torpedoed by Miranda. Having been demoralized to discover that her husband cheated on her, she’s at the rehearsal dinner and says to Mr. Big that he’s crazy to get married, that it ruins everything. Big can’t stop thinking about that, and decides as his car pulls up to the wedding venue, to not go through with it and has his driver drive away.

Carrie is, of course, devastated—and a good combination of sad and angry. Her girlfriends come with her to the Mexican honeymoon location to try and cheer her up, and they finally do—a little bit. So they head back to New York.

Miranda has begun to realize that what she said to Big could have made him back out of the marriage. She wants to tell Carrie, but finds it hard. When she finally does tell Carrie, Carrie is gob-smacked that Miranda didn’t tell her sooner and wants nothing to do with Miranda. They’re done.

And this is where New Year’s Eve comes in. Miranda is alone in her rented apartment—her husband having their son for the night—while Carrie, too, is alone. She watches a movie and goes to bed, where she’s awakened by a phone call from Miranda who’s unhappily spent the evening alone with Chinese food as the clock nears midnight.

So Carrie throws on a coat and shoes and makes her way downtown so Miranda doesn’t have to be alone to ring in the new year. It’s a poignant scene—a memorable scene—and one that fits the story and each of these two characters.

Holidays can be like that, they can be the impetus for emotional reunions—and for just as emotional break-ups. So even if you’re not planning to write an entire film set around New Year’s Eve, remember that it’s a terrific holiday to add interest to a story.

So go to it!!

Copyright © Diane Lake

27Feb22

Email Diane a question to Diane@DianeLake.com