New Year's Day (film)
Encyclopedia
New Year's Day is a 2001 comedy-drama
film starring Andrew Lee Potts, Bobby Barry, Jacqueline Bisset
, Anastasia Hille
, Michael Kitchen
, Sue Johnston
, Ralph Brown
and Marianne Jean-Baptiste
. It was written by Ralph Brown
and directed by Suri Krishnamma
.
The film follows two teenagers, Jake (Potts) and Steve (Barry) as they cope with life after being the sole survivors of an avalanche. Their teacher also survives the accident, but remains coma
tose and dies soon after the start of the film. The two boys make a suicide pact
agreeing that on the one year anniversary of the avalanche, they will kill themselves. The two spend their last year living life to the fullest. This takes the form of a list of "tasks", which they both must fulfill before dying.
The movie's screenplay is written by Brown, and deals with themes such as the generation gap, the conflicts that surround today's youngsters, suicide, crossing boundaries and how people are affected by tragedy. Brown has spoken of New Year's Day being prompted by the killing of James Bulger
, in the sense of a storyline concerning two young people who are surrounded by grown-ups who have no idea about what they are doing.
New Year's Day won best film at the Raindance Film Festival
2001, and best film at the Sapporo Film Festival 2001. In February 2001, it also took the Grand Prize in the 12th Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival
which was attended by director Suri Krishnamma.
The film contains a cover of the Tim Hardin song "Reason To Believe" by Paul Weller, recorded specially for the movie.
Comedy-drama
Comedy-drama is a genre of theatre, film and television programs which combines humorous and serious content.-Theatre:Traditional western theatre, beginning with the ancient Greeks, was divided into comedy and tragedy...
film starring Andrew Lee Potts, Bobby Barry, Jacqueline Bisset
Jacqueline Bisset
Jacqueline Bisset is an English actress. She has been nominated for four Golden Globe Awards and an Emmy Award. She is known for her roles in the films Bullitt , Airport , The Deep , Class , and the TV series Nip/Tuck in 2006...
, Anastasia Hille
Anastasia Hille
Anastasia Hille is an English actress active in British television, theatre, and film.Hille was a student at Drama Centre . She was nominated for the Ian Charleson Awards in 1994.-Television:...
, Michael Kitchen
Michael Kitchen
Michael Kitchen is an English actor and television producer, best known for his starring role as DCS Foyle in the British TV series Foyle's War.-Early life:...
, Sue Johnston
Sue Johnston
Susan "Sue" Johnston, OBE is a BAFTA nominated English actress best known for playing Sheila Grant in the long-running soap opera Brookside , Grace Foley in Waking the Dead from 2000 to 2011 and Barbara Royle in the BBC comedy The Royle Family between 1998 and 2000, and again in 2006, 2008, 2009,...
, Ralph Brown
Ralph Brown
Ralph William John Brown is an English actor and writer, known for playing Danny the drug dealer in Withnail and I, the security guard Aaron in Alien 3, DJ Bob Silver in The Boat That Rocked, and the pilot Ric Olié in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace...
and Marianne Jean-Baptiste
Marianne Jean-Baptiste
Marianne Raigipcien Jean-Baptiste is a British actress and singer of Antiguan and St. Lucian heritage.-Early life:...
. It was written by Ralph Brown
Ralph Brown
Ralph William John Brown is an English actor and writer, known for playing Danny the drug dealer in Withnail and I, the security guard Aaron in Alien 3, DJ Bob Silver in The Boat That Rocked, and the pilot Ric Olié in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace...
and directed by Suri Krishnamma
Suri Krishnamma
Suri Krishnamma is a British film director. He has directed several films, including A Man of No Importance, New Year's Day, Locked In and Wuthering Heights. He has won four film festival awards and been nominated for three BAFTA awards.Krishnamma has also directed several episodes of the...
.
The film follows two teenagers, Jake (Potts) and Steve (Barry) as they cope with life after being the sole survivors of an avalanche. Their teacher also survives the accident, but remains coma
Coma
In medicine, a coma is a state of unconsciousness, lasting more than 6 hours in which a person cannot be awakened, fails to respond normally to painful stimuli, light or sound, lacks a normal sleep-wake cycle and does not initiate voluntary actions. A person in a state of coma is described as...
tose and dies soon after the start of the film. The two boys make a suicide pact
Suicide pact
A suicide pact is an agreed plan between two or more individuals to commit suicide. The plan may be to die together, or separately and closely timed. Suicide pacts are important concepts in the study of suicide, and have occurred throughout history, as well as in fiction.Suicide pacts are generally...
agreeing that on the one year anniversary of the avalanche, they will kill themselves. The two spend their last year living life to the fullest. This takes the form of a list of "tasks", which they both must fulfill before dying.
The movie's screenplay is written by Brown, and deals with themes such as the generation gap, the conflicts that surround today's youngsters, suicide, crossing boundaries and how people are affected by tragedy. Brown has spoken of New Year's Day being prompted by the killing of James Bulger
James Bulger
James Bulger may refer to:* James Patrick Bulger, toddler murdered by two ten-year-old boys in Liverpool, England, in 1993* James J. "Whitey" Bulger, alleged American gang leader...
, in the sense of a storyline concerning two young people who are surrounded by grown-ups who have no idea about what they are doing.
New Year's Day won best film at the Raindance Film Festival
Raindance Film Festival
Raindance is an independent film festival and film school that operates from various cities including: London, New York, Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, Budapest, Berlin and Brussels...
2001, and best film at the Sapporo Film Festival 2001. In February 2001, it also took the Grand Prize in the 12th Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival
Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival
The , also sometimes called YIFFF, is held in a resort-like environment in the small town of Yūbari on the northernmost Japanese island of Hokkaidō. From 1990 to 1999, the festival was known as the Yubari International Fantastic Adventure Film Festival.-History:...
which was attended by director Suri Krishnamma.
The film contains a cover of the Tim Hardin song "Reason To Believe" by Paul Weller, recorded specially for the movie.