The last and possibly most exciting day of the year is personified with a slew of accomplished actors in Gary Marshall’s (The Princess Diaries, Pretty Woman) New Year’s Eve. Following the success of his 2010 holiday film Valentine’s Day, Marshall finds success again with an exciting, heartfelt story that makes viewers feel the hope and magic of renewal and even a little star struck.

Centering on many stories, the plot moves relatively fast. Michelle Pfeiffer’s (Stardust) character is a shy office worker who enlists the help of Zac Efron (Charlie St. Cloud) to accomplish her long list of resolutions in a matter of hours.

Ashton Kutcher, a wealthy and lazy twenty-something, (“Two and a Half Men”) meets Lea Michele (“Glee”) who is late for a singing performance because they are stuck inside an old apartment building elevator. This sounds like the basis of a horror flick but makes for interesting chemistry. Katherine Heigl (27 Dresses) plays a flustered chef catering a lavish party who is constantly bothered by her ex, played by Jon Bon Jovi.

Even more celebrities collaborated on the film including the likes of Jessica Biel, Seth Meyers, Halle Berry, Abigail Breslin, Josh Duhamel and Sarah Jessica Parker and many more. This incredible cast seems like a list of invites to an exclusive Oscar party, yet each character brings a unique story and they work well together.

 Instead of being completely predictable, viewers will enjoy trying to guess how all of the stories weave together at the end. The different plots range from funny to mawkish all set in the final hours of 2011 in the city that never sleeps.

The length of the movie (2 hours and 13 minutes) could have been cut down to 90 minutes and it would have been beneficial to spend more time on a few characters instead of trying to cram in a whole ensemble. The three and a half star film wraps up smoothly with a dusting of hope when the ball finally drops and the famous chords of Auld Lang Syne echo through Times Square.