Because just about everyone making mainstream films these days are filthy rich, it’s rare that any of them come close to demonstrating a world close to reality. Sure, some films don’t require it (for example any sci-fi or horror film), but those that actually attempt usually try and get audiences to relate to characters either living in mansions or in the slums. There is no middle ground. This is why The New Year is so refreshing.
Made by writer/director Brett Haley, the film follows a young girl named Sunny Eliot (Trieste Kelly Dunn) who has dropped out of college to return home and care for her sick father. Two-and-a-half years later, the former valedictorian finds herself working a bowling alley as a shoe clerk with little hope to fulfill her life goals. She is far from unhappy, however, spending time with a group of tight-knit friends (Linda Lee McBride, David McElfresh) and a boyfriend (Kevin Wheatley) who cares for her deeply. But when a former classmate, who has found success in New York as a stand-up comedian, returns home for Christmas, Sunny is reminded that there is a world beyond Pensacola, Florida and she must decide what she wants her life to be.
While on paper it appears this is a film about a girl who has to decide which boy she wants to be with, it’s not nearly that generic. While most films of this genre would star with the main character not needing a man in her life until Mr. Perfect walks through the door, Sunny is a completely independent character. Yes, there are men in her life, but her decisions are not dictated by them. Rather, the men are more representative of a choice that she needs to make: does she stay with her boyfriend and permanently establish a life in Florida, or does she make a leap. While she has a place in her heart for both of them, the plot doesn’t dictate a romantic choice and, instead, uses the characters as symbols.
While all of the performances were great (something that’s not always guaranteed in a film with an $8,000 budget), it is Dunn who steals the film. Playing a character in Sunny that requires a tremendous amount of range, the actress rises to the challenge and is spectacular in every scene. Still fairly green, her acting career up to this point largely consisting of bit roles on television shows such as Bored To Death and Fringe, we can expect a great deal more from this actress as she (hopefully) gets more work.
Though the film is occasionally guilty of expositional and stilted dialogue, there is very little not to like about The New Year. Boasting a talented young cast and a terrific story that is born in reality, Haley has created a wonderful small-budget film.
For more coverage from the 2010 Los Angeles Film Festival click here.
