Along with Woody Allen and Albert Brooks, director Henry Jaglom is one of the modern bards of male neurosis. Yet, whereas Allen plays it safe (and is, admittedly, often after bigger fish like "the meaning of life"), and Brooks disarms with pure charm, Jaglom wears his heart on his sleeve, warts and all. As is typical of Jaglom films, New Year's Day doesn't have much of a plot: Drew (Jaglom), on the rebound from a divorce, leaves L.A., arrives at his apartment in New York, and discovers that due to a confusion of semantics, the three women who have leased the apartment (through the 1st, or to the 1st) are still there. Unable to find a hotel, the exhausted and ailing Drew just wants to crash, but finds himself intrigued by the last minute scurryings of the three women whose impending departure is fraught with mystery and problems. The central figure, Lucy (a wonderful performance by Maggie Jakobson), is preparing to move to L.A., to put as much distance between her and her jerk ex-boyfriend, as possible. Winona (Melanie Winters) is a happy unit, having decided that she wants a baby, but not a husband. And Annie (Gwen Welles) is on the verge of hysteria over Lucy's long distance exodus (although we don't know why until the end of the film). Over the course of the day and evening, a bunch of people drop by to either wish well or argue with the female trio, and Drew ends up getting and giving an earful. There are lots of philosophical ruminations ala love and life in this comedy that has serious overtones (there is a kind of desperate middle-age lechery that hangs over the comic prattle like a cowl). And these serious overtones are going to put some people off. For instance, although Drew commiserates with Lucy, he nevertheless tries to hit on her. It's an uncomfortable scene to watch, but it's also an honest one. Not everything about human nature is comfortable. Libraries who want to bolster their collection with good independent work, would do well to consider this offbeat gem from a dogged miner of the human heart. Highly recommended. (R. Pitman) [DVD Review—Nov. 28, 2006—Paramount, 88 min., R, $14.99—Making its first appearance on DVD, 1989's New Year's Day sports a fine transfer with Dolby Digital mono sound. DVD extras include an audio commentary by writer-director Henry Jaglom and costars David Duchonvy and Maggie Wheeler. Bottom line: a small but solid extras package for a fine film. Note: two other Jaglom films are also newly available on DVD: 1987's Someone to Love and 1976's Tracks.]
New Year's Day
color. 90 min. Paramount Home Video. (1989). $79.98. Rated: R Library Journal
New Year's Day
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