Auld Lang Syne: Movies for a New Year

Auld Lang Syne, roughly translated from Scottish, means “for old time’s sake,” which means to reminisce on old friendships and good times, while bidding farewell to the past year to welcome the new one. In a similar way, each new year we bid farewell to ourselves. 

Marriage Story (2021)  

A strikingly intelligent and focused character study of a man and wife in a marriage that falls apart, it’s as beautiful as it is bittersweet. Charlie (Adam Driver) is a well-known theatre director, and Nicole (Scarlett Johansson) is a former actor turned thespian who loses herself in her husband’s spotlight. They are smart, kind, loving people, and good parents to their son, Henry. Unfortunately Charlie’s ambition and Nicole’s lack of voice and recognition begin to clash, unbeknownst to Charlie, until he’s served divorce papers in his mother-in-law’s LA kitchen. 

Despite what you might think, it isn’t heart-wrenching (apart from that one scene in Charlie’s apartment). Divorce sucks, yes, but this aptly titled movie is very much a human story — two people are good for each other, until they aren’t. It’s awkward in that indie-movie way, laced with dry humor and theatrical intimacy — we really get to know these characters. And we do know them — they are us, our friends, our family members, all just doing their best. Relationships, like some friendships, can’t stay the same forever. Rated R for strong language and mature themes. 

Seven Years in Tibet (1997) 

Austria, 1939. Mountaineer Heinrich Harrer leaves his pregnant wife behind to embark on a four-month journey to climb the Himalayan peak Nanga Parbat. He is joined by his friend, Peter Aufschnaiter (David Thewlis), but things don’t go as planned when Heinrich is injured. As World War Two begins to unfold, they are captured by the British and imprisoned, as Germany has declared war on the United Kingdom. Later, Heinrich and Peter escape to the labyrinthine mountains of Tibet, and are fortunate enough to not only meet but befriend the young Dalai Lama and the humble people of the Forbidden City of Lhasa. There they encounter Chinese communists who lay siege to the city and the country itself. 

This is the story of a man’s spiritual journey, and for me it was a very moving one. I think Heinrich, like many of us, especially when young, is carried away by his own arrogance and selfish ideas. While his journey is physical, Heinrich’s real journey is internal, and one of forgiveness and self-realization — guilt for his wife, his son, and the life he could have lived — as well as an acceptance of fate. He never chose to be stuck in subcontinental Asia for so many years, but fate had other ideas, as it often does. Rated PG-13 for mild violence, profanity, and mature themes. 

Countdown Curios

• Today’s Times Square ball has 32,000 LEDs and weighs more than six tons — all for a 60-second drop.

• The midnight kiss comes from old European folklore: skip it, and you’re doomed to a lonely year.

• Only about 8% of New Year’s resolutions survive past spring. 

• Times Square confetti includes thousands of handwritten wishes from around the world.