There’s nothing quite as romantic as a New Year’s kiss. With the twinkling lights, the champagne and the suspenseful countdown, there’s no doubt that these festive kisses make for memorable moments! And who does it better than Hollywood? I picked my favorite NYE kisses from movies and TV shows that made for swoon-worthy moments.
1. Bridget Jones’s Diary
A movie that starts on one New Year’s Eve and ends the next is bound to have some romantic holiday moments — and Bridget Jones’s Diary doesn’t disappoint! We see the ups and downs of the relationship between Mark and Bridget over the course of one year, ending in that perfect New Year’s kiss.
Though we were rooting for them the whole time, there was no guarantee that Mark and Bridget would end up together. With Natasha, the new jobs in New York and the drama with the diary, we’re left on the edge of our seats, wondering if Bridget will step up and intervene. And thank God she does, as it results in one of the best NYE kisses in cinematic history! Along with the prospect of a new diary, the kiss between Mark and Bridget certainly begins the New Year with a fresh start.
2. Friends, “The One with All the Resolutions”
When you’ve got a six-person friend group split evenly between single men and women, there’s bound to be some pair-ups. So in season five, when Monica and Chandler were secretly dating, the inevitable occurs. The two want to celebrate the holiday with a kiss, but they have to keep it on the down-low since not everyone knows about their relationship.
Since Joey is the only one in on the secret, Monica and Chandler require his help to make their romantic midnight kiss happen. And as scatterbrained as Joey may be, he actually pulls it off. He convinces Ross to kiss Phoebe and Rachel to kiss him, leaving Chandler and Monica to have their first semi-public and ever-so-romantic kiss – just what the audience was rooting for.
Related: The 37 Best TV Kisses of All Time
3. When Harry Met Sally…
How could we not include this one? When Harry Met Sally… is nothing short of classic, and the romantic moments shared between the characters are far from disappointing. The movie expertly makes use of New Year’s Eve, first with the double date that ends up bringing Marie and Jess together, and second with the kiss.
With Harry and Sally’s will-they-or-won’t-they tension, we weren’t sure they would end up together, but the kiss was definitely worth the wait. Not only was this kiss powerful, but Harry’s love-professing speech beforehand was most definitely swoon-worthy! “It’s not because I’m lonely and it’s not because it’s New Year’s Eve,” he says. “I came here tonight because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.” And what better time to start than the New Year?
4. New Year’s Eve
With a title like this, you know that New Year’s Eve was chock-full of great romantic moments. Our favorite? The unexpected midnight kiss between Paul (Zac Efron) and Ingrid (Michelle Pfeiffer). It’s hard not to want Zac on our list, but we swear it isn’t just because we’re fans! The kiss between these two characters was unconventional and most definitely heartwarming.
Just as Michelle Pfeiffer’s character is about to wrap up her somewhat saddening year by watching the ball drop by herself, Zac’s character swoops right in. Even though she protests, saying that she’s twice his age, he dips her low and gives her a long kiss, checking off the final resolution on her list. Sure, the scene was a little cheesy, but you have to admit your heart skipped a beat.
5. The O.C., “The Countdown”
There are a number of cute Ryan-and-Marissa moments in the show, but their famous New Year’s kiss definitely takes first place. The suspense of the countdown, Oliver’s presence and the couple’s past definitely build up to the moment of the kiss.
Just as Marissa is unhappily coming to terms that she’ll be spending the rest of the night with Oliver, we see Ryan trying his hardest to get to her on time. He stumbles up the stairs, has to catch his breath and checks his watch, making us think that he just might not make it. Complete with some very cheesy slow-mo running, the scene ends with a smiling Marissa, an “I love you” and a very romantic and perfectly posed kiss.
There’s no doubt that Hollywood does romance right (have you seen The Notebook?), and we’re rarely disappointed by the romantic New Year’s moments they produce. NYE makes for some memorable moments—hopefully ones we can emulate in our real lives!