In Search of a Midnight Kiss (2007)

Broke and alone on New Year's Eve, Wilson just wants to spend the rest of a very bad year in bed. But, when his best friend convinces him to post a personal ad, he meets a woman bent on finding the right guy to be with at midnight.

Director:

Alex Holdridge

Writer:

Alex Holdridge

Stars:

Scoot McNairy, Sara Simmonds, Brian McGuire

4 wins.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Scoot McNairy	...	Wilson
Sara Simmonds	...	Vivian
Brian McGuire	...	Jacob (as Brian Matthew McGuire)
Kathleen Luong	...	Min (as Katie Luong)
Robert Murphy	...	Jack
Twink Caplan	...	Wilson's Mother
Bret Roberts	...	Bui
Ann Chatterton	...	Neighbor #1 (as Annie Chatterton)
Cindy Drummond	...	Neighbor #2
Giorgio Pierangeli	...	Maitre d'
Michael Pierangeli	...	Young Boy
Bruce Jay	...	Stevie
Stephanie Feury	...	Jacob's Mother
Julie Levin-Pierangeli	...	Wilson's Sister
Kennedy Rich-Collins	...	Vivian's Mother

Storyline

On New Year's Eve, Wilson, a twenty-nine-year old guy has just had the worst year of his life. He emigrated to Los Angeles, has no date, no concrete plans and every intention of locking the doors and forgetting the last year ever happened. That is until his best friend, Jacob, browbeats him into posting a personal ad on Craig's List. When Vivian, a strong-willed woman hell bent on being with the right guy at the stroke of midnight responds, a chaotic, sometimes hilarious, sometimes touching journey through the black and white streets of L.A. begins. In the waning hours of the year, emotional vulnerability and bitterly honest humor seem to be waiting around every corner.

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Plot Keywords:

midnight | new year's eve | bed | kiss | time in title | 

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Taglines:

14 hours until the new year. 12 million people in Los Angeles. 1 connection shouldn't be this hard.

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 August 2008 (USA)

Also Known As:

Anazitontas ena fili ta mesanyhta

Filming Locations:

Austin, Texas, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$25,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$13,385, 3 August 2008, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$172,177, 16 November 2008

Company Credits

Production Co:

Midnight Kiss Productions (II)

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Black and White Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

If Wilson's mom is in Florida, she shouldn't be toasting the New Year at the same time as Los Angelenos. She'd be 3 hours late.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Wilson: The midnight kiss. It's not just another kiss. It's all the hope of romance of the year culminating in just one moment. And that over-hyped kiss, in which there is so much calling, texting, I.M.-ing, planning, hurrying, drinking to make happen, is set at a moment when time itself takes center stage, when you can palpably feel the weight of the year to come, mix with the loneliness and missed opportunities of the years gone by.
[pause]
Wilson: For years I used to work at a video store, and ...
[...]

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Connections

References City of God (2002)

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Soundtracks

Lines
by Okkervil River

User Reviews

Before Midnight.

Finding love – or any sort of emotional bond, or even just a one night stand – on the web might not be easier than in the "real world", but it's certainly a way to start looking for that someone if you're too shy or depressed to go out and meet people.

Alex Holdridge's extremely low-budget, black-and-white "In Search of a Midnight Kiss", is another variation of the "brief encounter" subgenre ("Lost In Translation", "Before Sunrise/Sunset") that I just love, and one of the finest feel good movies of the year. Despite some clichéd gimmickry of first-time filmmakers (this is Holdridge's third feature, actually), the movie relies on the chemistry of its protagonists, Scoot McNairy and Sara Simmonds, who are up for the task.

McNairy plays Wilson, who just got dumped by his long-term girlfriend (this is semi-autobiographical – Holdridge got dumped by his girlfriend and had his laptop stolen in real life, just like Wilson in the movie), who posts a Craigslist ad following a friend's idea. He decides to meet the first woman who calls him, Vivian (Simmonds), a chain-smoking, temperamental aspiring actress. But they hit it off. The movie is essentially their day together, while we wonder whether they will share a New Year midnight kiss or not...

"In Search of a Midnight Kiss" will be enjoyed by those who had a similar experience (that is, finding a nice person online – that can be as unlikely as getting randomly picked by a Belgian hottie on his last night in America - but I met my best friend online, so yes, these things CAN happen!), or those who dream of finding someone special. This film proves that a not so original premise and lack of technical resources can still make a good movie if the talents involved are able to make you want to go for the ride with them. And this search was a lovely ride. 8.5/10.