I Hate New Year’s is a feel-good LGBT holiday love story. Its Hallmark film approach follows a forlorn, sexy rock star, Layne (Dia Frampton), from her rocketing Los Angeles career back to her Nashville music roots to unblock her creativity. With the need to love again, Layne confronts the past, present, and future with a little help from her friends, such as a supportive, seemingly flamboyant Freddie (Andrew Brennen), not to mention lots of hugs, dog posters, and motivational art.
With advisement from a purposely hokey fortune teller, played by Candis Cayne, to follow her guides, Layne sets out to Nashville. On New Year’s Eve, Layne’s life comes full circle as she faces her past love, Caroline (Kelly Lynn Reiter), and accepts the love of her best friend, Cassie (a very likable Ashley Argota). On the way to fulfillment and still hating New Year’s Eve, Layne and Cassie get dressed up, party, and sing. They also run into some old friends, including past bandmates such as a feisty musician, played by Kristen Merlin, who made it to the final rounds of The Voice, and country singer Arlene, played by Rebecca Lines, who puts a nice little pop of Nashville country music edge into her appearance.
“On New Year’s Eve, Layne’s life comes full circle as she faces her past love…”
Although I Hate New Year’s is one-night in one of Layne’s days, whose fame follows her no matter where she goes in Nashville, she does go through a transformation of accepting happiness and with it comes to find love. Original music and singing by several of the key players make the film a bit more interesting. And although it is set in Nashville and the lead characters are singers, performers, and musicians, it’s still a love story about two ladies who are trying to find romance. They acknowledge a past and move on to a present, where the future is wide open with possibilities. Along the way, the cast of characters are all conspiring for love to happen, thus the Hallmark appeal.
Of note, Layne’s performance on stage is something to behold from the opening of the film and throughout her night around Nashville, and, in a way, it trumps Frampton’s acting. Nevertheless, this is a feel-good lesbian love story, and it’s not very far off from being appropriate for a range of ages, sans the shots and drinking, because all the girls and boys treat each other pretty well.
Director Christin Baker uses all the props of social media and the standard nuances of a classic New Year’s Eve night out to deliver a “happy and gay” comedic love story, one that will be happily rewatched every holiday season.
"…a feel-good lesbian love story..."
