The Night Before (2015 film)

Last updated

The Night Before
TheNightBefore2015poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Jonathan Levine
Screenplay by
Story byJonathan Levine
Produced by
Starring
Cinematography Brandon Trost
Edited by Zene Baker
Music by
Production
companies
Distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing
Release dates
  • November 16, 2015 (2015-11-16)(New York City)
  • November 20, 2015 (2015-11-20)(United States)
Running time
101 minutes [2]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$25–33 million [3] [4]
Box office$52.4 million [4]

The Night Before is a 2015 American Christmas comedy stoner film directed by Jonathan Levine and written by Levine, Evan Goldberg, Kyle Hunter, and Ariel Shaffir. The film stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen, and Anthony Mackie as three childhood friends who annually reunite on Christmas Eve in search of the best party in New York City. Lizzy Caplan, Jillian Bell, Mindy Kaling, and Michael Shannon also star.

Contents

Principal photography began on August 11, 2014, in New York City. Good Universe and Point Grey Pictures produced the film, which Columbia Pictures released in North America on November 20, 2015. The film received mixed reviews from critics and grossed $52 million worldwide.

Plot

In December 2001, Ethan Miller loses his parents in a car accident. His best friends Isaac Greenberg and Chris Roberts resolve to spend every Christmas Eve with him so that he will not be alone. The three learn about the exclusive Nutcracker Ball party but are unable to find it.

They continue their collective holiday tradition every year until 2015, when they finally decide to end the tradition. Chris, now a famous football player, and Isaac, married with a baby on the way, worry that Ethan, a struggling musician working dead-end jobs, is not ready for the tradition to end.

At work, Ethan steals tickets to the Nutcracker Ball. Before embarking on their last Christmas Eve together, the friends meet at Isaac's house, where his pregnant wife, Betsy, gives him various illegal drugs, including magic mushrooms and cocaine.

The friends stop first at the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree, where Ethan reveals the tickets to the ball. In an attempt to impress his teammates, Chris purchases marijuana from their former high school dealer, Mr. Green.

At a karaoke bar, the friends run into Diana, who recently broke up with Ethan due to his failure to commit, and her friend Sarah, both of whom are also attending the Nutcracker Ball. Isaac, affected by the drugs he took, records a video phone message confessing that he is terrified of having a child. Chris hooks up with a supposed fan who steals his marijuana.

The friends contact Mr. Green again, who meets them at Chris' mother's, where they have dinner. She encourages Ethan to make up with Diana, and Isaac realizes he has accidentally switched phones with Sarah when he begins to receive sexts. While they search for Isaac's phone, the thief steals Chris' marijuana again.

The friends split up, as Chris wants his marijuana back, Isaac wants his phone, and Ethan wants to go to the party. Chris fails to recover his marijuana but through the thief learns the true value of his friends. Isaac, hallucinating from a mixture of drugs, meets his wife and her family and vomits during Midnight Mass. Ethan is beaten by two drunk pub crawling men dressed as Santa after defending the spirit of Christmas.

Meeting back at a subway station, the tension between the friends explodes as Ethan reveals that he and Isaac know Chris' sudden success is due to steroids, and Chris reveals that he and Isaac think Ethan is lost.

Despite their revelations, the friends go to the Nutcracker Ball. Chris learns that his teammates did not need the marijuana he struggled to obtain, and mock him for a video shot earlier with his friends. Isaac retrieves his phone, learning Sarah never revealed his video message. Ethan finds Diana and spontaneously proposes to her in front of the entire party with Miley Cyrus. While she accepts publicly, she declines in private, saying that he only proposed out of fear of losing his friends.

Ashamed, Ethan goes to the roof where he finds Mr. Green, who reveals that he is the creator and host of the Nutcracker Ball. After experiencing a memory of his friends initiating their yearly ritual, Ethan rejoins Chris and Isaac, who have been thrown out after an altercation with Chris' teammates.

As morning dawns, the friends reconcile just as Isaac receives a message that Betsy is in labor. Rushing to the hospital in Mr. Green's car, they discover it was a false alarm. Mr. Green is revealed to be an angel, helping the friends in order to earn his wings. Isaac shows his wife the video, and she admits she is also scared about raising their daughter.

The trio spend Christmas at Isaac's, after which Chris has dinner with his mother and admits to his steroid use. Ethan goes to Diana's, where he apologizes for his behavior and not being ready to commit. Admitting that she has missed him, Diana accepts his request to finally meet her parents.

One year later, the friends and their loved ones spend Christmas together. Isaac's baby cannot sleep, so the trio serenade her.

Cast

Production

Development

On February 10, 2014, it was announced that Seth Rogen and Joseph Gordon-Levitt would reunite in the film, following 50/50 , in which they co-starred. On May 13, Anthony Mackie joined the cast. [7] Jonathan Levine, director of 50/50, directed The Night Before from his own script. [5] Good Universe and Point Grey Pictures produced the film, which Sony's Columbia Pictures distributed. [5]

Casting

On August 7, Jillian Bell was cast to play Betsy, the wife of Rogen's character. [10] On August 8, Lizzy Caplan joined the cast to play Diana, a love interest of Gordon-Levitt's character. [8]

Filming

Principal photography on the film began on August 11, 2014, in New York City. [8] [14] [15] On August 14, filming took place around 112th street and Broadway in NYC. [16] On August 22, Rogen was spotted filming scenes outside a church in Manhattan. [17] On January 5, 2015, filming took place in and around Rockefeller Center, where the crews were taking some shots of the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree. [18]

Release

The film was originally scheduled to be released on December 11, 2015, but Sony moved the release date to November 25, 2015, [19] and later to November 20, 2015. [20]

Box office

The Night Before grossed $43 million in North America and $9.3 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $52.4 million, against a budget of $25 million. [4]

In the United States, The Night Before opened alongside The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 and Secret in Their Eyes on November 20, 2015. [21] The film made $550,000 from its Thursday preview screenings and $3.6 million on its first day. In its opening weekend, the film grossed $9.9 million, and finished fourth at the box office behind Mockingjay – Part 2 ($102.7 million), Spectre ($15 million) and The Peanuts Movie ($13.2 million). [22] During its second week, the film grossed $8.4 million (a drop of 15.2%), finishing 6th at the box office. [23]

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 69% based on 161 reviews, and an average rating of 6/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "The Night Before provokes enough belly laughs to qualify as a worthwhile addition to the list of Christmas comedies worth revisiting, even if it isn't quite as consistent as the classics." [24] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 58 out of 100, based on 31 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". [25] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A−" on an A+ to F scale. [22]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zooey Deschanel</span> American actress and musician (born 1980)

Zooey Claire Deschanel is an American actress and musician. She made her film debut in Mumford (1999) and had a supporting role in Cameron Crowe's film Almost Famous (2000). Deschanel is known for her deadpan roles in comedy films such as The Good Girl (2002), The New Guy (2002), Elf (2003), The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005), Failure to Launch (2006), Yes Man (2008), The Happening (2008), 500 Days of Summer (2009) and Our Idiot Brother (2011). She has also ventured into dramatic film territory with Manic (2001), All the Real Girls (2003), Winter Passing (2005), Bridge to Terabithia (2007) and The Driftless Area (2015). From 2011 to 2018, she starred as Jess Day on the Fox sitcom New Girl, for which she received nominations for a Primetime Emmy Award and three Golden Globe Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seth Rogen</span> Canadian actor, comedian, and filmmaker (born 1982)

Seth Aaron Rogen is a Canadian actor, comedian and filmmaker. Originally a stand-up comedian in Vancouver, he moved to Los Angeles for a part in Judd Apatow's series Freaks and Geeks in 1999, and got a part on Apatow's sitcom Undeclared in 2001, which also hired him as a writer. Rogen landed a job as a staff writer on the final season of Da Ali G Show (2004), for which the writing team was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series. Apatow subsequently guided him toward a film career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joseph Gordon-Levitt</span> American actor (born 1981)

Joseph Leonard Gordon-Levitt is an American actor. He has received various accolades, including nominations for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for his leading performances in 500 Days of Summer (2009) and 50/50 (2011). He is the founder of the online media platform HitRecord whose projects such as HitRecord on TV (2014–15) and Create Together (2020) won him two Primetime Emmy Awards in the category of Outstanding Interactive Program.

<i>Superbad</i> 2007 film by Greg Mottola

Superbad is a 2007 American coming-of-age teen buddy comedy film directed by Greg Mottola, written by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, and produced by Judd Apatow. It stars Jonah Hill and Michael Cera as Seth and Evan, two teenagers about to graduate from high school. Before graduating, the boys want to party and lose their virginity, but their plan proves harder than expected.

<i>Pineapple Express</i> (film) 2008 American film

Pineapple Express is a 2008 American buddy stoner action comedy film directed by David Gordon Green, written by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg and starring Rogen and James Franco. The plot centers on a process server and his marijuana dealer as they are forced to flee from hitmen and a corrupt police officer after witnessing them commit a murder. Producer Judd Apatow, who previously worked with Rogen and Goldberg on Knocked Up and Superbad, assisted in developing the story.

Jonathan A. Levine is an American film director and screenwriter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walking Piano</span>

The Walking Piano, also called the Big Piano by its creator, Remo Saraceni, is an oversized synthesizer. Merging dance, music, and play, it is played by the user's feet tapping the keys to make music. Versions of the piano have been installed in museums, children's hospitals, and other public places around the world.

<i>Looper</i> (film) 2012 American film by Rian Johnson

Looper is a 2012 American science fiction action-thriller film written and directed by Rian Johnson, and produced by Ram Bergman and James D. Stern. It stars Bruce Willis, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Emily Blunt. It revolves around "present-day" contract killers called "loopers" sent back through time by criminal syndicates from the future.

<i>50/50</i> (2011 film) 2011 American film

50/50 is a 2011 American comedy-drama film directed by Jonathan Levine, written by Will Reiser, and starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen, Anna Kendrick, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Anjelica Huston. The film is loosely inspired by Reiser's own experience with cancer, with Rogen's character Kyle based on Rogen himself. It was filmed from February to March 2010. 50/50 was released on September 30, 2011, and grossed $41 million. It received positive reviews, with particular praise for Gordon-Levitt's performance and Reiser's screenplay.

The Night Before may refer to:

<i>This Is the End</i> 2013 American comedy film directed by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg

This Is the End is a 2013 American apocalyptic comedy horror film written, directed and produced by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg in their directorial debuts. It is a feature-length film adaptation of Rogen and Goldberg's short film Jay and Seth Versus the Apocalypse (2007), which was directed by Jason Stone, who serves as an executive producer on the film. Starring James Franco, Jonah Hill, Rogen, Jay Baruchel, Danny McBride, Craig Robinson, Michael Cera and Emma Watson, the film centers on fictionalized versions of its cast in the wake of a global biblical apocalypse in Los Angeles.

<i>Don Jon</i> 2013 film by Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Don Jon is a 2013 American romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Joseph Gordon-Levitt in his feature directorial debut. The film stars Gordon-Levitt, Scarlett Johansson, and Julianne Moore, with Rob Brown, Glenne Headly, Brie Larson, and Tony Danza in supporting roles. The film premiered under its original title Don Jon's Addiction at the Sundance Film Festival on January 18, 2013, and was released in the United States on September 27, 2013. The film grossed $41 million worldwide and received generally positive reviews from critics.

Will Reiser is an American screenwriter and producer. He is best known for writing the 2011 film 50/50, which was based on his own experience with cancer.

<i>Neighbors</i> (2014 film) 2014 American film

Neighbors is a 2014 American bromantic comedy film directed by Nicholas Stoller and written by Andrew J. Cohen and Brendan O'Brien. The film stars Seth Rogen and Zac Efron with Rose Byrne, Dave Franco, and Christopher Mintz-Plasse in supporting roles. The plot follows a couple who come into conflict with a fraternity that has recently moved in next door, which leads them into an all out war.

<i>Horrible Bosses 2</i> 2014 American film

Horrible Bosses 2 is a 2014 American crime comedy film directed by Sean Anders and written by Anders and John Morris. A sequel to 2011's Horrible Bosses, the film stars Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, Jason Sudeikis, Jennifer Aniston, Jamie Foxx, Chris Pine, and Christoph Waltz. The plot follows Nick, Kurt, and Dale as they kidnap the son of a billionaire investor in order to blackmail him, out of revenge after he screws them over on a business deal.

<i>The Interview</i> 2014 film by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg

The Interview is a 2014 American political satire action comedy film produced and directed by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg in their second directorial work, following This Is the End (2013). The screenplay was written by Dan Sterling, which he based on a story he co-wrote with Rogen and Goldberg. The film stars Rogen and James Franco as journalists who set up an interview with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, played by Randall Park, only to then be recruited by the CIA to assassinate him. The film was inspired by a 2012 Vice documentary.

<i>Sausage Party</i> American adult animated film by Conrad Vernon and Greg Tiernan

Sausage Party is a 2016 adult animated comedy film directed by Conrad Vernon and Greg Tiernan, written by Kyle Hunter, Ariel Shaffir, Seth Rogen, and Evan Goldberg based on a story created by Rogen, Goldberg, and Jonah Hill, and starring the voices of Rogen, Kristen Wiig, Hill, Bill Hader, Michael Cera, James Franco, Danny McBride, Craig Robinson, Paul Rudd, Nick Kroll, David Krumholtz, Edward Norton, and Salma Hayek. The film follows an anthropomorphic sausage who lives in a supermarket and discovers the truth about what happens when groceries are purchased leading him on a journey with his friends to escape their fate while also facing a lunatic and malicious douche who wants to kill him.

<i>The Walk</i> (2015 film) 2015 American film by Robert Zemeckis

The Walk is a 2015 American 3D biographical drama film directed by Robert Zemeckis and written by him and Christopher Browne. It is based on the story of 24-year-old French high-wire artist Philippe Petit's walk between the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center on August 7, 1974. The film stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Petit, alongside Ben Kingsley, Charlotte Le Bon, James Badge Dale, Ben Schwartz, and Steve Valentine.

<i>Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising</i> 2016 American film

Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising is a 2016 American comedy film directed by Nicholas Stoller and written by Stoller, Andrew J. Cohen, Brendan O'Brien, Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg. A sequel to Neighbors (2014), the plot follows the Radners having to outwit a new sorority led by Shelby, living next door to sell their house currently in escrow. Zac Efron, Dave Franco, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Jerrod Carmichael, Ike Barinholtz, Carla Gallo, Hannibal Buress, and Lisa Kudrow reprise their roles from the first film; it was Rogen's first live-action sequel. The film premiered on April 26, 2016, in Berlin and was released on May 20, 2016, in the United States, receiving mostly positive reviews and grossed $108 million worldwide.

A Hanukkah film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on the celebration of the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah. Films in this style traditionally incorporate the religious aspects of Hanukkah, such as lighting the menorah and the story of the Maccabees, as well as the cultural aspects of Hanukkah, such as spinning dreidels, or eating traditional foods such as latkes, sufganiyot, or gelt. Films in this genre are typically similar to comedy and romantic comedy films in content, however some are similar in style to action, drama, and animated films, among other genres. Hanukkah films are more commonly produced in the United States, however, they are also produced in other countries such as Israel.

References

  1. ↑ "The Night Before (2015)". AFI Catalog of Feature Films . Archived from the original on May 2, 2021. Retrieved February 21, 2021.
  2. ↑ "The Night Before (15)". British Board of Film Classification . October 26, 2015. Archived from the original on August 3, 2023. Retrieved October 26, 2015.
  3. ↑ "2015 Feature Film Study" (PDF). FilmL.A. June 15, 2016. Archived from the original on July 4, 2016. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 "The Night Before (2015)". Box Office Mojo . Archived from the original on March 7, 2018. Retrieved January 20, 2016.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Siegel, Tatiana; Kit, Borys (February 10, 2014). "Seth Rogen, Joseph Gordon-Levitt to Reteam With '50/50' Director for 'Xmas'". hollywoodreporter.com. Archived from the original on August 19, 2014. Retrieved August 17, 2014.
  6. ↑ "The Night Before - Seth Rogen ( Behind the Scenes )". August 25, 2014. Archived from the original on March 7, 2016. Retrieved April 11, 2015– via YouTube.
  7. 1 2 Sneider, Jeff (May 13, 2014). "Anthony Mackie in Negotiations to Join Seth Rogen, Joseph Gordon-Levitt in Christmas Comedy". thewrap.com. Archived from the original on August 19, 2014. Retrieved August 17, 2014.
  8. 1 2 3 Ford, Rebecca (August 8, 2014). "Lizzy Caplan Joins Seth Rogen, Joseph Gordon-Levitt in Christmas Eve Comedy". hollywoodreporter.com. Archived from the original on August 11, 2014. Retrieved August 12, 2014.
  9. 1 2 3 Jagernauth, Kevin (July 28, 2015). "Watch: Xmas Gets Red Band In Trailer For 'The Night Before' With Seth Rogen, Joseph Gordon-Levitt & Anthony Mackie". Indiewire . Archived from the original on October 19, 2015. Retrieved October 20, 2015.
  10. 1 2 Yamato, Jen (August 7, 2014). "'22 Jump Street's Jillian Bell Joins Sony Christmas Comedy". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 3, 2023. Retrieved August 12, 2014.
  11. ↑ Presno, Caroline (November 25, 2014). "Selma's Lorraine Toussaint on Motherhood, a Childhood of 'Silent, Dark Terror' and Award Season Buzz". The Huffington Post . Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved October 20, 2015.
  12. 1 2 Hoffman, Daniel (September 5, 2014). "Watch Jason Mantzoukas, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Jason Jones Celebrate SantaCon Early". Bedford + Bowery. Archived from the original on April 11, 2015. Retrieved August 12, 2015.
  13. ↑ "Seth Rogen Gets In The Holiday Spirit On Our 'The Night Before' Set Visit - MTV News". August 11, 2015. Archived from the original on October 23, 2015. Retrieved September 11, 2017– via YouTube.
  14. ↑ @Sethrogen (August 11, 2014). "Day 1!!!!" (Tweet). Retrieved August 17, 2014– via Twitter.
  15. ↑ "On the Set for 8/11/14: 'Jurassic World' Wraps, 'The Last Face' Starts". studiosystemnews.com. August 11, 2014. Archived from the original on August 11, 2014. Retrieved August 12, 2014.
  16. ↑ "Seth Rogen and Joseph Gordon Levitt's Untitled Christmas Movie begins filming in NYC". onlocationvacations.com. August 14, 2014. Archived from the original on October 22, 2021. Retrieved August 16, 2014.
  17. ↑ "Photos of Seth Rogen filming in New York City on Aug. 22". onlocationvacations.com. August 25, 2014. Archived from the original on November 1, 2021. Retrieved August 27, 2014.
  18. ↑ "The Untitled X-Mas Project, starring Seth Rogen & Joseph Gordon Levitt, is filming at Rockefeller Center today". onlocationvacations.com. January 5, 2015. Archived from the original on October 22, 2021. Retrieved January 9, 2015.
  19. ↑ Fleming, Mike Jr. (October 14, 2014). "Predictable Move: Sony Slots Untitled Xmas Pic For 11/25/2015". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on October 16, 2014. Retrieved October 15, 2014.
  20. ↑ McNary, Dave (September 29, 2015). "Seth Rogen Comedy 'The Night Before' Moved up Five Days to Nov. 20". Variety. Archived from the original on June 16, 2018. Retrieved December 1, 2015.
  21. ↑ "Katniss To Set The World On Fire As 'Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2' Shoots For $285M-$305M Global Debut – B.O. Preview". Deadline Hollywood. November 17, 2015. Archived from the original on November 17, 2015. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
  22. 1 2 D'Alessandro, Anthony. "'Mockingjay – Part 2' Flying To $104M-$110M, Lowest In 'Hunger Games' Series But Still Great Business". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on April 15, 2018. Retrieved November 20, 2015.
  23. ↑ Anthony D'Alessandro (November 29, 2015). "Katniss Rules Wednesday On Track For $78M-80M 5-Day; 'Good Dinosaur' Eyes $58M-$62M; 'Creed' Punching $39M-$42M". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on November 26, 2015. Retrieved November 30, 2015.
  24. ↑ "The Night Before (2015)". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango. Archived from the original on January 18, 2018. Retrieved October 10, 2021. OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  25. ↑ "The Night Before (2015) Reviews". Metacritic . Archived from the original on January 10, 2019. Retrieved December 9, 2015.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.