The Holdovers is set in 1970s New England at an all-boys boarding school called Barton Academy. The film encapsulates the 70s vibe with the grainy film stock and soft string-heavy music. Barton during the wintertime is laden with snow and boys who are itching to leave for winter break. Many of them come from wealthy families who have extravagant vacations planned for the holiday. One of these boys is Angus Tully (Dominic Sessa) who is looking forward to a December spent on the beach when he receives a call that his mother has canceled the vacation, and he must “holdover” at Barton throughout the holidays. His caretaker during this time is Paul Hunham (Paul Giamatti), a lonely, sarcastic teacher who attended Barton himself some years ago. They are also joined by the school chef Mary Lamb (Da’Vine Joy Randolph) who is grieving her son lost in Vietnam. The trio forms an unlikely bond throughout the holidays while each deal with their own issues of loneliness and loss. They find comfort in each other’s company despite Tully’s repeated attempts to escape.
19 years after Alexander Payne’s Sideways, he reunites with Paul Giamatti for The Holdovers. Giamatti delivers a fantastic, hilarious, and emotional performance. Giamatti sinks into the role of a bitter and lonely teacher with a fond eye for alcohol, giving his best performance in a film since Sideways. The David Hemingson script meshes well with Giamatti’s deadpan delivery of many one-liners that were laugh-out-loud funny. Giamatti will almost certainly be in Oscar contention come February. It is a performance worthy of a Best Actor nomination, so fully expect to see him in contention throughout awards season. As for Payne, it is a triumphant return to the limelight after his much-maligned 2017 drama Downsizing. Payne wonderfully depicts this holiday dramedy, a genre that has faded from popular culture in recent years. Payne and Giamatti excel when working together and hopefully will use the success of The Holdovers to continue their collaboration in the future.
Sessa, Giamatti, and Randolph have great chemistry, which sets the eclectic vibe that the movie hinges on. Sessa, giving his debut performance, does well when depicting the loneliness that comes with family troubles as well as injecting youth into the film. At times Sessa comes across as a bit awkward but it is oftentimes more of a function of the dialogue rather than the performance itself. Randolph delivers an extremely emotional and excellent performance as a mother stricken by the loss of her son. She also does brilliantly when mediating the bickering between Hunham and Tully throughout the film. Her struggle with grief furthers the themes of loneliness and loss that are persistent throughout The Holdovers.
The Holdovers is akin to films like Wes Anderson’s Rushmore and Peter Weir’s Dead Poets Society, both of which would provide an incredible double feature. The Holdovers however provides a heartwarming charm and holiday spirit that is infectious. Payne masters the diverse series of emotions shown in the film and ties it up neatly at the end. The Holdovers is a great time at the movies and will be a holiday hit for years to come.
4/5 STARS