Distribution Studio: Focus Features Director: Alexander Payne

Films that I believe every viewer will enjoy, whether it be a film buff or a casual moviegoer, hardly exist. Sometimes a crowd pleaser is too simplistic or too saccharine for the harshest movie critics to find value in. Sometimes a film can have “universally loved” intentions, but might end up being too dense or avant-garde for more casual movie watchers. The Holdovers is one of those rare movies that will find its way into everybody’s hearts.

The Holdovers is built around a fairly straightforward story. It’s 1970 at an all-boys boarding school, and we’re introduced to a history teacher, Paul Hunham (played by the incredible Paul Giamatti), and a group of students, led by Angus Tully (played by newcomer Dominic Sessa). It’s near the holiday break and the students are getting ready to make their journeys back home to be with their families and friends. But not everybody is able to leave. A handful of kids, who can’t go home for the holidays, for various reasons, are known as “the holdovers.” These students must stay on campus during their time off and are to be watched by a faculty member. This year, the loathed Mr. Hunham got stuck with watching the holdovers. A lose-lose scenario for everybody involved.

Mr. Hunham is your typical curmudgeon. He grades too hard, he calls students out directly, and he assigns homework over holiday breaks. What’s there to like? After a few short days, nearly every student from the holdover group leaves school with one of the student’s parents (with permission from all of their parents). Unfortunately, Mr. Hunham wasn’t able to get ahold of Angus Tully’s parents. After trying numerous times, it’s evidently clear that nobody is going to be able to give Angus permission to join his peers. Angus and Mr. Hunham were now stuck together for the rest of the long holiday break. Thankfully the head of the school’s cafeteria, Mary Lamb (played by Da’Vine Joy Randolph), was also there to join the two of them.

It’s an unexpected grouping of characters, but they each have their own reasons for being stuck at this school over the holidays. We learn early on that Mary’s son died in the Vietnam war and that staying away from family for the holidays made the most sense for her. Angus is a bright, but abrasive, kid whose mom and step dad decided to take a vacation instead of celebrating the holidays as a family. And for Mr. Hunham, his story is best left for you to discover while watching. This is the case for all of these characters. They are much more than meets the eye and much more than I described.

Throughout the two week-or-so holiday journey, we learn so much about Paul, Mary, and Angus. How and why did they end up at this school? What has been haunting them? And what do they need to break out of seemingly impossible cycles of sorrow and depression? It’s all tackled with immense directing and writing prowess. There aren’t any emotional cheap shots in The Holdovers, instead it’s filled with realistic conversation, believable character decisions, and so much more. What also makes the film sing is the quick-witted humor that’s used to advance the story. Whether they’re clever one liners, or back and forth conversations, hilarity and humor is found from start to finish.

Not enough can be said about the acting performances from our leads, Giamatti, Sessa, and Randolph. All three give powerful, nuanced, and believable performances. Their decision-making throughout as actors is so impressive, especially when needing to balance comedy and sincerity for most of the runtime. While I fully expect a Best Actor Academy Award Nomination for Paul Giamatti, I also fully expect a Best Supporting Actress Academy Award Nomination, and potential win, for Da’Vine Joy Randolph. Randolph’s performance is the beating heart of the film and is one of the main elements that will stick with you. It’s amazing how much she can say, and the amount of emotion she can convey, with just one look.

The Holdovers was shot, acted, and edited to appear as if it was made in the late 60’s/early 70’s. Before actually watching the film, you might be concerned that this decision is just a gimmick, but in reality these decisions are a big part of what make this film such a success. The look and style of The Holdovers makes it feel warm and cozy, that feeling you get when you’re around your loved ones during the holiday season. It’s a hard feeling to replicate, but Alexander Payne does it beautifully.

9.5/10

Written by: Stefano Todaro