The Holdovers (2023)

The Holdovers (2023)

Paul Giamatti gives a career best performance in one of the best films of the year

December 20, 2023

5 minutes

Alexander Payne, Carrie Preston, Comedy, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Dominic Sessa, Drama, Movie Review, New Releases, Paul Giamatti, Reel Interpretations, Rotten Tomatoes, The Holdovers

I’m a big fan of a vintage aesthetic and retro design. Specifically when it comes to music and the way its being listened to. With the resurgence in vinyl and record players and even cassette’s making a comeback, nostalgia has made its mark on pop culture in the 21^st century. Its universally agreed that vinyl is the best way to listen to a record and I can agree to that sentiment. Records are a preferred method of listening to music decompressed compared to the convenience of digitally streaming options. What drew me to The Holdovers by director Alexander Payne is exactly that – the vintage aesthetic he chooses to build his film from the ground up.

Before the story even begins, Alexander Payne initiates the time travel – title cards of the production companies and studios are given the 1970’s face lift treatment mixed with a sound quality that features the static of being shot on film, not digital. Sweet sounds of static from a change in film cannisters. The same warmth listening to a vinyl record brings also kicks off the film from its color palette.

Written by David Hemingson, The Holdovers takes place in 1970’s New England at an all-boys boarding school named Barton Academy. During the holidays, a select few boys are unfortunately holding over at the academy until the next semester while the rest return home to their families for the break. Chaperoning the young men is the curmudgeonly ancient civilization teacher Paul Hunham (Paul Giamatti), notorious for his bad temper, short attitude and insubordination for following orders to look the other way of a student’s grade based on the size of the donation their family makes. To be fair, he does have a valid point in failing a student in the beginning, but Hemingson’s script gets to the root of Hunham’s reasoning as the film begins its final approach to its destination.

Quickly, 5 boys holding over soon reduces down to one – Angus Tully (Dominic Sessa), abandoned by his mother last minute so she can take a honeymoon with his stepfather. Angus is a brilliant troublemaker hell bent on making Hunham’s time chaperoning as difficult as possible. Neither want to be stuck with one another so luckily head supervisor of the kitchen Mary Lamb (Da’Vine Joy Randolph) is staying at the academy as well. Mary is still grieving the loss of her only child Curtis when the three form an unbreakable bond, forged through reluctance, sour tempers and humbled journeys of self-discovery.

The Holdovers boasts quite a journey, an emotional one in which all 3 of its leads travel from point a to point b, getting humbled along the way and accepting hard pills to swallow from their environment. There’s real organic growth happening right before your eyes. But most importantly, David Hemingson’s script adds an unexpected laugh out loud humor to its overwhelming sense of human nature. Be prepared to laugh, often from the chemistry between Giamatti, Sessa and Randolph. And quickly, the 3 that appear to have nothing in common when first stuck together, have more in common with one another than you’d think.

Given the time of year The Holdovers takes place, perfect for the holidays to warrant an inclusion into the rotation, its cold, gruff exterior is quickly removed to allow the warmhearted nature shine through the surface. Every interaction between Paul and Angus is a challenging one of wits and authority, Angus the rebellious teenager lashing out like a hornet at anyone and everyone and Paul who is supposed to be mature, bitterly throws those same stones back at Angus, but with all of the tension and unwillingness to budge, the tone balances out toward a lighter side despite the heavy themes Hemingson explores.

Performances from the three leads are all exceptional – as I mentioned earlier their chemistry feels natural from their pairing which quickly finds common ground. There may be some turbulence along the way, harsh things said in jest and insensitive comments but it’s the growth that matters most. These characters grow in every scene there in over the course of 133 minutes. It may be a slog, but The Holdovers never fails to keep you engaged and entertained. Reuniting for their second collaboration after Sideways, Paul Giamatti is flawless as Hunham. Always quick to see the worst in humanity, Giamatti gives a career best as the flawed teacher who has more to offer the world than teaching in a dead end job.

Newcomer Dominic Sessa dazzles as Angus – his angsty teenager attitude is generational, one we all can relate to, with a mischievous look and a cunning smile to match. Every scene they’re together, Sessa matches Giamatti beat for beat, sometimes stealing the spotlight away from Giamatti – the two complimenting one another in their characters journey’s. Not to be undervalued or lost in the translation is a Heartwreching performance by Da’Vine Joy Randolph. You can feel her grief and sadness the most out of the trio. Every scene has something to remind Mary of her loss and Randolph plays off those emotions so well you begin to think it’s her loss not her characters.

The Holdovers is undoubtedly one of the years best films and a Christmas movie that will warm you up during the cold winter months. It should find a place within the rotation of regular films watched during the holiday season. There is a clear destination for its characters and the journey is well worth the trip. Alexander Payne effortlessly transforms his sets to feel like the decade in which its story takes place in and the retro look and design are visually crisp and pleasing on the eye. Something about the graininess of the picture that makes you not want to look away but check for all the minor details added in. For the story, its personal touch and intimacy is well worth the length and the abundance of laughs that are naturally tossed in.