Score: 4.5/5
In the wake of the annual Hallmark slop that gets dished out every year, Alexander Payne’s The Holdovers skyrockets to the ranks of other beloved, acclaimed Christmas classics.
In December 1970, nestled in the wooded hills of New England, Paul Hunham (Paul Giamatti) teaches classics at the all-boys preparatory school, Barton Academy. Although academically knowledgeable, his curmudgeonly attitude towards students sours his reputation. After failing the son of a wealthy donor, Hunham is punished by being tasked with supervising several boys over the winter break who won’t be returning home for the holidays, A.K.A. the holdovers.
Among these students being held over the break is Angus Tully (Dominic Sessa), a shrewd but defiant student who is ultimately left as the sole holdover after his mother ignores his request to leave with the other students on a ski trip. Accompanying Hunham and Angus in their snowy limbo is Barton’s cook Mary Lamb (Da’Vine Joy Randolph), whose son Curtis recently died in Vietnam following a draft.
Through ups and downs the unlikely trio work together to weather the time during the break. As time passes, their differences bring them closer to understanding one another during a happy but lonely time of year for many.
The trope of getting to know someone the opposite of you has been done countless times throughout the history of cinema, but Payne’s decision to blend it with a holiday tone is a stroke of genius, instantly making The Holdovers an accessible, easy-to-love classic.
While there’s ample early ‘70s nostalgia present to paint the setting, calling the film a pastiche couldn’t be further from the truth. Payne goes leaps and bounds beyond what’s expected of a movie set in the past. The Holdovers feels fully extracted from the period it’s set in, establishing the setting with elements that evoke your senses: the cold drafts echoing outside the windows of the school that make you want to bundle up in a blanket; the wooden desks and well-loved books with a pleasant smell of parchment; the feeling of watching Christmas lights illuminating at night; the loyalty to shooting on film to include an ever-present grainy haze. It’s a world you can step into and believe you’ve walked straight into the ‘70s.
The performances are great all around and build off one another to make the story work. Dominic Sessa gives his all in a breakout role. Paul Giamatti delivers a career best performance in a character that will be looked back on fondly with each passing year. Da’Vine Joy Randolph is the glue holding the other two together. Her quietly commanding presence with undercurrents of grief initiates the understanding and compassion between Hunham and Angus.
The technical filmmaking aspects of the film warrant analysis and appreciation, but at its core, The Holdovers is meant to be enjoyed and felt deeply. It’s a film that reaches out with open arms to all kinds of people who see it, reminding you that it’s okay to feel what you need to, and that other people are dealing with their own problems as well. The simple act of listening to someone and asking how they are doing can open the doors to a new world of compassion, making them feel seen.
The Holdovers ticks nearly every box of an essential, successful Christmas film. While having a fairly long runtime that risks losing speed, its emotional beats carry powerful resonance. It’s full of humour, heart and plenty of holiday iconography to put you in a festive mood. While full of joy and comedy, the film would not be what it is without a reminder of the pain and sorrow that can persist throughout the most wonderful time of the year. There is no better time than this one to offer a hand, a hug or an ear to listen to someone’s story.