For many people, no matter where we are and how many people we’re surrounded by, the holidays can hold as much sorrow as joy. And if it’s neither, there’s some sort of nostalgia lingering in the air, whether it’s tied to old memories or what could’ve been. And often, when depicting the holidays on screen, we get one more than the other, tailoring the film to specific audiences who’d maybe relate or find a means to escape. Yet, in collaboration with writer David Hemingson, director Alexander Payne finds a subtly striking balance in The Holdovers.
It’s not every film you could look at and say with total confidence that it’s for every different type of fan, but The Holdovers is indeed something special, bound to leave its effect on even the most jaded curmudgeons. The best pieces of fiction can marry the unlikable and likable in such a way that vast intricacies become the place of focus, and in more ways than one, the film offers riveting character studies wrapped up chaotically in a plot that’s both familiar and unpredictable simultaneously.
The Holdovers succeeds in its narrative impact for many reasons, but its cast and Payne’s focus on their spirits is at the top of the list. If we’re to spend hours watching a handful of characters interact, then they need to manage to hold our attention—these characters not only do so while we’re with them, but they remain a little longer after we’ve left the theater. Starring Paul Giamatti in what might be one of his best roles, Paul Hunham is a despised history teacher at New England’s Barton Academy, an all-boys school full of rebellious teens in the 70s. In a myriad of ways, Hunham’s approach is the right one, but his execution is the faulty edge that pushes people away.
Next, we have Angus Tully, played by newcomer (and show-stealing) Dominic Sessa, whose performances add earnest coatings and heart to the film in a way that makes it difficult to imagine any other actor. Undoubtedly, many have said it at this point, but Sessa delivers a career-shaping performance that’s outright rare in Hollywood for a debut. Angus is witty and secretly kind but concurrently broken, rebelling against the system out of his fears and depression. On paper, a student like Angus and a teacher like Paul Hunham make a perfect pair to be stuck in disfavored circumstances together (a boy desperately missing his father and a man with plenty of wisdom and love to bestow but not knowing how), and thankfully, the execution works, too. Much of it is entirely because of Giamatti and Sessa’s fantastic rapport, playing off each other’s quips and vulnerabilities with ease.
The Holdovers isn’t a story about found families, and it isn’t about how two weeks bring people closer than ever, but instead, it’s a thought-provoking account about the people who come and go, changing our lives for the better after it’s all over.
Where we begin with these characters and where we end is as surprising as it is predictable, providing a riveting juxtaposition in a way only clever storytelling could. And with that comes Da’Vine Joy Randolph’s Mary Lamb, Barton’s manager cook and a grieving mother whose heart is on display throughout the film. It’s Mary’s encouragement and outright humanity that effectively push Hunham to make more of an effort to ensure Angus’ time during the holidays is a bit more memorable. And Randolph’s one-liners provide moments of levity amid an overall heartbreaking time brought on by realistic sufferings that often break people during the holidays.
With each of these characters and their backstories fanning in front of us, The Holdovers becomes a comfortable film to invest in. The crude jokes and impassivity spreading down the halls would’ve become tiring if we hadn’t maneuvered with them toward more compassionate places, looking deeper into their hearts and why they’re frequently in pain. We wouldn’t be able to sit through something overly satirical like this without finding emotions to latch onto that are never cloying but thoroughly impactful, nevertheless. While the film is no Dead Poets Society, it’s a compelling exhibition of the detail that men have enough agency not to become their fathers. They have choices and paths to walk down that they can select despite the probabilities piled against them.
It’s why Hunham’s choice works in the end because, throughout the film’s run, Giamatti shows that he cares more about those who are hurting than his own credibility. As harsh as he is, there’s far more integrity in his lecture than in the entire school’s system. They each need a little push, and that’s exactly what The Holdovers conveys with impeccable performances that demonstrate the power in actions backing words. Payne’s focus on closeup expressions followed by back shots makes the decisive moments even more profound while it grounds the characters in real-time. With every decision they make, the audience is made aware that it’s going to happen. And with every dynamic the holiday break establishes, it becomes clear that it’s all about what humans can do for each other versus what we can do for ourselves.
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There’s a time and place for everything, and as cliché as it is, Payne carefully makes it apparent that the holidays are about being selfless. They’re about the people we help and the healing that occurs even while we’re all walking around sheltering traumas people aren’t always aware of. It’s about standing up for those who can’t always fight for themselves, and it’s about taking chances that might be risky but significant in the long run. The Holdovers doesn’t miss a beat in examining the sadness churning around the holidays, topping it off with the kind of melancholy yet restorative ending that hits right where it needs to. Complete with exceptionally memorable performances from the entire cast and Payne’s best work to date, it’s one of the best holiday films ever made.
The Holdovers is now playing exclusively in select theaters or on demand.