“The Holdovers” Review

(From Left) An iconoclastic student (Dominic Sessa), a maligned history professor (Paul Giamatti) and a grieving cook (Da’Vine Joy Randolph) find themselves bound together over the holidays in Alexander Payne’s latest film “The Holdovers”.

There’s a classic expression that you often hear when watching older films. “They don’t make ‘em like they used to.” Of course, this is a pretty obvious observation. With advances in both filmmaking technology and storytelling, of course the way things are done is going to change. However, when we see a style of film that we love slowly go out of style, it’s only natural to long for a new film that resurrects the storytelling traditions of the past. “The Holdovers” is the perfect example of seeing a modern director taking on a style of filmmaking and not only doing so to perfection, but also crafting one of the best films that you could watch in a theater right now. With endearing performances, a sharp script and a profound use of 1970s filmmaking, “The Holdovers” is such a marvelous time. 

In December of 1970, students at the prestigious Barton Academy boarding school are all preparing for the holidays where they will all leave their dorms and go home for winter break. However, a few students have to stay at the school for various reasons and Paul Hunham (Paul Giamatti), a detested history teacher, must watch over these “holdovers” for two weeks which, in particular, draws the ire of the smart yet rebellious student Angus Tully (Dominic Sessa). As Hunham and Tully spend more time together, they begin to form a complex student/teacher relationship as they both realize they are more alike than they originally thought. 

With director Alexander Payne at the helm, I was certainly full of hope for his first film in six years. After all, Payne has made some incredible films that balance absurd comedy and drama so well including “Election” (featuring a breakout performance by Reese Witherspoon), “The Descendants” and “Sideways” (which also starred Paul Giamatti). Whether it’s applying all the weight and stress of bureaucracy on a student body election or just having two guys go on a magically crazy wine tasting trip, Payne always looks for the depth of the comedy and the funny side of a tough situation. With “The Holdovers”, this is not only a strong return to form for him but it’s also such a satisfying reunion between the director and Giamatti.

As Paul Hunham, Giamatti delivers one of his finest performances because, despite being hated by many students and teachers, there is this strong code of ethics with him. Despite Barton Academy being a place where many prestigious families/wealthy donors send their offspring, Hunham doesn’t believe in cutting any slack to a student even if their family donated a gymnasium to the school. He’s a stickler, a hardass and a harsh grader but he believes that he’s just preparing these spoiled rich kids for reality. But Hunham’s big problem is that he forgets that his students are still kids and he has lost his empathy after years of feeling wronged by the world. This is a role that could have been too over-the-top or too unlikable but Giamatti really finds the humanity to this character and is quite likable in the role.

His youthful foil, Angus Tully, is also quite compelling because he wasn’t even supposed to be a holdover until the very last minute. He feels abandoned, alone and is now stuck with one of his least favorite people. According to his IMDb page, Dominic Sessa has no screen credits before “The Holdovers”. He’s never acted in any television series or feature film before and that fact is incredibly shocking. With his performance as Angus, you’d have thought that he’s been in the business since he could read lines. Whether it’s seeing Julia Butters take on Leonardo DiCaprio in “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” or Tatum O’Neal upstage her own father Ryan in “Paper Moon”, I love seeing such a promising youthful talent be able to hold their own alongside an actor with the prestige of Giamatti. The relationship that is built by Giamatti and Sessa is wonderful to see open up and results in so many charming scenes between the pair. 

Rounding out this small group of castaways is the school’s cook Mary Lamb (Da’Vine Joy Randolph), whose son Curtis went to Barton and was just tragically killed in Vietnam. Dealing with this grief, Mary doesn’t want to leave the place that she and her son called home for so many years and finds herself as an integral part of this small, makeshift community. Da’Vine Joy Randolph was absolutely wonderful in her performance in Eddie Murphy’s comeback film “Dolemite is My Name” back in 2019 and her role in this film also deserves much adoration. Not only is she an emotional buffer for the more confrontational dynamic of Angus and Hunham, but she also brings this admirable presence as someone trying to keep caring for others and move forward in spite of her pain. 

Even from the trailers, it was clear that this film was trying to be like the comedy-dramas of the 1970s. The aesthetic is all over the place with celluloid scratches being left on the film, the colors feeling faded and even a 70s style disclaimer before the film starts letting the audience know that it’s rated R. While it’s a bit jarring at first to see the 70s visuals being pushed so hard, it quickly grows on you when you become so wrapped up in this story. 

Screenwriter David Hemingson has certainly paid his dues as a television writer, working on several nostalgic series like “Pepper Ann” and “The Adventures of Pete and Pete” as well as writing a really great episode of “How I Met Your Mother” called “Third Wheel”, and “The Holdovers” marks his first venture into writing a feature film. The script he has written is incredibly sharp with so many witty remarks and jokes all throughout. “The Holdovers” is certainly a feel-good film but it’s also not afraid to go deep into the emotional core of these characters and their problems. 

Cinema of the 1970s is often thought of as very aggressive and bent on pushing things to the limit and that is certainly a big part of the decade thanks to filmmakers like Peckinpah, De Palma and Friedkin. But there’s also this very tender side that was clawing for genuine affection and sincerity in the chaos of the decade with films like “Harold and Maude” by Hal Ashby and “The Last Picture Show” by Peter Bogdanovich being strong examples. Watching “The Holdovers” was like watching the Hal Ashby film he never got to make to the point where a Cat Stevens song is even used in the soundtrack. It’s full of many sweet moments and can make you laugh one minute and cry the next, sometimes in the same scene. 

These days, I feel that people want more introspection whether it’s from big-budget blockbusters like “Barbie” or the smaller arthouse cinema that A24 and other independent distribution companies are showing. As fun as mindless escapism is and I love my fair share of it, I need something that I feel is really speaking to me and that I can carry with me when the credits roll and the theater clears out. Watching “The Holdovers” gave me that feeling and also made me want to revisit similar films old and new. I felt like I was seeing a film that spiritually aligned itself with the likes of “Paper Moon”, “The Last Picture Show” and “Shampoo” and I sincerely hope that this beautiful little film can make the impact on a wide audience that it has left on me.