The Holdovers (2023) Movie Review
“Life is like a hen house ladder. Shitty and short.” That’s the mantra of Paul (Paul Giamatti), a school teacher at a boarding school in the 1970’s. He has a particular disdain for his students and a wealth of knowledge about topics that no one around him seems to appreciate. It’s Christmas break and Paul has been selected to be the teacher who stays behind to watch over the holdovers–a group of students who won’t be going home for the holidays.
The group of unlikely students is whittled down to just one after a helicopter arrives to whisk away most of them on a skiing holiday. Angus (Dominic Sessa) is the lone and unlucky student who must stay behind with his surly history teacher. They are joined on occasion by Mary (Da’Vine Joy Randolph), the school’s cook who is grieving the loss of her son. What begins as a contentious relationship turns into a heartwarming story of connection and understanding.
The 1970’s era suits director Alexander Payne’s story well. The soundtrack reflects the era with songs from The Chambers Brothers, Cat Stevens, and The Allman Brothers happily playing in the background as students trudge through the snow on the school campus. This is a story that would really only work in the past. Nowadays streaming services, phones, and laptops would provide hours of isolating entertainment for a student forced to spend Christmas with a teacher. But in the 70’s, before screens consumed our lives, Paul and Angus are forced to interact.
The dialogue is snappy and insightful and Giamatti, Joy Randolph, and Sessa deliver it with an easy chemistry that flows throughout the two hour and thirteen minute runtime. Sessa’s cinematic debut proves he can hang with more experienced actors as he handily goes toe to toe with Giamatti. And Joy Randolph adds a certain level of depth and heart to her character that might’ve gotten lost in the shuffle if she wasn’t such a skilled performer. Her performance is certainly worthy of awards consideration as she imbues Mary with a warmth and sadness that is masterful to watch.
What begins as an anti-Christmas movie, highlighting all the saddest parts of the holiday season, transforms into a moving story about finding connection in unlikely places. While it drags a bit during the later half of the movie, The Holdovers is still a fun and enjoyable watch that’ll remind you of all the best humanity has to offer.
You’ll like this movie if:
1. You like stories about finding connections
2. You’re nostalgic for the 1970’s
3. You feel like an outcast
