The Holdovers
Overview
The Holdovers is a 2023 comedy-drama film directed by Alexander Payne, starring Paul Giamatti as Paul Hunham, a cranky, unpopular history teacher at a prestigious New England boarding school; Dominic Sessa as Angus Tully, a rebellious, intelligent student; and Da'Vine Joy Randolph as Mary Lamb, the school's head cook. The film is set in December 1970, at Barton Academy. The school closes for Christmas break, but a few students, the "holdovers," are forced to stay because they have nowhere else to go. Paul is forced to supervise them. He and Angus clash, but they eventually form an unlikely bond. The film is a warm, funny, and nostalgic look at loneliness, connection, and the unexpected friendships that can form in the most unlikely circumstances. Paul is a lonely, bitter man who is hiding a secret (he has a condition that makes him smell). Angus is a troubled teenager who is hiding a secret (his father is in a mental institution). Mary is grieving the death of her son, who died in Vietnam. The film ends with Paul being fired for protecting Angus, and with Angus being sent to military school. The Holdovers was a critical and commercial success, earning over $30 million on a $13 million budget. It was nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor for Paul Giamatti, and Best Supporting Actress for Da'Vine Joy Randolph, who won the Oscar.
