Paul Giamatti Stars in the New Miller High-Life of Christmas Films
DIRECTED BY ALEXANDER PAYNE/2023
Cozy. Comforting. Familiar. From the opening credits, The Holdovers immediately feels like a steaming cup of hot chocolate on a hazy winter morning. It is made clear by the retro studio logos that this is a film intentionally set in time, yet Alexander Payne crafts a work that seems destined to be a timeless classic. Both visually stunning with film techniques pulled straight from the ’70s and beautifully written, The Holdovers is set to be a permanent annual holiday watch.
The Holdovers places a central focus on Paul Hunham (Paul Giamatti), a widely despised history teacher at the boarding school Barton Academy. Cynical and sharp-tongued, Hunham spares no sympathy for the students he views as entitled and spoiled. His unwillingness to bend to the power of social class has already caused trouble with the headmaster of Barton. The subsequent punishment is how Hunham finds himself supervising the students left at the academy over the holidays – “the holdovers”. Among this group of “holdovers” is senior student Angus Tully (Dominic Sessa), who has been abruptly left behind by his mother and stepfather, and the cafeteria cook Mary Lamb (Da’Vine Joy Randolph), who is grieving the recent loss of her son. This unlikely trio is left to endure the holiday season, and the result is simultaneously disastrous and heartwarming.
Paul Giamatti inhabits a character that is a beautiful foil of Robin Williams’ incredible role as John Keating in Dead Poets Society. These characters themselves bear nothing in common outside of their profession; where Keating actively pursues creating relationships with his students, Hunham instead chooses a more solitary lifestyle. We learn through his interactions with his fellow staff that it is not a lack of social awareness that drives Hunham’s isolation, but instead a deeply rooted sense of resentment for a society that continuously favors the fortunate. This cynical perspective is constantly challenged by his companions, and it is Angus that pushes Hunham to reconstruct his bitter worldview. While Hunham is confidently nonchalant as he delivers sharp persona jabs, he is hesitant as he fumbles his way through offering life advice to his troubled pupil.
The burgeoning connection between Hunham and Angus truly represents the driving factor behind the emotional impact of The Holdovers. Dominic Sessa absolutely dazzles in his first ever film role, and he effortlessly manages to share the screen with his seasoned co-stars. His interpretation of the rebellious yet complicated allows Angus to contain layers that the audience begins to strip away as each scene progresses. Both charming and awkward, Sessa is completely convincing as a young man searching for guidance when his family disappoints him. When sharing the screen with Giamatti, it is hard to ignore the natural chemistry that culminates into a heart wrenching final act. Truly, I consider it a tragedy that Sessa has not received more recognition for this quietly beautiful performance.
When talking about award-worthy performances in The Holdovers, it would be disrespectful not to mention Da’Vine Joy Randolph’s portrayal of Mary Lamb. A widow who has now lost her only son, Mary’s sadness is equally as captivating as it is difficult to bear witness too. The strange friendship she has with Hunham highlights both her loneliness and her continued willingness to care for those around her. If there is any flaw in Randolph’s performance, it is that we do not receive nearly enough of it. For the time that she is on the screen, it is impossible to look away as Mary attempts to drink herself through the pain of experiencing the holidays without her family. Randolph takes what little she is given to create a striking performance, but it is hard not to imagine how much more she could have done if given the material.
Though Payne himself has vehemently forsworn to label The Holdovers as a “Christmas film”, he ironically has released a near-perfect addition to the genre. When boiled down to its core ingredients, the film focuses on three individuals isolated from their family who come together to redefine what that term can truly mean. It is the holidays that bring this unlikely crew together, and perhaps it is the spirit of the season that allows them to display such vulnerability and seek comfort in individuals once regarded as strangers. Ultimately, The Holdovers stands as a love letter to the complexity of human connection. By telling the story of three practical strangers who are forced together under strange circumstances, Payne explores how people can come together to support each other and how seemingly simple acts can have powerful consequences. Perhaps The Holdovers is not particularly revolutionary, but it offers the audience a chance to reestablish their faith in the kindness of humanity.