A New Holiday Delight - The Holdovers

The Holdovers [2023]

Film

Six years after Director Alexander Payne's last feature film, Downsizing, he returns to the big screen with The Holdovers starring Paul Giamatti.

Before his last film, Payne was on an absolute heater putting out back to back to back critically acclaimed, Best Picture nominated films in Nebraska, The Descendants and Sideways. In a nine-year timespan, Payne solidified himself as a strong director. Striking a delicate balance of humor and heart, with a steady hand at the helm, Payne was easily one of the most exciting writers/directors on the rise.

Then there was Downsizing. What looked like an interesting sci-fi-ish drama starring Matt Damon, Christoph Waltz, Hong Chau and Kristen Wiig turned out to be a bloated mess.

Lucky for Payne, he has a wonderful return to form this year as The Holdovers is simply, and utterly delightful.

Spoilers Aplenty

In 1970, the New England area private boys school, Barton, is preparing to send off its students on their holiday break. However, a handful of students have to remain on campus, unable to be with their families during Christmas and New Year's Day. This year, the curmudgeon history teacher Paul Hunham (Paul Giamatti) is tasked with ensuring the safety and well-being of all students left on campus. As fate may have it, the bulk of this time is spent with only one holdover, Angus Tully (Dominic Sessa) along with the school's head cook, Mary (Da'Vine Joy Randolph).

Right out of the gate, it's obvious (and appreciated) that Payne opts for an old school film aesthetic. Pushing the audience into the time that the movie takes place in, which provides a much more immersive experience. Not to mention the grainy appearance and very slight tint add a real cozy feel to the atmosphere. Delivering a wonderful, relaxing vibe to a film set in ‘70s Christmas time.

Then there's the very not cozy Mr. Hunham. Giamatti's portrayal of the grouch is an astounding return from the great actor. He is in full command of the role and not to mention, is hilarious. Teaching ancient civilizations to a predominantly snotty group of privileged assholes is the perfect setting for Giamatti's witty delivery of writer David Hemingson's quips. The film tackles the duality of privilege and Giamatti's character is one-third of the trifecta that effectively materializes this theme.

One of the other players is Da'Vine Joy Randolph's wonderful performance as Mary. The emotional backbone of the film mainly hinges on Mary and her journey mourning the loss of her son, Curtis, who was killed in Vietnam after graduating from Barton and enrolling in the military to afford a college education. Curtis's attending Barton was only made possible by Mary taking the job as head chef at the school to fund his education, making her connection to the school that much stronger after his death.

First and foremost, Randolph's acting is beyond exceptional here. Her emotional display, switching between a strong almost stoic presence and grief is heartbreaking to watch. Being unable to truly reconcile her son's death due to the constant reminder of a nonuniform distribution of privilege is beyond saddening and maddening. Her son had to risk his life, ultimately losing it, in the hopes of attending college. Whereas the other kids at Barton complain to their wealthy parents if Mr. Hunham grades too harshly, leading to a possibility of not following the Ivy legacy of their parents.

The Holdovers [2023]

Last but not least, there's Dominic Sessa as Angus Tully. He is a bright student who is being held over the holidays due to his mom and stepfather deciding on a last minute honeymoon. If Giamatti's Mr. Hunham is the brain, and Randolph's Mary is the soul, then Sessa's Angus Tully is the heart of the film. All three come together in varying capacities to establish a fantastic trio of characters to root for. Tully and Mr. Hunham's relationship transforms in such a magnificent way, that you can't help but feel immense joy at the film's conclusion. Of course, that isn't possible without Giamatti and Sessa's acting as well. Often careful and nuanced, Sessa navigates a rather tricky role with what appears to be ease. Tully is not quite like the other privileged kids at Barton. He's grappling with his father being institutionalized with his mental health continuing to decline. Let alone we see Tully drop a bottle of pills only to find out they're anti-depressants and he is secretly dealing with his mental health battles. There's a lot of complexity to Tully's character and there's certainly no easy way to go about it, which is why Sessa's abilities on screen shine even brighter. Then of course you realize that this is Sessa's first feature film role and you're blown away completely. Or at least I was! Reminiscent of Felix Kammerer in All Quiet on the Western Front, it's special to be able to witness a first role be so incredible, and in a great film nonetheless.

Outside of the three fantastic actors and the film's tackling of privilege, there's also a secondary thematic element I found even more poignant. That being the fear of the unknown. Mr. Hunham is petrified of what lies ahead in his life, outside of what he can control. He never leaves Barton campus, unless for groceries or a random errand, but he also sticks to a routine that rarely has deviations. Not to mention he teaches classics such as ancient civilizations and adores history, often using historical facts as a smokescreen or a safety net in conversations. The same can be said about Tully, who if kicked out of another school will be relegated to military school. And if almost in an Ari Aster type of motif, both are terrified of becoming their fathers. They feel an impending dread or inherited fate that they will be doomed to repeat the mistakes or have the same conditions as their dad. This inherently bonds the two together throughout the film in a heartwarming, and fascinating way. Which combined with Hemingson's writing, is also undeniably hilarious.

Payne truly does return to form here with The Holdovers but it's the cast of Giamatti, Randolph, and Sessa that really make the film as successful as it is. By successful, I mean this film has flown up the charts of my all-time holiday film rankings. Making it damn near a must-watch every Christmas.

If anything, I just want to hear Paul Giamatti call the Barton headmaster "penis cancer in human form" one more time.

Froth

A cozy holiday movie calls for a cozy holiday beer. Lucky Envelope Brewing, who makes the fantastic Peanut Butter Cream Stout, has switched up the recipe a pinch to create the lovely new Gingerbread Cream Stout for this very occasion! Using their stout base they added some gingerbread spices, vanilla, and blackstrap molasses bringing out a delicious sweetness combined with the classic roasted flavor. With a medium mouthfeel and a cool 6.0% ABV, this brew gives a cozy classic feel as if you were drinking egg nog by the fire. Except better, because this is delicious beer. Also, gingerbread spices can be a little overwhelming but that is not the case here. The balance is impeccable and the combination of gingerbread, roasted malt, and sweet molasses/vanilla is dynamite.