"The Holdovers," a new film directed by Alexander Payne, is set in the 1970s at Barton Academy on the eve of Christmas break at a fictional New England boarding school.
Payne pairs up with Paul Giamatti, who plays the film's lead, Paul Hunham, a cantankerous history teacher and Barton alum assigned to supervise a small group of students who need to remain on campus for the holidays, unable to travel home due to their parents' other commitments.
Payne and Giamatti last worked together on the 2004 Oscar-winning film "Sideways," where Giamatti was cast as the equally cranky lead character and wine snob Miles.
The group of students, dubbed the "holdovers," include Angus, a quiet and brilliant outcast; Jason, the high-school football star; Teddy, the class bully; and two younger students, Alex, a Mormon from Utah whose parents are away on a mission, and Ye-Joon Park, whose family asked he stay on campus as the trip home to South Korea is too far to travel during the school break.
Mary Lamb, the school's cook, is also on holdover duty. This Christmas is especially hard for Mary as her son, a celebrated Barton alum, has recently died after being drafted in the Vietnam War.
Angus and Paul have already clashed in the classroom. So, when Jason's father surprises the holdover students with a Christmas ski trip, Angus is devastated when he cannot join when Paul can’t reach his parents for permission. This leads to Paul, Mary, and Angus spending the holiday at the deserted campus.
Over the next several days, the film unravels each character's complex backstories as the trio grows closer and learns to process their struggles.
Payne and screenwriter David Hemingson partner with Giamatti to create a compelling character and a standout performance. Dominic Sessa makes an impressive debut as Angus, and Da'Vine Randolph gives a heartwarming performance as Mary, who's both no-nonsense and nurturing.
Rated R and running 2 hours and 13 minutes, "The Holdovers" is already generating Oscar buzz and has all the makings of a holiday film classic. Now playing in theaters, you can see it on the big screen at the Santy as “The Holdovers” will be screening at Park City Film through December 31.
"The Holdovers" is a film worth watching this holiday season.
