‘The Holdovers’- Heartland International Film Festival Review

Director Alexander Payne is one of those filmmakers who takes his time between projects. Here, though, it’s a surprise to see him return. He does not have a vast filmography, but he knows how to make these flawed characters come to life, with favorites steaming from Election (my favorite), Sideways, and The Descendents, the latter two of which won him Oscars for Best Adapted Screenplay twice. But a six-year return has come since his previous film, Downsizing, was his weakest effort. In nearly two decades, his latest The Holdovers finally saw the long-awaited second collaboration with him and star Paul Giamatti since Sideways. But out of the six movies I saw at Heartland, this delightful dramedy was the one I had the most fun watching, and I left with a smile, knowing it was a return to form from the acclimated director and the film representing sitting down with an old friend over coffee.

What’s the Story: It’s the tail end of 1970, and the students and faculty at Barton Academy, a prep school just outside of Boston, are about to take their relaxing vacation off campus for a couple of weeks for Christmas break. Paul Hunham (Giamatti) is a curmudgeon Ancient Civilizations professor who isn’t well-liked by anybody there, especially his students who gave them failing grades on their final exams. To make things worse, karma slaps him at the back of the head as he’s responsible for supervising the students who can’t travel home to see their families during the holidays (aka the holdovers). That, unfortunately, includes Angus Tully (newcomer Dominic Sessa), whose plans changed at the last minute when his mother was planning a honeymoon with her new husband, forcing him to stay with four other students along with Mary Lamb (Da’Vine Joy Randolph), the school’s head cook who recently lost her son in the Vietnam war.

Paul Giamatti has always been one of those actors who doesn’t get enough credit for his screen presence and is usually the standout in even the worst movies. It’s been a long time since he was cast in a fantastic part, and this shows that he’s at his finest when collaborating with Payne to create another unforgettable character that we know initially seems unlikeable but may eventually grow to love. Hunham’s been at the campus for years, knowing he will not let these rich kids slide off easily, and he hasn’t been in a relationship nor sees to change anything in his life. Unlike Jack Nicholson’s character in As Good as It Gets or any other mean-spirited, thinly written teacher, there’s so much sympathy for him to understand his behavior, instantly believing his transformation into, hopefully, becoming someone better, even with a lazy eye that, yes, is mentioned later on. The fact that they have only once nominated him for an Oscar is perplexing, not for Sideways, but for Cinderella Man (underrated sports drama, by the way).

Da’Vine Joy Randolph is equally impressive as Mary, who we learn works at the school so her son could get an education, and he enlisted in the army to go straight into college. Now that he’s gone, Mary is going through the motions like grieving parents tend to be. Mary keeps Paul company while drinking and watches The Newlywed Game, which he never heard of. She’s excellent with comedic roles in the past (Dolemite is My Name), but we’ll be talking about her performance here for years. The scene that will stick out is when Mary breaks down in a kitchen at a Christmas party they’re attending.

With Giamatti and Rudolph great, most of the attention will be on Dominic Sessa as Angus, as we see this rebellious yet bright teenager with no friends on campus and nowhere to go. And you can see where he’s coming from since his parents neglected him during the time perfect to spend with family, and his father passed away. He had never acted in anything before, and Payne must’ve seen something in him when he found him in a drama club in the school where they were about to start filming, this kid who was just in high school when he discovered him. He had never performed in anything before, so Payne must have recognized something special in him when he discovered him at the school’s drama club just before they began filming. It’s a hilarious and ultimately heartbreaking performance only an actor like him pulled off with ease. Like turning Reese Witherspoon and Shaline Woodley into breakout stars in their own right, I strongly feel The Holdovers will do the same for Sessa when he knows how to hold his own against his two co-stars. Something about him reminds me of a young Penn Badgley. His chemistry with Giamatti shines through every scene, proving the film’s most unexpected teacher-student bonding experience ever. It’s one of the best debut performances that many hope doesn’t disappear anytime soon.

Reading on paper wouldn’t offer The Holdovers any specialty to ride home about. But, thanks to Payne’s touch with similar themes from his previous films, as well as a terrific screenplay by David Hemingson, primarily known for his television work and making his feature debut, it has the quick, witty dialogue and unexpected tender moments one associates with Payne’s work, which is unusual for him not to write his own script. As far as it’s worth, this is an analysis of sadness and loneliness because of the overall melancholy atmosphere, which I couldn’t have predicted when I realized that Paul and Angus would not be the ideal people to be around.

We slowly learn about these three more than just viewing them as cranky teachers, rebellious students, and cooks, and we understand they’re more alike than we thought. Christmas has always been one of the most challenging times since loved ones aren’t with us anymore, leaving some to wonder how it is still essential to be surrounded by love. Sometimes, you have those around you to keep you moving forward and let them know they’ll be there for you. Paul, Mary, and Angus don’t want to be on campus, but they’ll eventually find some common ground to spend their time there well, especially when the guys don’t see eye to eye in the first week alone.

When it takes the time to be funny, it goes for it to where my nearly sold-out crowd was bursting with laughter on multiple occasions, and it’s been a long time since a comedy got me to laugh hard. In particular, two scenes will always return to me involving a present and an accident inside a gymnasium. And for what Payne was going for in transporting us back to the early ‘70s, a job well done. The right feel of the old-fashioned period to make it feel as if it came out of that time through cinematographer Eigil Bryld’s use of a 35mm aspect ratio, especially when getting the nostalgia points for the vintage MPAA rating and Focus Features/ Miramax logos. Additionally, the pacing is ideal for the intended outcome, except for a few sequences near the beginning of the third act. I have never felt the slightest bit bored. When it comes to nominations for awards since it also premiered at Telluride and TIFF, this is an excellent opportunity to nominate the film Best Picture, Giamatti for Actor, Sessa for Supporting Actor, Randolph for Supporting Actress, Original Screenplay, and Director for Payne.

The Holdovers surpassed my expectations in many respects. Seeing this as Alexander Payne’s best achievement since Sideways doesn’t surprise me. With endearing performances from its three leads and the filmmaker’s skill at striking the right balance of comedy and drama, we have a compelling and comforting holiday dramedy about letting others into our hearts despite the differences we see in them. I can’t wait to watch it again soon; even while it might not become the next Christmas classic to be watched every year, it’s definitely one of the best movies I’ve seen this year.