Set in the 1970s, The Holdovers tells the story of how curmudgeon high school philosophy teacher Paul Hunham (Paul Giamatti), high school student Angus (Dominic Sessa), and high school chef Mary Lamb (Da’Vine Joy Randolph) all end up staying over Christmas break at the grounds of a New England prep school, “holdovers” being a term for those who have no where to go during vacation periods on school campuses. Cold and miserable together, the prickly teacher and student pair must learn to coexist over the next two weeks while Mary attempts to keep the peace.
The Holdovers’ plot is a simple one, following three people whose life circumstances lead them to spending time together over the Christmas holiday in a Massachusetts boarding school rather than with loved ones. On the surface, it doesn’t seem like much to create emotional investment in an audience, but what makes this film work and what pulls in viewers is its empathetic and genuine depiction of loneliness and how grief creates an isolating, depressive void that requires human connection and empathy to work through. Angus, Paul, and Mary are all dealing with loss and separation, Angus and Mary with the tragic and sudden losses of their father and son respectively and Paul with the loss of his professional potential and purpose which only compounded his inability to connect with people and build a family of his own. Angus and Paul deal with the resulting anguish by lashing out at the world around them, becoming confrontational and combative, unable to get along with others and instead using them as outlets for their anger and disappointment. Mary responds to the painful death of her son by becoming more withdrawn and retreating into sadness, until it boils over at inopportune moments. All of their responses are universal experiences for human beings and create a connection with viewers who either relate directly to the characters or are reminded of someone close to them who behaved the same way. The relatability makes the characters sympathetic and figures you want to spend two-hour investing in and escorting toward a resolution, hopefully happy, of their journeys in life. The Holdovers’ emotional component is what gives it its strength and takes what on the surface shouldn’t be enough for an engrossing film and turns it into one.
Of course it goes without saying that the execution of the themes of the film couldn’t be solely carried by how they are written and directed, but also for how they are portrayed by the actors and Sessa, Giamatti, and Randolph bring their characters to life with aplomb. All three actors convey the emotional tumult experienced by their characters in authentic and heart wrenching ways that are true to the backstories shared and expressed in a way that feels naturalistic and real. It makes for a strong ensemble that compliment each other perfectly and make the film engaging.
The Holdovers is a sincere film that uses phenomenal character development and interaction to provide insight on real human emotion. Its main ensemble of Dominic Sessa, Paul Giamatti, and Da’Vine Joy Randolph are superb together, creating an onscreen dynamic that sells both the film and the movie itself and that will garner the trio substantial recognition during awards season. It’s a heartfelt movie that will surprise many in how affecting it is. It’s well worth a watch.
Image: Focus Features
