“The Holdovers” is the story of an eccentric boarding school teacher, played by Paul Giamatti, who works at an elite school where each year, a teacher stays at the school during the holiday break to watch the students whose parents can’t take them home. The students are called the holdovers; Giamatti gets more than he bargained for as he forms a parental bond with a troubled student. At times, it’s more of a comedy than drama; Giamatti’s dry sense of humor rings loud and clear in the excellent award-worthy film. I screened the movie at the Telluride Film Festival in August, and director Alexander Payne introduced the film, saying it’s a part that Giamatti was meant to play as he attended the prestigious Yale University, where, at one point, Giamatti’s father was the college president.
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Payne had the original idea and hired writer David Hemingson to write the screenplay. In searching for a student to portray the troubled teen, he looked at East Coast boarding schools and found Dominic Sessa, a student at one of the schools. I believe a star is born, as Sessa was believable, relatable, and utterly charming at times. The best scenes in the film are when he and Giamatti are provoking one another. I can’t imagine being on set with these two, as keeping a straight face would be nearly impossible!
I also enjoyed Da’Vine Joy Randolph as the school’s cook as she gives a heart-wrenching performance as a grieving mother who lost her son while also serving as a sounding board for Giamatti. Together, they create a wonderful holiday movie about finding a sense of family and caring in the least expected places. Look for “The Holdovers” to possibly be nominated for Best Picture during Academy Award nomination time.
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Sarah Knight Adamson© November 26, 2023