In a year filled with films such as Oppenheimer, Barbie, and Killers of the Flower Moon, there is one unlike the rest: The Holdovers.
With its warm, comforting feel and standout performances, the film is a welcomed cinematic surprise featuring themes of grief, loneliness and love at its core. While other 2023 blockbuster films lack a feeling of intimacy, this is something The Holdovers certainly delivers on.
Set in 1970s New England, the film follows an old-fashioned and brash school teacher named Paul Hunham (Paul Giamatti), who is tasked with looking after students at a Massachusetts school who are unable to go home during the Christmas holidays.
A few days into the Christmas break, one of the holdover students’ fathers offers to take the kids on a ski trip to save them from the less-than-ideal setting. Every student gets permission to go, except for one — Angus Tully (Dominic Sessa), whose mother cannot be reached by telephone.
Thus, Mr. Hunham, Tully and the school’s head cook Mary (Da’Vine Joy Randolph), who has recently lost her only son in the Vietnam War, are stuck with each other over the break.
Mr. Hunham and Tully’s relationship is incredibly well-written. Despite their rocky start antagonizing each other at every opportunity, the two slowly start to form a bond. This is depicted through meaningful conversations they share about family and life, as they’re finally given a chance to learn about each other. Their relationship changes from a teacher and a student to one of great companions.
Mary is silently strong as she grapples with grief and the hole caused by her son’s death. One of the film’s strengths is its exploration of all sides of grief, not just sadness. Rudolph portrays flashes of denial, anger and despair throughout the film, as the other characters attempt to help her character through the emotional turmoil.
Additionally, Tully is one of the most realistic characters in recent silver screen memory. He’s a sarcastic and defensive young 15-year-old, but under the surface, he’s had a tough life and is struggling to find his place in the world. He misses his father–who’s suffering from mental health challenges–dearly and is a deeply misunderstood kid, making him an easy character to sympathize with.
Tully’s development into a more patient and understanding person is satisfying as he begins to listen to Mr. Hunham’s wisdom. As well, Tully is depicted as a bit of an outsider, so having Mr. Hunham to talk to about his life problems is truly heartwarming.
It is impossible not to mention Giamatti’s performance as Mr. Hunham, who has some of the best dialogue in the film. He’s hilarious, harsh and surprisingly compassionate as the film progresses. In one scene, he eases Tully’s mind by telling him he’s just a kid with plenty of time to figure things out. For Tully, who lacks a proper support system, these words matter.
The film is also hilarious, as Tully and Mr. Hunham’s back and forths make for an amusing watch. They both make themselves easy targets, poking jabs against each other, which are enhanced through the duo’s comedic timing.
The costume and set design of the film are bang-on, and the film could easily be mistaken for a genuine 1970s cinematic piece. When Mr. Hunham and Tully drive to Boston, every car and building in the city is straight out of the 70s. Another accurate Boston easter egg lies in Tully’s room at the film’s start, where period-accurate Bruins merchandise covers parts of the bedroom walls.
Overall, The Holdovers is a passionate, warm and tear-jerking film, propelled by the three leading performances. One can certainly expect Giamatti, Sessa and Randolph to all receive Academy Award nominations for their efforts.
The trio of stars all took home Critic’s Choice Awards recently. “Best Actor” went to Giamatti, “Best Supporting Actress” went to Randolph and “Best Young Actor” to Dominic Sessa. Giamatti and Randolph also took home Golden Globes earlier in January.
Oscar wins or not, The Holdovers deserves all the praise and is sure to be an instant classic.
Featured image from IMDb.
