Director: Alexander Payne
Writer: David Hemingson
Stars: Paul Giamatti, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Dominic Sessa

A curmudgeon teacher is forced to stay through the holidays at a boarding school watching after the holdover children who were left behind…

In today’s age of Hollywood nostalgia, it would be easy for The Holdovers to have cashed in on some 70’s/80’s iconography, passably allude to an essence of commercialized realism, make a few references to things people may feel fond of (‘Oh, yes, remember 8-track players?’ Or ‘I loved the music in Fast Times at Ridgemont High!’) and call it a day.

Instead, The Holdovers insists on the hard route, detailing a meticulously grounded framework of fully realized characters, each deeply felt and longing for a place in this mournful world that insists on rewarding ‘little assholes’ over people who have tried to earn a place in the roster of importance.

The Holdovers cements itself as far more than simply a charming story of a time gone by. Director Alexander Payne crafts a nostalgia frame for The Holdovers fully complete with film grain, long lenses, and careful staging harkening back to a John Hughes-style that sets the stage for the characters to truly shine.

It’s notably hilarious, often juxtaposing character ideologies, pitting them against each other in intimate environments that force begrudging opponents to see commonalities in their ways. The Holdovers utilizes an iconic trope to its advantage, taking a curmudgeon mentor and a naive student and forcing them to see their faults.

Watching Hunham and Tully slowly, painstakingly unite over their shared sense of suffering—of feeling less-than—makes The Holdovers one of the most joyful watching experiences of the year.

The performers are uniformly excellent with newcomer Dominic Sessa crafting an earnest joviality that meets fiercely with Giamatti’s playfully sardonic turn. But it is Da’Vine Joy Randolph who steals the show. Mary Lamb is a character designed to intuitively understand the feelings of being ‘left behind’ as she listens to the bemoaning of these two frustratingly stubborn players butt heads over silly trivialities. Randolph takes an understanding, observant character and imbues her with an unmatched emotional undercurrent.

Oftentimes, her delivery of a single word like, “College,” will have more emotional impact than most actors could dream of having in a two-page monologue. The first act of The Holdovers sets the stage for its growth, but endearing yourself to these characters and seeing the inner workings of the larger story that is attempting to take shape here is the film’s biggest obstacle.

Upon rewatch, seeing the subtle and calculated ways in which Payne demonstrates character arcs becomes one of its most enjoyable qualities, but for first-time viewers, The Holdovers is a film that will appreciate in value as it goes on.

The script by David Hemingson is masterfully crafted. It’s a film willing to take its time in building jokes with meticulous reference referral, often hitting a punchline in several scenes removed to reward audiences that are invested in the characters’ journeys.

As it works towards slowly breaking down all of the points that make Hunham unlikeable and turning them into endearing qualities that speak to his upstanding morality, it passes that quality to its audience.

The Holdovers is a triumph in character development, in comedic release, and most importantly, it is a triumph in capturing a snapshot into the insecurities of those of us who feel undermined by a society dismissing our potential.

It is a film about championing people who feel forgotten, held over, waiting for an opportunity to step forward into the world with curiosity in place of judgment, eager for a loving embrace to find us when we’re done.