Paul Giamatti, Dominic Sessa, Da’Vine Joy Randolph
New from Nebraska director Alexander Payne, and reuniting him with his Sideways star Paul Giamatti, comes this spirited comedy-drama set on a New England school campus in the 1970s, penned by TV writer David Hemingson.
Curmudgeonly and aggrieved, Barton Academy teacher Paul Hunham (Giamatti) is reluctantly responsible for supervising the students who are unable to return home for the Christmas holidays. This year, he’s forced to cohabit with one particularly rebellious pupil, the brainy, troubled Angus (Dominic Sessa), and the school’s head cook, Mary (Da’Vine Joy Randolph), both of whom are struggling to cope with very unseasonal personal circumstances. Stuck together in the absence of family, this unlikely trio is repeatedly drawn together and apart.
A deeply pleasurable film, funny and rueful, The Holdovers draws rich comedy from the pain and humour of thwarted lives, and lingers thoughtfully on the sadness of Christmas for many. Beautifully performed by Giamatti, Randolph and Sessa and replete with authentic 1970s stylings, it’s a delightful new work from Payne, both warm and melancholic.