‘The Holdovers’ Review – Alexander Payne’s Character Drama Is Cinematic Soup For The Soul [TIFF 2023]

Like all the best film titles, The Holdovers is a phrase imbued with double meaning. It is, at first, a mere plot descriptor, the term used to describe students who remain on-campus at New England’s illustrious Barton Academy during its winter break. However, digging deeper, it is a lens through which to view the entirety of Alexander Payne’s latest character drama, another humanist examination of society’s broken souls. Through its thoroughly well-realized triptych of tragic protagonists, the award-winning director explores what it means to be “held over” not just in school but in life, to be abandoned and stuck in your own grief and loneliness while the rest of the world appears to be moving forward. The result is one of the year’s best films, a story of hurt people hurting people, only to then mend each other’s wounds.

We begin with Paul Hunham (a glass-eyed Paul Giamatti in one of his best on-screen turns to date), a long-time Barton professor who, through his tireless ethical standards and intellectual smugness, has earned him a less-than-stellar reputation among both students and faculty. This year, that resentment has earned him the oft-begrudged role of chaperone for the year’s winter break holdovers, a group that includes his sharp but petulant student Angus Tully (startlingly talented newcomer Dominic Sessa). Also in tow is head lunch lady Mary Lamb (Da’Vine Joy Randolph in a scene-stealing supporting performance), still grieving the loss of her son, Curtis, a soldier who was fighting in Vietnam. 

None of them want to be spending their break, including Christmas, together at Barton. Each is quick with a retort or witticism slashing at the other’s ego, all a veneer for the pain they experience daily. Mary is struggling for obvious reasons, but it is quickly revealed Angus has been left behind at school due to his mother’s last-minute second honeymoon. An abandonment sitting potently in the wake of his father’s death, Angus is cold and distant, made all the worse by Paul’s putdowns. Always seeing the worst in Angus’ generation, Paul exhibits a clear superiority complex, a wall he has put up following years of loneliness and failure, both of which the film slowly reveals as the break goes on.

Naturally, the trio’s pre-conceived notions of each other are challenged, they begin to get along and, dare I say, even care for each other. It’s the natural progression for a story of this kind, but The Holdovers isn’t looking to reinvent the wheel, rather construct one to such perfection that you’re reminded why it was invented in the first place. David Hemingson’s exceptionally satisfying writing is not only hilariously indulgent in all the best ways, tossing out verbose verbiage and scathing sarcasm with ease, but also honest in its sincerity. It’s a two-sided coin reflective of its characters, who start off prickly but reveal the hearts on their sleeves. Each character’s perspective is approached with grace and charm, all of them likable enough to buoy a film about people this deeply flawed.

Another essential ingredient to this balance are the performances. Giamatti has simply never been better, instantly curmudgeonly and reveling in every poke and jab. The actor’s uninhibited capacity for rage has been channeled into a more distilled, upstanding smart-assery, every line delivered with impeccable, controlled delivery. Sessa makes for a quality sparring partner, embodying Angus’ hardness with an intensity that only makes his vocabulary more percussive. However, both are even more fun as friends, their father-son chemistry a quality antidote to their shared aggression. Randolph, though she takes a backseat in the film’s final third, is perhaps the film’s biggest star, portraying the character who must endure the deepest pain yet also exudes the most goodwill. The actress has personality and presence to spare, but doesn’t pull punches when succumbing to grief.

Payne’s direction is the equivalent of a cup of warm soup after a cold day, imbuing the story with warmth and coziness even against snowy New England backdrops and liminal interiors. It’s the combination of several factors: the film’s ‘70s grain and vintage sound recording (this is maybe the only film made in the last decade that genuinely feels like someone unearthed it from a time capsule), a soundtrack consisting of both all-time classic needle drops and holiday choral arrangements, production and costume design layered with neutral shades of gold, amber, beige, and copper without sacrificing pops of color. Even with its Christmas setting already in place, the film embodies goodwill toward men in every visual and sonic detail.

Cinema has many powers, most notably the potential to enrich and nourish the soul. Ultimately, the best films are about people reckoning with themselves and their capacity to learn and grow, whether or not they strive to do either of those things. Payne’s acerbically-witted drama is a testament to this truth, made all the more resonant with an ending that doesn’t coddle viewers but still satisfies the film’s emotional arc. In a time when it feels like many of us are cynical and divided, The Holdovers proves that even the most hardened hearts can make room for others by exerting a little empathy, and that the most tried-and-true types of stories can be just as fulfilling when handled by masters of their craft.

The Holdovers held its International Premiere as part of the Special Presentations section at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival. It will be released in limited theaters on October 27, expanding into a wide release on November 10, courtesy of Focus Features.

Director: Alexander Payne

Writer: David Hemingson

Rated: R

Runtime: 133m