A cranky history teacher at a remote prep school is forced to remain on campus over the holidays with a troubled student who has no place to go.
Alexander Payne’s penchant for finding the human in plenty of stilted, trivial, and abject mortifying experiences makes him such a humanist filmmaker. His latest film, “The Holdovers,” hits the similar highs of Christmas films while adding that bright sparkle of raw emotion he’s known to cling to. Between Paul Giamatti’s sardonic wit and Da’Vine Joy Randolph gleefully poking holes in the privilege around her, these two adults are enough to show a young teen what it means to move past their haunted past and well into a better future.
“The Holdovers” follows Dominic Sessa as Angus Tully, a teenager left behind for the holidays at his fancy private school. After all the other boys peel away to celebrate warm Christmas dinners with their families, Angus sits them out. To look after him are one teacher, Paul Hunham (played by Paul Giamatti), and one staff member, Mary Lamb (Da’Vine Joy Randolph.) While initially Paul and Angus grate against each other as the snow falls, the two eventually find joy in each other’s company, which escalates when Mary enters the fold. All three of them harbor dark sadness inside each other, and the time together will promise to bring it all up and maybe help them process what’s ailing them.
On paper, it sounds like a very Christmas movie, but in execution, it lacks the cute veneer offered by the Hallmark genre. Shot on real locations in classic film grain, it’s a movie that harkens back to the era of original filmmaking. In the larger context of films these days, it’s a warm oasis amidst a sea of corporate-style genre blockbusting. Payne’s been one to carve a career for himself out of these intimate dramas. Occasionally, they win Oscars, but more often, they languish in arthouse theaters as exceptions to the cinema economy rather than the rule. That alone is worth lamenting, but “The Holdovers” deserves more than an anonymous release and minor press.
Payne’s ability to take the trite and clichéd moments of human emotion and give them a little edge reigns supreme. He did it in “Sideways” and in my personal favorite, “The Descendants.” This film hits its highs and lows with enough humor to make every bit work. Solid punchlines come from organic relationships, and that low-ratio comedy leavens the script with ever-so-gorgeous beats. It’s a beautiful film, and while marginally trite, it still packs a decent punch. Check this out if you’re feeling down amid the scaled-back fall blockbuster season.
In Select NY & LA Theaters Friday, October 27th,
and in Theaters Nationwide Friday, November 10th
