The Holdovers (2023)

Updated: May 23

R | 2hr 13min | 8/10 | #Comedy #Drama

Parental Rating: R (Restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian)

➱ STORYLINE:

"The Holdovers" released in 2023 is about a curmudgeonly classical studies teacher at an isolated boarding school in 1970 is forced to chaperone a troubled student and the grief-stricken head cook over Christmas break. As a blizzard further isolates them, an unlikely bond forms among the trio, pushing them to confront their pasts, heal old wounds, and discover hope for the future, making it a heartwarming but sometimes predictable journey of personal growth and redemption.

➱ STAFF REVIEW:

"The Holdovers" could be one of the best Christmas movies of our lifetime. This movie is loaded with hilarity and heartwarming scenes that highlight the acting skills of Paul Giamatti who plays curmudgeon, Paul Hunham, the classic studies professor at Barton Academy in New England where he once attended on scholarship years before. The three main characters, the school's cook (Mary), a troubled student (Angus), and the professor are thrown together over Christmas break and become an unlikely family as they experience a variety of comic misadventures and learn more about each other along the way. All this is done in further isolation during a blizzard.

➱ CREDITS:

Directed by: Alexander Payne

Written by: David Hemingson

Produced by:

- Mark Johnson

- Bill Block

- David Hemingson

Starring:

- Paul Giamatti

- Da'Vine Joy Randolph

- Dominic Sessa

Cinematography: Eigil Bryld