The Holdovers

The independent Hollywood director Alexander Payne has long been appreciated at Cinematheque. In 2004 we showed his ‘Sideways’ a wine-tasting road trip starring the wonderful Paul Giamatti, who also happens to be the lead in his latest offering ‘The Holdovers’ (2023), which we screen on December 11th as our Christmas offering. Payne is known for his satirical depictions of American society, setting many of his films in and around Omaha, his hometown. Particularly good and another former Cinematheque success is ‘Nebraska’ (2013), a comedy/drama, black and white road film, starring Bruce Dern as Woody, an elderly Montana man walking to Nebraska, to collect his one million dollar prize from a scam sweepstake he believes he has won. Eventually, his son agrees to drive him, so that he can spend some time with his difficult father, but also to give his mother, played by the wonderful stage actress June Squibb, a break. Along the way, they meet many in their dysfunctional family. Nominated for numerous awards, Nebraska is an affectionate portrait of the small town Midwest, often hilarious but also undeniably sad.

The Holdovers is set in an elite Massachusetts boarding school, Barton Academy, at the end of 1970. As the school breaks up for Christmas, a few students have to remain over the holidays for family reasons, and the teacher assigned to look after these ‘holdovers’ is irascible Paul Hunham (Giamatti), unpopular with both staff and students alike. Included amongst those staying on are the head cook Mary, and a headstrong student Angus, who quickly clashes with Professor Hunham. These three rather disparate people fill the screen, eventually realising a satisfying mutual sympathy.
This is nostalgic, funny and moving cinema, excellently acted, with a strong sense of 70s American cinema, a golden era. To amplify this, the wonderful soundtrack is evocative of that time, including- The Allman Brothers, Badfinger, Chet Baker, Labi Siffre and Cat Stevens. A treat.

                                                       A:   
Funny; sad & moving (A)  Delightful, entertaining and clever! (A)  Wonderful cinema: beautifully told story.(A)  Fabulous. Funny. (A)   Brilliant, but did they swear so much in  1971? Maybe in US? (A)   Just right for Christmas. Really funny and touching. (A)  Perfect! (A)   Brilliant soundtrack (A)  Brilliant storyline, great acting & so evocative of the late 60s – A bit of a classic (A) Superb & funny. Brilliant (A)   
Brilliant cast, lovely film to end the year on! (A)   Gold. Made you want to be a teacher.(A) Great fun and insightful (A)   Witty, poignant, an excellent script well acted + directed. But why does the Classics teacher have to be a jerk, as in Dead Poets’ Society? (A)   Wonderful ‘feel good’ film (A) 
What a good choice for the time of year!(A)    Very enjoyable with a bonus of a New England winter! (A)   Very funny, a passage of time (A) A great film (At last!) Terrific cast – super music, real good film. (A)    What a lovely film! (A)         Good Christmas film with great soundtrack. (A)  Perfect/ just perfect. (A)     The cook brought the humanity. Funny and enjoyable, though I don’t relish lightweight American films swamping Cinematheque’s quality film choices. (A)    

                                                      B:   
Super. Great messages. (B)   Perhaps too easy? (B) Enjoyable comedy with some sad and funny moments.(B)    Good feel good movie. Great music. (B)  Slushier than I anticipated but it tugged at the heartstrings – and was laugh-out-loud funny. Sensational acting; and conjured up the period brilliantly. (B)
A delight. Makes me think about what might have been in one’s life. (B)    I wasn’t sure I was going to like this. Too many easy jokes but as it went on I thought it expressed a lot of interesting ideas about America of the time. A bit to sentimental. Though as is often the case with America. (B)   Understated American Christmas film, low key, slow burner, sort of a ‘road movie’ & funny – Paul Giamatti is a good, under-used actor(B) Pathos +sharp but combined. Good choice. (B)

                                                        C:  
Beautiful acting. Very emotional but slow to get going. (C )

Touching. Well-acted. Good story. C)  Good choice for Christmas – impressed by the trio’s acting (C) 

                                                        D:   
Too drawn out (D)

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