Alexander Payne's take on the '70s in "The Holdovers"

A boarding school in Massachusetts in the 1970s. Archaeology teacher Hunnam (Paul Giamatti), who is overly serious and sarcastic and disliked by his colleagues as well as his students, is appointed to supervise the students who cannot return home for Christmas due to various circumstances. Hunnam, Angus (Dominic Sessa), a student who has to stay at the boarding school during the holidays because his mother has remarried, and Mary (Da'Vine Joy Randolph), the head chef of the school, whose son was killed in the Vietnam War, spend two weeks of Christmas vacation on the deserted campus.

Index

• Paul Giamatti's pranks that made it into the screenplay
• Is this the post-Octavia Spencer?
• Universal's logo is also a revival of the 1970s
• Gathering young staff to plan a screening event

Paul Giamatti's pranks that made it into the screenplay

For director Alexander Payne, "The Holdovers" is his second collaboration with Paul Giamatti since " Sideways " (2004). Payne's directorial stance, which resonates deeply with the sadness of those who fall outside the framework of society and their determination to move forward despite that, seems to have become even clearer in his latest film, which once again stars Giamatti in the lead role.

Hunnam's character is clearly defined. The principal of Barton Academy, where the story takes place, is a former student of Hunnam's, and he severely scolds Hunnam for failing the son of a major donor and causing his acceptance to Princeton to be revoked. The reality is that even a school is run on donations, and the teacher is stubborn and cannot easily come to terms with this. Paul Giamatti's well-calculated performance embodies the process in which he somehow comes to terms with his own awkward personality and eventually proves that even such a person has a shred of determination.

Another charm of this story is the unique chemistry that develops between Angus, who was shunned by his family, Mary, who still bears the bitter memory of her son who died in the war, and Hunnam. In particular, after Hunnam accepts Angus's request and is persuaded by Mary to go on a trip to Boston, the three characters' hidden secrets are revealed, instantly shortening the distance between them and also allowing the audience to begin to sympathize with them.

"The Holdovers" by Seacia Pavao / (C) 2024 FOCUS FEATURES LLC.

It was Giamatti himself who suggested to Payne that Hunnam be made cross-eyed. Hunnam's physical features are the cause of ridicule from unkind co-workers, but Hunnam sees them as an advantage for himself, revealing the character's competitive spirit. That's what Giamatti was aiming for. Watching this movie absent-mindedly, it's enough to make you doubt your own memory and think that Paul Giamatti was originally cross-eyed. In fact, Dominic Sessa, who played Angus, is said to have believed Giamatti's prank.

Meanwhile, the unique idea of Angus doing cartwheels while running, which determines the course of events that follows, was suggested to Payne by Dominic Sessa, who then incorporated the idea. Sessa had almost no acting experience, having only appeared on stage once at his alma mater, Deerfield Academy in Massachusetts, and this was his film debut. Sessa turned his lack of experience into freshness, playing a twisted young man who really just wants to be held by someone. He shone unexpectedly against the experienced Giamatti, and achieved the remarkable feat of winning 11 film awards, including the Critics' Choice Award for Best Newcomer.

Is this the post-Octavia Spencer?