Movie Review: The Holdovers
Alexander Payne is truly the master of combining comedy and tragedy! His first few films Citizen Ruth, Election, and About Schmidt truly announced him with smart comedies that often times challenged the viewer. What really blew me away was his 2004 film Sideways. The comedy about two middle-aged friends in the Wine Country for a week before one gets married was such a LOL funny comedy one minute, sad about their mid-life trajectory the next. But in the end, it was about accepting where you are in life, not where you aren't. I out and out loved it! His next film 2011's The Descendants was a very multi-layered family drama set in Hawaii. I included it in my 10 Best Movies of the 2010s. I liked his 2013 father-son road movie Nebraska, but there was some pushback from audiences. God forbid a director tries to make a black and white slow burn! But I appreciated the ensemble cast and what he was going for. 2017's Downsizing was a misstep for Payne. I was all for him trying something different and stepping into wild Michel Gondry-territory, but the story was a little uneven. Now Payne has made a serious return to form with The Holdovers, which was actually filmed in Massachusetts last Winter, and reunites Payne with Sideways star Paul Giamatti. I got to attend a special IFFBoston Post-Fall Focus screening at Somerville Theatre and Payne himself attended for an intro and Q&A. There was actually a scene that was filmed at the Somerville Theatre and now the finished film was playing there!?!
movie poster
Set in Barton Academy, a private boarding school for boys, in 1970 New England just before Christmas break, Giamatti plays Paul Hunham, an unpopular curmudgeonly teacher. He gets stuck supervising students who are unable to go home for the holidays. Hence the name The Holdovers. Also there during the break is lunch lady Mary (played by Da'Vine Joy Randolph, a scene-stealer from Dolemite Is My Name and the High Fidelity TV series). After all of the other students go away with one of the student's rich father, an unpopular student Angus Tully (played by newcomer Dominic Sessa) is left with Mr. Hunham and the two form an unlikely friendship.
This is easily one of the best movies of the year and one I'm sure is going to become better and better with each viewing during the holiday season. There is a serious early 70s influence, most prominently from Hal Ashby (Payne was among the interviewees in the 2018 documentary Hal about Ashby). But beyond the influences, this truly feels like the kind of movie that would have been released in the early 70s: the look, the feel, the sound, and the way the characters carry themselves. But like all of Payne's films, this balances comedy and tragedy. Without getting into spoilers, there is a sense of loss for these characters that is heightened by being alone during a holiday break. But that connection that is made is truly special. Sessa is a revelation. Payne has a knack for casting newcomers who swing it out of the park and Sessa is going places. Randolph is exceptional as a grieving mother. But it is definitely Giamatti's show. He's been consistently good in countless films since Sideways, but this is a part tailor-made for him. Someone who is highly intelligent, yet so antisocial. Payne isn't known for working with actors more than once, but we can only hope this is the start of more collaborations. All hail Payne!
For info on The Holdovers
4.5 out of 5 stars
Intro and Q&A:
The screening I attended, Payne gave an intro. He noted that this was the first screening on 35mm. After the film, critic Ty Burr (a friend and colleague of mine) moderated a Q&A. Here are some of the takeaways:
Burr and Payne at the Somerville Theatre
Local Crew: He had tons of positive things to say about the Massachusetts based crew that worked on the film. He mentioned of all the films he made outside of the state of Nebraska (i.e. The Descendants in Hawaii and Downsizing in Toronto), this is the one that has stayed in touch the most. In the audience at this screening were a ton of local crew members. You could hear cheering during certain scenes, locales and cast members. Payne mentioned that he didn't know New England, beyond visiting Dartmouth and some Ivy League colleges as a teen.
Somerville Theatre: in addition to being a location, Payne mentioned that they screened some 70s films for the crew in the cinema. He also added that the film had played festivals and had opened in NY and LA but this was the first screening on 35mm.
He talked about what he's been doing since Downsizing. He apparently flirted with directing The Menu and The Burial.
Screenplay: Five years ago he received a TV pilot from David Hemingson that was set in a boarding school in New England. Payne called him and said he didn't want to do the pilot but wanted him to write a screenplay in the same universe. This marked the first time he had directed a screenwriter as opposed to writing with a co-writer or getting a completed screenplay from a writer.
Casting: After not finding the right actor from a casting call, they began searching private boarding schools in Massachusetts. That's how Sessa was cast.
This event was a part of IFFBoston. For more info go here.
