Review of THE HOLDOVERS: Perceiving the Professor

February 23, 2024

It was December, 1970 at Barton Academy, a private boarding school for the rich and famous located in New England. One Christmas, unpopular classics professor  Paul Hunham (Paul Giamatti) was assigned to supervise students who stayed in school for the holiday break, because they could not go home. Cafeteria lady Mary Lamb (Da'Vine Joy Randolph), who was mourning the death of her soldier son in the Vietnam War, also stayed behind. 

At one point there was only one student left with Hunham. This was Angus Tully (Dominic Sessa), a headstrong boy whose mother left him behind to honeymoon with her new husband. Hunham and Angus clashed from day one because of their strong personalities. When they broke school rules by going out of campus, Angus learned out more about his teacher and why he had been the grumpy curmudgeon he was all these years. 

Whenever filmmaker Alexander Payne releases a project, people pay attention, because he has a unique talent for making intimate low-budget films which effectively unfold interpersonal relationships on the big screen. His Oscar Best Picture nominated films, namely "Sideways" (2004), "The Descendants" (2011) and "Nebraska" ( 2013), may look deceptively simple, but emotionally rich and satisfying. Now, we can add "The Holdovers" to that list. 

It is hard to believe that Paul Giamatti had only earned one Oscar nomination before, and no it was not for "Sideways," but a supporting nod for "Cinderella Man" (2006). His nomination (and possible win) now for "The Holdovers" is well deserved because only Giamatti could have played this wall-eyed, cantankerous grouch Paul Hunham, and make him sympathetic and actually lovable despite his obvious character flaws.  

It may not be apparent with all the confidence he had playing rich boy Angus Tully, this was actually the feature film debut of 21-year old Dominic Sessa, and he definitely held his own playing against Giamatti. Da'Vine Joy Randolph had so far been sweeping all the Best Supporting Actress awards this season, and once you've seen her play Mary and the dignified front she put up after the death of her son, you'd easily understand why. 8/10