“You can’t even dream a whole dream, can you?”

Story: Paul (Mr. Hunham to his students) is a gleeful curmudgeon who lives for the takedown. Especially when that involves the wealthy, overprivileged snots in his Ancient Civilization classes. But when he gets saddled with holiday break duties in the winter of 1970 (see: gleeful curmudgeon for reasons), he learns a deep lesson in humility, humanity, and hope from Angus, a student in his care, and Mary, the kitchen manager who’s also staying through the holidays. Maybe. Sorta. Mostly, he’s still a douche.

Genre I’d put it in: Films That Completely Nail The Retro Vibe
Release Date: 2023
Remake, Sequel, Based-On, or Original: Inspired by Marcel Pagnol’s Merlusse, and a TV pilot idea by Holdover‘s screenwriter David Hemingson.

Gotta say: I’ve been drooling over this film ever since I saw the gloriously retro look of the teaser trailer. Director Alexander Payne has said “We were very fully making a ’70s movie,” and the obvious love of the craft shows in this film. From the tics and bumps of the film stock, to the grainy focus of each frame, to the cool, dull look of each shot, it’s a master class in not only re-creating the look of 1970s cinema, Holdovers feels like a film born too late to join its compatriots. Luckily with streaming, it’s got a chance to share space with those that have gone before. Plus, it’s officially a Christmas film. Ho ho ho, y’all!

Hemingson’s screenplay is a lush combination of impactful scenes, believable dialogue, and space to let the characters feel without saying a word. The combination of Payne and Hemingson is a match made in heaven, and I hope this is Hemingson’s big break into film from series work. He deserves a way to truly flesh out his ideas, and longer run time seems to be just the ticket. The dialogue in this film is fantastic – I typically take notes throughout a screening (writing in the dark while staring at a screen = handwriting that is *chef’s kiss* y’all), and this time? 90% of my notes were quotes. It was tough selecting my header quote this time, as so many could have made the cut. Here are two others that I particularly loved: “You have always been penis cancer in human form”, and “Your history does not dictate your life.” See? This dialogue not only feels genuine, it runs the gamut. Oh, and from now on, I will no longer say I’m hungover. From now on I’ll have “the cocktail flu”.

It’s absolutely incredible how accurate this film strives to be. Of course, Barton School does not exist, but heck, they even cast Dominic Sessa, a recent graduate of Deerfield, as lead schoolboy Angus Tully. (No doubt Sessa’s experiences in boarding school helped cement the realistic portrayal of Angus, along with Sessa’s remarkable talent.) They filmed at Six School locations, the soundtrack has nothing beyond 1970, and the costume design and hairstyles are true to the period. The Vietnam War is a constant threat in the background for some, though as Paul wryly comments, “Barton boys don’t go to Vietnam, they go to Harvard….” Which of course isn’t exactly true, as Mary’s son – and Barton alumnus – died in Vietnam earlier that year. As Paul, the unlikely glue that holds Angus and Mary together (by pure chance, of course), Paul Giamatti delivers another incredible performance, perhaps his best. As Giamatti has worked with Payne before in Sideways, that’s not surprising. But the depth of feeling Giamatti brings is refreshing, in a year filled with larger budget films that felt phoned in. Bravo, dude.

This leads me to this review’s special shout out; Da’Vine Joy Randolph as Mary Lamb, kitchen manager supreme, and all-around queen of everything. Randolph balances Mary’s work ethic, kindness, and pathos on the edge of a knife, shifting from one to the other seamlessly. It’s a brilliant performance. When she tells Paul why she’s staying at Barton over the holidays, it’s matter-of-fact, and gut wrenching. I hope she gets notice this awards season. Along with the FX department, because JFC, did they actually dislocate a character’s shoulder? It looks way too real, and we all gasped loudly during the re-setting scene. Dude. DUDE.

This is the kind of film you’d see before films like Jaws and Star Wars: A New Hope reset the cinematic experience in ’75 and ’77 respectively. The mid-budget dramedy that was aimed solidly at adults, and would often gain traction with wider audiences through word of mouth. Hopefully Holdovers will garner that same spread, along with a solid base of folks who love offbeat holiday films. One it hits streaming, this film will be in my annual December playlist, along with The Family Stone, Trading Places (FEELING GOOD LOUIS), Die Hard, and the like. Yes, Die Hard. I am taking no questions at this time.

#Protip: This soundtrack is a great mix of of-the-era tunes, holiday music, and the original score. Plus, the cover image is just as much retro goodness as the rest of the film’s marketing.