A heartwarming tale of fucking up, growing up and moving on where everyone gets what they need, even if it’s not what they think they want. The Holdovers is a film I’ve meant to watch for some time, but finally took sitting on a flght with 7 hours to go to finally hit play on. I had no good reason not to watch it, other than just not feeling it at any given moment. I knew I’d like it, probably love it. And I was right. It’s a brilliantly charming and emotionally moving film that I felt like I’ve seen before. And it’s got Paul Giamatti. I don’t think I can name a film with Paul Giamatti tat didn’t deliver the exact performance needed from him, and this one doesn’t defy that either.
The film has a premise that could go in any number of directions. The Holdovers are a bunch of kids forced to spend the holidays at their boarding school away from family for whatever reason. From the spoiled rich kids whose parents can’t be bothered to pick them up, to the student whose family live in Korea, another whose Mormon parents are away on a mission - and the pipe smoking, hyper intellectual, poor sap of a teacher forced to watch after them, played by Giamatti.
Funny. Heartwarming. Sad. Emotional. Melancholy…
The Holdovers runs the gamut of emotions like the holiday season from whence it takes place. If you watch this one without a little wetness in the corners of your eyes at some point, you either don’t have kids, or a heart. It’s a period piece set in the 70s, complete with decade-appropriate opening warnings and credits. The story itself is classic and timeless. A troublemaking student meets a hard-nosed teacher and together they learn and grown, while offset by a sweet and no nonsense staff member who lost a son - and has nothing else to lose but to relate to them both.
Just watch it, ideally with someone you love. And a bottle of Jim beam nearby.
The screenplay was just as enjoyable. Masterfully written. Not a word is wasted. The scene description, the dialogue, the character descriptions - a real treat to read. Made me love the film even more. Some favorite parts…
Paul wants to comfort her but is ill-equipped.
This tells us so much about Paul. It’s insane how quickly you know him from this one line.
As Mary returns to the kitchen, the boys reach for the food, all hands and elbows.
Love this description of fighting over food
Paul enters to find Mary cooking, on the downslope of a hangover.
Downslope of a hangover, we’ve all been there. I can feel it.
On the vase, a naked Greek couple are seriously going at it.
It’s true when you see it. But you don’t have to. It’s easy to picture.
Paul gives him a look -- “I’m more mysterious than you thought.” He cracks open the pint of Jim. Takes a pull.
This line makes me jealous. There’s so much packed into it.
It’s the kind of screenplay that makes you want to drop everything and write a screenplay.