By Andrew Jenck
There are generally two types of Christmas films: where the holiday is engrained in the narrative and where Christmas is an aesthetic like Batman Returns or Gremlins. It’s easy to assume that Alexander Payne’s The Holdovers, a Paul-Giamatti-led comedy centered on a student and teacher, falls into the latter. However, Christmas plays a larger role than one would expect, emphasizing the greater pains of loneliness during the supposed most wonderful time of the year. Through its vintage 70s aesthetic, The Holdovers delivers something both nostalgic and relevant, addressing the depression Christmas can bring yet providing a good mechanism for working through struggles.
Giamatti plays Mr. Hunham, a dedicated, strict history teacher, failing many of his students, even to the detriment of his career at the all-boys private school. He’s tasked to supervise any students having to stay on campus during the Christmas break and forms a relationship with one such teenager with paternal issues. The general structure is predictable, as through interactions, the pair go from being at odds to a poignant relationship; the film is thoroughly a throwback. As with any good script, the familiar is used as a base to build a more interpersonal journey with greater details.
The student Angus, played by newcomer Dominic Sessa, gets to interact with the other holdovers, fleshing him out before he and Hunham take center stage. Allowing the audience to better sympathize with him, the film makes each character’s perspective clear yet saves enough to be further revealed through effective dialogue exchanges. Accompanying the duo is Da’Vine Joy Randolph, working as mediator between them while grieving as a mother of fallen veteran. Christmas plays a role not commonly seen in films: how people without families spend the holiday. Mr. Hunham appears to be affected but certain scenarios reveal his sympathy. Tight editing displays their similarities and the different ways they react to their situations.
Through digital cameras blending different inspirations, the filmmakers recapture the feel of the 70s invoking a familiar sense yet not plagiarized. A portrait-style approach encompasses the environment, providing less complicated yet well-staged shots. The school town is portrayed as cold and isolated, but its vibrant winter scenery and warmth become more apparent as the characters become more associated with each other. As the setting moves to Boston, Christmas is on full display with greater intimacy between the characters. A simple premise works when elevated by surrounding story elements.
As one of the most humorous films of the year, the comedy is character-based, enhancing their arcs rather than bringing the story to a halt. No dialogue exchange is without purpose. Shifts from comedic to serious scenes are seamless; the script is cohesive. Like the holiday itself, it reflects both the good and bad elements of one’s life. To avoid spoilers, the ending provides a serious issue faced with the characters and could only be earned through the deliberate character work the film went through.
The Holdovers isn’t merely a film set in Christmas but utilizes the holiday as the initiating event, backdrop, and framing device for a hilarious yet moving story with endearing performances. Giamatti fully utilizes his strengths with Sessa and especially Randolph generally matching up. Its last scene encompasses all the film’s strengths beautifully, creating a wholistic viewing experience. An R-rated film may not appear as the most festive, but it best captures the mixed emotions that can only come from Christmas.
The Holdovers is playing in theaters and available on demand.